Our History
Keys for Kids Ministries (originally Children’s Bible Hour) was created after a little girl sat on her Uncle Gil’s (Rev. Gil Cosselman) knee and asked why there were no Christian radio programs for kids. This simple question asked by a child was the catalyst for a radio/TV broadcast that would be aired for decades!
Gil Cosselman was pastor of the EUB church in Grand Rapids at the time. Gil got together with three other pastors to talk about the possibility of starting a children’s radio program. These men were Dr. David Otis Fuller, pastor of the Wealthy Street Baptist Church, Rev. Malcolm Cronk, pastor of Calvary Church, and Rev. Donald Hescott, pastor of the Calvary Gospel Center. They began praying, planning, and working together.
The Beginning of Children’s Bible Hour
A meeting of four pastors turned into a group of ten, which launched Children’s Bible Hour that same year. Their first broadcast aired in November from the studios of WLAV in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The first office was in the Keeler building in downtown Grand Rapids. Radio was Children’s Bible Hour’s (CBH) first primary program format. Later, CBH taped young people recording live radio broadcasts. Interest in the radio broadcast quickly grew. A Board of Directors was formed, chaired by Dr. David Otis Fuller, who kept that position until the late 1970s.
One of the first two aunts, “Aunt Dorothy” Boli, described the radio program as “…an hour long divided into four sections: Bible Question Time, Chorus Time, Bible Memory Time, Bible Story Time, each having fifteen minutes. As to the script, there was little written out…most of the program was ad lib. But the spontaneous response and harmonious spirit made it a lively and profitable program.”
Choirs representing CBH traveled and performed throughout the US for decades, until the nonprofit decided to focus its efforts on other media to reach as many people as possible for Jesus.
Children’s Bible Hour went global in 1943. The one-year anniversary celebration was the beginning of a 56-year series of annual rallies. The first rally was held at the Welsh Civic Auditorium in Grand Rapids. From 1944 to 1999, the song “Boys and Girls for Jesus” was the rallying cry for CBH.
In 1945 Mel Johnson (Uncle Mel) left his position as director to pursue a position with Youth for Christ. Carl Bihl (Uncle Bill) became the second director of the ministry. That same year a man by the name of Harry Trover came to be a fundraiser as well as a story writer for the ministry. Between 1945 and 1972, Harry Trover wrote hundreds upon hundreds of radio dramas which became the backbone for the broadcast.
In 1946 the program was trimmed from an hour in length to a half hour, but the name Children’s Bible Hour was retained. They figured it sounded better than Children’s Bible Half Hour!
In 1947 CBH needed an office manager. Harry Trover said, “I have a sister in Canton, Ohio, who is an excellent businesswoman and would make a great office manager.” And so it was that Bertha Trover Shooks came from Canton with husband Ernie and daughter Beverly. She would prove to be a very important addition to the staff.
In 1948 the ministry began falling on hard times. Finances were low, and many of the radio stations that were airing the program (all of which required payment for airtime) were dropped. By the end of the year, the ministry was down to five stations and over $30,000 in debt. The Board of Directors met to talk about the possibility of dissolving the ministry. It was difficult to find anyone who wanted to be the director; no one wanted to go down with a sinking ship. Bertha Shooks offered to “take the job ‘til you can get another director.” She had never spoken on the radio and really didn’t have a radio voice. But Aunt Bertha became the ministry’s third director in January of 1949, and it soon became evident that God had His hand on this lady as she began to rebuild the ministry.
It wasn’t long after Bertha Shooks (“Aunt Bea”) took over that she felt the ministry needed to try expanding into the brand-new field of television. From late 1949 until 1955, the ministry produced several series of films made for TV. These consisted of music and stories as well as other features. It was a bold step in a new direction.
In 1945, Charlie VanderMeer becomes a regular on the program:
Back in 1943, nine-year-old Charlie started taking part in the broadcasts. And it began in an unusual way. Charlie’s dad brought him to one of the live broadcasts in the WLAV studio, which was capable of seating up to 130 people. The studio was often filled to capacity for the broadcast time. Uncle Mel would occasionally take a roving microphone and interview some of the studio audience. One of those he interviewed was Charlie. Mel liked the way he responded, and Charlie was invited to be a regular—not to sing, but to read Scripture, quote poems, read audio object lessons, and then eventually become the regular boy in the dramatized stories written by Harry Trover. In 1956 he graduated from college and asked Aunt Bea if there was a job he could fill until, as he put it, “I go to the mission field.” Well, CBH became his mission field. He started full time in 1956 and never left. He worked with Aunt Bertha until her retirement in 1972, at which time Uncle Charlie became the fourth CBH director, filling that position until March 1999 when Randy Hekman became the fifth director. Randy was with CBH for four and a half years. After serving 13 years on the Board of Directors, Mrs. Terre Ritchie became Executive Director on November 3, 2003.
During Charlie’s term as director he reached thousands of children for Christ. He was so well known that there weren’t many places in the country he could go where people didn’t recognize his strong, vibrant voice. He reaches children in camps, chapel services in Christian schools, and ministry meetings in churches. He continues to do share-a-thons with radio stations across the country and even fits in a mission trip now and then! You can’t keep a good man down!
Addition of Keys for Kids
Tyndale House publishes several one year devotionals using our Keys for Kids stories. They produce the following books: Devotions for the Family 1, 2, and 3, Kids Devotionals 1, 2, and 3, Devotions for Boys 1 and 2, Devotions for Girls 1 and 2. Kregel produces two Spanish versions of Keys for Kids books called Tesoros Para Niños 1 and 2.
Keys for Kids is also aired as a four and a half daily radio program across the U.S. and around the world! Keys for Kids has been translated into twelve languages and many dialects. Our goal is to expand this to many more languages as we partner with Trans World Radio.
Many publishers are using Keys for Kids stories to create their own publications in other languages. Tyndale House has recently released a Ukrainian version. Praise the Lord!
Mandarin Chinese Keys for Kids
大衛站在遠處看著他父親打開一個蜜蜂巢。 “肯定的是一個大蜂巢，對不對，爸爸? 牠們看起來都好忙喔!”大衛笑著說。他又補充說道:“牠們真是忙碌的蜜蜂!”
爸爸笑了。“你說得對，每個蜂巢都有數以千計的蜜蜂，但是呢，”爸爸繼續說，“ 每個蜂巢一定只有一個女王蜂。”
Working with Trans World Radio (TWR) on translation production.
Keys for Kids impacts millions each year
Down Gilead Lane is aired on over 2,200 radio outlets across the country. Our Classic CBH programs are carried by approximately 250 stations. Keys for Kids is carried by 900 stations.
Please pray with us that God will continue to provide these outlets so even more children will hear of God’s love for them.
Our website has over 2 million visits throughout the year.
Seasons of Faith illustrated books
These colorful illustrated picture books were adapted from our classic radio programs. Editing the scripts into book form and then adding the art of many different illustrators has brought this dream to fruition. You’ll find a book for every season of faith that a child encounters. For example, salvation, growing faith, forgiveness, pride, death of a loved one, and all sorts of subjects your child can read about. Complete with a CD of Uncle Charlie narrating the story , you’ll find these beautiful books a needed addition to your children’s library. These books also make great gifts!
Pray for Keys for Kids Ministries
We need your prayers to accomplish all God has given us. Our radio, print and internet ministry for children is growing rapidly. With our small staff and limited funds we try to do as much as we can. We need your help! Won’t you pray for us and give when you can? We can accomplish so much more with you on board as a partner. God bless you as you seek to serve Him!