For 11-year-old Samantha Halson, the answer was simple: give them a Bible.
The Anchor Church regularly reminds people that Bibles are available at church for them to take and give to their friends. Samantha had heard this opportunity several times, including in the children’s programme, and she thought, “I could do that.”
She gave one of the Bibles, along with a Field Guide to the Bible, a resource from the Bible Society, to a friend at school.
Soon, another friend noticed and asked if she could have one too. Samantha has since given six Bibles to her friends.
The friends initially started reading their Bibles together at school but have now moved their conversations to an online group chat. They choose a book of the Bible to read together, then talk about what they have read and what they think God might be saying to them.
Recently, while reading about trusting God, the girls began sharing times when they had trusted God in their own lives.
Some of the girls don’t have their own phones yet, so conversations also continue at school.
Sometimes Samantha’s friends ask her questions, and she helps them understand, but often the conversations are more like a group exploration, with everyone asking questions and sharing what they think.
The experience has also strengthened Samantha's own faith. She says,
“It has made me want to read my own Bible more and understand it better.”
Samantha says it's more than just giving someone a book. She believes it is important to “pray, explain what the Bible is, and not force anyone to take one.” Sometimes, she says, you just have to wait until someone is ready.
She has already had the opportunity to practise this. One of her friends has told her, “Not yet.” And that’s okay. Samantha is happy to wait and let her friend decide when she is ready.
One of the girls now comes to church regularly, while others have started coming along to the intermediate youth group. What began with one simple thought, “I could do that,” has allowed a group of friends to discover the Bible together.
Thank you to Samantha and her parents, along with The Anchor Kids Team for helping us share this story.
