Change for Children
Loose coins add up to ministry dollars

Every year since 1998, Holston mission leaders have asked churches to give to "Change for Children." The promise is that half of the money will go to benefit needy children here at home, and half will be sent to help needy children in Africa.

IN 2005, 13 children's ministries received a total of $34,675 in grants culled from those nickels, dimes, and pennies. (Hope for the Children of Africa received an equal amount.) From Wytheville to Chattanooga, eight of 12 districts were represented among groups receiving funds ranging in amounts from $5,675 to $500. In all, the committee reviewed 26 applications requesting more than $84,000. Now, it is once again time for the Change for Children Committee to begin bestowing money collected over the past year. If your church group is interested in receiving a 2006 grant, the application deadline is April 15. For more information about the grant process, visit www.holstonkids.com (click on "Advocacy") or call the Connectional Ministries Office toll-free at (866) 690-4080.

Here are two of last year's 13 grant winners.

Music Lessons at Wesley House

By Rheta Murry

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Four children stand in a small room, intently watching their instructor. Violins tucked under their chins, they hold the bows exactly as instructed. Then it comes, perhaps a little squeaky, yet still music, as they play their first notes. Smiles of accomplishment spread across the children's faces.

These youngsters receive free music lessons in violin, piano, percussion, and voice every week after school as a part of the Performing Arts and Cultural Education program (P.A.C.E.) offered at Wesley House Community Center in Knoxville.

A $3,500 Change for Children grant awarded to the center in 2005 makes this program possible. The money was used to pay contract music instructors and purchase and maintain musical instruments.

"In our inner city schools, some of the first things to go when budgets are cut are art and music," said Richard Gibson, Wesley House executive director. "We started the program to do music and cultural instruction."

The program started four years ago in an effort to provide music education to children who otherwise would not receive it.

"Music and art open up their thinking," Gibson said.

When a child plays a song on the piano, for example, he's also improving reading skills, since he must read notes and words on paper, and is also learning to do math in his head. Music classes help with discipline while giving participants shortterm goals. A child with a discipline problem isn¼t allowed to take a music class for a specified amount of time, depending on the severity of the infraction.

"It also gives them a goal for the future," Gibson said. "I hope it gives them an option for a career or a hobby later on."

Currently, 10 children take violin lessons with Christine Savidge, a freshman majoring in music education at University of Tennessee. Eight children participate in percussion classes, 10 in piano. Wesley House provides the instruments. Some instructors volunteer, while others are paid. Lorenzo Trimble is the percussion instructor, and Cassie Miller, a volunteer, teaches piano. Bearden UMC volunteers instruct 10 children in a choir.

If Wesley House weren't able to offer this program, the children more than likely wouldn't have had the opportunity to learn music, Gibson said. Grants like "Change for Children" make it possible. Gibson said he needs an instructor for the African Drums class and would like someone to either donate or loan a set of hand bells to offer classes.

Wesley House, one of the oldest continuous operating charities in East Tennessee, was founded in 1907 as a child-care center for Brookside Mills workers by the United Methodist Women of Knoxville. It was accepted as a National Mission of the United Methodist Church in 1940. The center currently provides tutoring and educational assistance to children in grades 1-6 in its Children's After-school Recreation, Education and Support program (C.A.R.E.S.) The program targets children in the Mechanicsville, Beaumont, and Lonsdale area, where 89 percent live in a single-parent household and about 68 percent live at or below the poverty level.

Rheta Murry is a member of Cokesbury UMC in Knoxville District


Wonderful Wednesdays at Talley's Chapel

By Kathy Barnes-Hemsworth

RUSSELLVILLE, Tenn. – There were times when Talley's Chapel United Methodist Church of Morristown District had only eight in average worship attendance. Now, there are often 20 people in the congregation — half of them children.

Recently, Nickolas and Ethan Hurst were asked by
their mother if they'd like to switch churches because Talley's Chapel was so small. They said they didn't want to leave; they just wanted to get more youth active in the church. That is when "Wonderful Wednesdays" became a project of Talley's Chapel.

Peggy Dalton, lay speaker and wife of the Rev. Roy Dalton, had helped start a children's ministry at Liberty Hill UMC about 10 years ago.

Talley's Chapel applied for a Change for Children grant to make the Wednesday night program for children ages three years through high school a reality. Last spring, they were awarded a $2,000 grant. "Our original plan was to spend $1 per child per week to buy food, prizes, and music. However, things didn't work out that way — it is more expensive than that," said Peggy Dalton. "We've been fortunate to have items and money donated to go with the grant to make the program successful. We have a separate bank account set up for Wonderful Wednesdays."

Ron and Rita Stroud lead the program. Ron is the church's lay leader. "We usually have 17 to 20 children attend the Wonderful Wednesdays program each week. I knew that if God was in this program, it would be successful," said Rita Stroud. "He was in it, because things have turned out great."

In addition to the children who attend, as many as 12 adults lend a helping hand with supper, arts and crafts, teaching, or fun and games.

The congregation periodically distributes flyers about the program throughout the community and in local convenience stores. Also, the program which was to be seasonal has turned into a year-round event.

"We have the program for six weeks and then take two weeks off before resuming it again. The kids want to attend all the time," said Stroud.

Pastor Dalton pointed out that many children who attend the Wednesday program are either from unchurched families or attend a different church on Sunday.

"People had lost hope — church membership was declining — but now it is being revitalized," Dalton said of Wonderful Wednesdays. "It has revitalized the spirits of everyone in the church."

Each program lasts two hours, including upbeat Christian music, supper, time to learn about Jesus, arts and crafts, then fun, games, and prizes.

"It has been amazing to just watch the progress of the children," said Peggy Dalton. "Their behavior changes and they learn about God. Then, the bigger children want to light the candles at church on Sunday morning. It is great to know that they will grow up and keep coming back to church here."

Twenty children participated in a Christmas program in 2005. More than 70 people attended the performance.

"The church was full — parents, grandparents, people in the community attended. It was wonderful," said Rev. Dalton.

Wonderful Wednesdays are set throughout the remainder of the year at Talley's Chapel.

Kathy Barnes-Hemsworth attends Bewley's Chapel UMC in Morristown District.
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