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“What does the word ‘created’ mean?” a teacher at Tioga Elementary School asked students in a small group that was discussing vocabulary words for a book they were about to read in class.

Responses varied, but one response stood out from the others.

A student said, “All things were created for Him and through Him.”

The teacher, a Christian, was excited about the student’s response. She had him repeat the Bible verse and then used it to teach the small group.

After they were done, she asked, “What church do you go to?”

And the student replied, “Beach Club!”

Did you know that 62 percent of kids who sign up to attend KiDs Beach Club® do not have a church home? Beach Club might be the only “church” a child may experience. KiDs Beach Club® is a great way for churches to go outside their walls and into the heart of their communities to reach kids who may never attend church with their families.

After class, the teacher told another teacher, Courtney Tanguma, who attends Mt. Carmel Baptist Church and is a surf team leader in the first-year club in Tioga, Texas.

“When she came and told me I actually had tears in my eyes,” Tanguma said. “It’s so neat to see what happens here in Beach Club – what we’re doing here in club – is the right thing.”

The verse the student recited was that week’s Memory Link. Each week in Beach Club, there is a different Bible verse to help kids memorize scripture and learn the importance of keeping God’s word in their hearts.

Tanguma has seen many benefits of having a Beach Club in their school even though they only started meeting Sept. 12.

“I see how excited the kids are,” Tanguma shared after the club’s Great Treasure Day earlier this month. “I teach a younger grade, so I don’t have Beach Club students in my class, but I have them come up to me all the time saying, ‘I’m so excited for Beach Club today’ or ‘I learned my memory verse this week.’ They are really excited to be here. I love seeing them all in their Beach Club shirts today!”

Mt. Carmel handed out approximately 36 KBC Study Bibles on Great Treasure Day and the club continues to grow as more students and parents find out about Beach Club.

Character education is an element of Beach Club Tanguma thinks is most important from her perspective as both a teacher and a parent.

“They learn so much and to be able to put it with the Bible, they know that’s the truth and what we need to be doing,” Tanguma said. “They are learning vocabulary words through our verses and when we talk about these character words, you do see a change in them.”

Tanguma had another teacher tell her that a student wanted to get her Bible out and read it during class. “For some of these students who received a Bible today for the first time,” she said, “now they’ll be able have the opportunity to read their Bible in class, too.”

She makes a point to have her Bible with her during the school day and had it with her during dismissal on Great Treasure Day. She had even more kids ask how they can join Beach Club.

Mt. Carmel Baptist Church is slowly changing the culture of Tioga Elementary School and that can only have a positive impact on their community. To see how your church can partner with Beach Club, click here, or if you want to bring a Beach Club to your school, click here.