Wednesday, August 13, 2003
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Wednesday, August 13, 2003 |
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Mission Maniacs of Fayetteville First UMC Get Busy By Becky
Davenport
The "Mission Maniacs," is a lively group of third, fourth, and fifth graders who meet Sunday nights at Fayetteville First United Methodist Church to "grow in their faith and discover the joy found by reaching out to others in need." One of the group's favorite mission projects, "Pennies For Puppies," involved sponsoring the training of a seeing-eye guide dog for the blind. A Mission Maniacs family adopted the puppy until she was ready to go to guide dog school, and the children made and sold gourmet dog biscuits, picture frames, and handmade wrapping paper to pay for the puppy's training. Another project involved raising money for the Joseph Sams School, a local school for mentally and physically challenged children. For this project, the Mission Maniacs designed, printed and marketed a line of Christmas cards. The children also are involved in hands-on projects. Recently, some of the older children in the group worked side-by-side with adults on the construction of a new home to benefit a needy family. They pitched in where they could, and as fifth grader, Jack Davenport put it, "It just makes you feel good to help someone else." First Methodist's children's ministries director, Beth Clark, says of the group, "We are showing the children they can make a positive impact on the world by putting the needs of others before their own and by seeking opportunities to serve within the church, throughout the community and all around the world." Clark says she stresses the importance of teaching the children positive values like generosity, perseverance, and kindness from an early age so that when difficult issues arise in the teen years, the children already have built a strong moral foundation from which to make their decisions. Members of the Mission Maniacs welcome any child in the third, fourth and fifth grade to become a part of their group. The only requirement to join, Clark says, is a "desire to learn about God, serve others, and have fun!" For further information, contact Clark at 770-719-9421. |
