"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

– Joshua 1:9

This week, our children are learning about an extraordinary woman in the Bible–Deborah, the only female judge and one of the godliest judges in Israel. When Deborah became a judge, Israel had been under the control of Jabin, king of Canaan and cruelly oppressed by his army commander, Sisera, for 20 years. When the Israelites cried out to the Lord, He sent Deborah to Barak and spoke through her, calling him to battle against Sisera. However, Barak was afraid and told her that he would not go unless she went with him. Without hesitation, Deborah promised to go with him, recognizing that he was the man God called to fight Sisera’s army. Deborah was a strong, godly woman who spoke God’s Words and obeyed them. Even when Barak was weak, she was strong. She courageously went with him to help him fulfill his God’s ordained role. 

This fall term, our children are learning about “Women in the Bible.” We hope that through learning the stories of godly women in the Bible, our children, especially young girls, will learn that whether we are men or women, we are all instruments of God, equally valued and created in God’s image. 

Praise Items

• Praise God for our runners' fundraising efforts at the 2026 Run for TCM! We give thanks for the good weather over the weekend and the generosity of all our supporters. As of today, we have reached 72% of our fundraising goal! To help us reach the goal of sending 37 children impacted by poverty to our preventive programs for free, you can still make a donation here!
• We are happy to see our children learning different ways of worship with enthusiasm, whether by dancing with tambourines or keeping the beat with rhythm sticks.
• We praise God for the new friends our teens invited to join our youth program at Jesse Ketchum and the effort of our staff who have created a safe, welcoming space for these youth to invite their friends.

Prayer Items

• Our teen leaders at Orton Park have started their first training in the Teen Leading Community (TLC) program. We pray that as they put what they have learned into practice, they will continue to grow in a heart of servanthood and gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be Christ-like leaders.
• God brought several former participants back to our after-school programs this fall. We do not know how much time we have with them; we pray we can continue to make a positive impact and help them develop a personal relationship with God.
• We are currently planning our Annual Celebration happening in December. Pray for the planning of this event and that it will be a meaningful evening to celebrate God’s faithfulness. We would love to see you there, to RSVP, fill out the form here!

Reflection

• Who are the godly women in your life who made a positive impact on you?
• Like Deborah, how can you empower someone to fulfill their God’s ordained role?

“When the princes in Israel take the lead,

    when the people willingly offer themselves—

    praise the Lord!”

– Judges 5:2