Whispering Pines Summer Children's Program

  • Joanne Lehman
  • August 17, 2010
  • 278
                        
Church brings fun and games to children at Whispering Pines By Joanne Lehman It’s been a fun-filled summer for children who live at Whispering Pines Estates. This mobile home park is located at Riceland near the intersection of U.S. 30 and Route 57. Kidron Mennonite Church supported intern Kara Meyer who planned and facilitated activities offered at no cost to community children. Approximately twenty-six individuals and families from the church helped with outings and educational efforts. Average attendance was 10 children per day and varied from a high of 23 children to a half dozen on a few days. Church members supported the project by donating funds, children’s books and supplies, food and volunteer staffing. The youth group built a picnic shelter and a garden, teachers provided educational activities and Sunday school teachers taught Bible lessons. Others donated food for lunches, money for scholarships to Camp Luz, and transportation to Vacation Bible School. Meyer began her work in mid-June after arriving home from a year in Mennonite Mission Network’s Service Adventure. While in that program, she worked in Raleigh, North Carolina as an assistant at a pre-school. She also helped with an after-school program. Back home in Ohio she quickly put her experience to work and embarked on yet another adventure—planning and directing summer activities at Whispering Pines. This fall she will be attending Hesston College in Kansas. “I really enjoyed being able to work so close to home because the relationships will never stop. I can always come home from college and stop in to say hello to the parents and children I have met this summer,” says Meyer. Each day brought new surprises as children went on field trips to interesting locations, including a few church members’ homes. At one home they were treated to an afternoon of slip ‘n slide; at another, they went horseback riding. Someone donated a free admission package to The Farm at Walnut Creek where children toured the wild game area in a horse drawn wagon and enjoyed country life. Another field trip took the group to the Stark Wilderness Center to hike and learn about snakes. Other trips included an afternoon of swimming at Baylor Beach and a visit to an Amish farm where they got buggy rides. Each session started with a simple lunch served at the picnic shelter at noon. Favorite games of participants Brianna, Haley and Jaylyn were Drip, Drip, Splash (a watery version of Duck, Duck, Goose) and a game called Rainbow Tag. Each day’s session included a Bible lesson, physical activities and fun educational experiences led by church members who are also teachers. A different theme each week helped integrate activities and learning. Reading times paired younger and older readers, making story time enjoyable for all. The program ended this past week with harvesting the children’s garden, a trip to the Mennonite Relief Sale and a cookout on Friday, August 13. “We invited all of the youth in the church,” Meyer says. “… anyone who volunteered, and the whole Riceland community. We invited everyone out for burgers, hot dogs, and other great dishes.” The grand finale included just few more activities—corn hole, massive bubbles, and more games! For those who got involved, it was rewarding to see how imagination and volunteer effort could result in a memorable summer for both the families at Whispering Pines and volunteers from the church. “I was comfortable working with people from my congregation because I mostly knew everyone who came and helped out,” says Meyer. In contrast, she began work in Raleigh not knowing anyone. According to Lydell Steiner, interim associate pastor at Kidron Mennonite, the idea for the program was the brainstorm of himself and Thomas Dunn, youth pastor. When the two pastors assisted a Whispering Pines family by helping to install a woodstove to reduce heating bills, they noticed the many children playing in the neighborhood. Steiner said he sees the summer programming as a small step towards a new emphasis on missions and outreach at the Kidron congregation. Today, and for all it’s nearly 75 year history, the congregation has sent both money and workers to various relief, service and mission projects in far-flung parts of the world. That will certainly continue in the future. Yet, increasingly, those returning from short-term service projects elsewhere have a greater understanding of the importance of forming friendships and meeting needs in their home community. Meyer says she feels it is easy to overlook community needs where you live, while in the Raleigh assignment the needs were included in her job description. “I do see a children’s program continuing on. One thing our church is working at is staying connected, says Meyer. She foresees a Bible study and Wednesday evening meals and tutoring at the church as possible ways to continue friendships made this summer. Steiner says the church can be the catalyst for new local projects as well as organizing trips to other places. “It’s why we are here, to show and share the love of Christ. Many people in our congregation have talents, gifts and skills to share. They have a deep and profound faith in Christ that they want to share with others. We can take small steps and find or create these places where our lives intersect with the lives of our neighbors.”


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