SMACKOVER — Goodwill Usher Union and First Baptist Church Smackover’s outreach minstry banned together Saturday to get local kids spiritually and physically ready for the school year.
“Seven churches meet every fourth Sunday night and take up an offering we use to give back to the community,” said Charles Elliott, Goodwill Usher Union president.
The union and First Baptist’s outreach ministry has collaborated for over three years to give school aged kids in Smackover school supplies.
“At our church, we collected school supplies for the past month. Our ministry also donated school supplies,” LaDonna Bonier said.
Backpacks and pizza weren’t the only things the children recieved at their annual back to school luncheon. Author Georgia Hay used to interactive activities and Bags of Hope to get students spiritually focused for school.
“We’re losing our children due to a lack of knowledge and a lack of prayer,” Hay said. “If you don’t read, you don’t acheive. That’s knowledge. A book is knowledge. If you don’t open that book up, you’re not going to get it.”
Throughout her interactive speech she read short passages from her book “Did You Hear My Cry O’Lord.” Her book includes personal accounts of young people she helped through her work as a teacher and juvenile probation officer.
Hay said, “(While) traveling with the bureau and the military, kids from all over found it easy to talk to me. As a juvenile probation officer it’s against state policy to talk about God because state and religion are separate.”
She promised that she would write a book that would serve as a Christian-centered guide for young people who’ve made poor decisions due to peer pressure, drug addiction and domestic abuse.
“(I made a) promise to them years ago that I would do it and have a guide for them when they’re afraid to ask questions. I submitted about 25 (stories) and they narrowed it down. I did that too because if you give kids a thick guide, they won’t read it.” Hay said.
The back to school luncheon had a decent turn out, but Elliott wants the event to be “bigger and better.”
“Usually when you say ‘free,’ you have a crowd. The people aren’t taking advantage of what we have to offer and we wonder why,” Elliot said. “We go out of our way to support the community and we wish the community would show support to us.”
Elliott’s mission for the luncheon is two-fold.
“(Ushers) set an example for the young people. A lot of us are getting up in age. We’re doing what we can to recruit people because we need younger ushers,” he said.
In the end, Smackover schoolkids small and tall received school supplies, a hot meal and a spiritual message.
“We got the school supplies out and a good word from Sister Hay so I think it turned out really good. I pray that everyone has a good, productive school year and a safe first few days of school,” Bonier said.
First Baptist Church Smackover’s outreach ministry doesn’t have any programs targeted toward school aged children, but they are open to any suggestions, said Bonier.
(Brittany Williams may be reached at 870-861-6111, extension 131 or by email at [email protected])