Last Wednesday night our church, Grace Baptist Church in Huntsville, Texas, began our third year of Wise Guys!  Our church is very small with only about seven children that regularly attend on Sunday mornings.  But we had thirteen children on Wednesday night!  Three were first time visitors.  Our boys have invited everyone on our street and each Wednesday night our van and car are packed with neighborhood children on our way to church.  And they love Wise Guys!!   

Michelle has made it fun and exciting to learn their memory verses, takes a special interest in each child, and helps them to grow in the Lord.  The program fits wonderfully for a small church to use since it does not require  many "workers" or space.  Michelle uses Wise Guy Dollars to encourage the children to wear their t-shirts, bring their Bibles, learn their verses, and bring friends.  Then at the end of each semester she has a Wise Guy store where they can spend their money (which is great for Christmas presents for the kids to give in December.) 

Last spring the class got into a discussion of what would happen if they died and Michelle was able to discuss with them the plan of salvation and God's gift of eternal life.  Then she brought four of the children to my husband and I to discuss salvation and make sure they understood.  All four accepted Christ as their Savior!  One of the them told Michelle today that she just couldn't hardly wait until the next Wise Guy class!  I've also had parents tell me that it isn't just Bible verses that are memorized for one night and then forgotten.  She has heard her children repeat the verses to each other to make a point or explain a situation in everyday life during the week!  That is exciting also!!  The Bible becomes a living, meaningful part of their young lives!  In my opinion, Wise Guys is an excellent program for any church!

P.S.  The Rest of the Story:  When Miss Bettye started Wise Guys at Heritage, Monica my oldest daughter was one of the first group.  Michelle was too young but she wanted a shirt!  She kept asking me for a shirt and I kept telling her she had to ask Miss Bettye.  So she would go run to Miss Bettye and stand there with her big brown eyes and ask her if she could have a "shurt" too.  We finally got a special one made just for her with Lil Wise Guy on it! 

Monica started our Wise Guy program three years ago but Michelle took over after a few months and has been in charge ever since.  They still substitute for each other if needed.  Michelle is now 17 years old and a senior in High School.  She does  all the planning, teaching, ordering, etc. and is doing a wonderful job.  (Do I sound like a proud mom?)

GWEN ELLIOTT (Pastor's Wife)
GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
HUNTSVILLE, TX

I remember when I was a little girl waiting for Wednesdays so I could put on my "shirt" and go to Wise-Guys. I would practice hard all week on my verses and anticipate saying them to Mrs. Bettye. I enjoyed listening to Mrs. Bettye telling us stories and teaching us about wisdom. I still remember those verses in Proverbs today and I'm so thankful that God has allowed me, 10 years later to teach other children the same principles. I still look forward to Wednesdays, putting on my "shirt" and learning new insights from Proverbs. I'm so thankful for the Wise-Guy program and all it has taught me, and the little kids at my church.

MICHELLE ELLIOTT

The miracle of that testimony is the young lady, Michelle.  She followed me around and totally intimidated me when she was about 3 years old.  She had the biggest brown eyes you've ever seen and when she caught my eye she would say, "I want a shurt".  It was so precious!  In fact, that was the beginning of Lil WG's.

BETTYE LEDBETTER