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Good News About Kids
group magazine: February, 1994
From: February 1994 GROUP Magazine
Keywords: Clowns Service Prayer Good News About Kids SEND IN THE CLOWNS David and Marie Melina's three kids act like clowns-and the parents couldn't be happier. Zachary (14), Katelyn (12), and Chelsˇ (10) have a clown ministry with their parents in Guilford, Connecticut. The Melinas visit pediatric wards at area hospitals on Saturday afternoons. While David and Marie visit with sick kids' families, Zachary, Katelyn, and Chelsˇ, dressed in full clown attire, joke with patients and perform upbeat puppet shows and skits. The Melina kids have given up many Saturday afternoons with friends to bring joy and a Christian message to hurting children. But their own lives have been changed through their life-changing ministry. "They're different from your average kids," says their mom. "They internalize and always wonder how other people are feeling." If you're interested in starting a clown ministry with your kids, call Marie at (203) 453-6031. WORKING TOGETHER Members of the "Kids' Club" at the Stone Church of the Brethren in Buena Vista, Virginia, are hooked on service. They've raked leaves for homebound church members, brought them food, made them gifts, and sang to them. But what makes this group so unique is the age range of the 18 kids involved-from 5 to 14 years old. The elementary and junior high kids get along so well that they even sing together in a choir once a month. "These kids are so mature in their faith. They come up with the ideas for these service projects and then do them for the sake of doing them-without expecting rewards," says Pastor Terry Shumaker. In addition to helping people in need, Kids' Club members are building a foundation for a senior high group that their church hopes to establish. SEE YOU THERE! What were 644,244 high school students, 270,409 junior high students, and 111,117 college students doing before school on September 15, 1993? Praying at their school's flagpole. The fourth annual "See You at the Pole" event was the largest student prayer gathering in history. And participation wasn't limited to the United States or to teenagers and young adults. All age groups, from grade school children to adults, prayed on campuses and nonschool locations from Canada to Moscow. Many U.S. cities held rallies for young people before and after See You at the Pole. The prayer day has also served as a springboard for student-led campus Christian clubs across the country. Plan now for your kids to participate in the 1994 See You at the Pole on Wednesday, September 21 at 7 a.m. local time. For more information on this event, call (619) 451-1111. BILLION-DOLLAR VOLUNTEERS The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently released these "good news" statistics: In 1992, teenagers volunteered 1.6 billion hours of service. This represents the equivalent of 966,800 employees and $7 billion worth of labor. Fifty-three percent of teenage volunteers reported they were currently volunteering more hours than three years ago. Copyright© 1994 Group Publishing, Inc. / GROUP Magazine |
