As school begins to start for Salem students, not just parents and youth are getting ready, but over at Central United Methodist Church on College Avenue, the TGIF team is preparing for their seventh year serving the community through the students at Andrew Lewis Middle School.
How does this happen? Well every Friday the ALMS students who walk by the church on their way home are treated to drinks, games that let them win candy, a chance to unwind and get a smile and some good words from the volunteers, all while great Christian contemporary music is blaring from an iPod. It’s a party! Between 80-100 kids walk by on a typical Friday. Every Friday. Also for the third year in a row, the church’s mission station “The Table” is set up with free giveaways that the kids can take if they choose to do such – books, Bibles, book marks, more snacks, rain ponchos, wrist bands, pencils, etc. Some of these items have positive messages on them from Central’s children who either go to the 9:15 a.m. contemporary service “The Table,” or go to Central’s afterschool program.
What Does TGIF mean at Central UMC? This Gift Is Free! Trusting God is Fabulous, Thank God I’m Forgiven! It means all sorts of things.
Why does Central do this? Part of it is community outreach. Before it was started, some of the ALMS kids had the reputation on Fridays of letting off steam by wandering thru some of the Main Street stores to the dismay of some shop owners. The truth was the kids needed a place to go after school. So Central decided to provide a place that was safe, where they could have a bit of fun and hang out with their friends. Toss in some games and free food and suddenly something pretty special was happening! Some students who usually rode the bus would come to TGIF and have a parent pick them up afterwards, it became so popular.
But the bigger reason volunteers from Central of all ages participate is because they are sharing the whole idea with these students (and parents) that God loves them unconditionally, and God’s love is free so the stuff given out is free. There’s not a lot of preaching that goes on. Instead, actions are the words of encouragement, acceptance and love. A good number of these kids already have a church connection somewhere else – and that’s ok. Central is not trying to “steal” anyone. This is Central’s way of ministering to the youth in the neighborhood, and in so doing, ministering to their families. In fact, over the years several parents have stopped by or written to say how much TGIF has meant to them and their kids. Some students come back to TGIF even after they have moved on to high school so they can help out…and these are kids who are not members at Central. A positive influence – that’s the goal – and on occasion, there’s even evidence of that influence.
At the end of the school year last June, the church received a handwritten letter signed by several of the youth that said in part, “We appreciate you giving your time to help us have a wonderful Friday. You spread kindness into the world which inspires us to do the same. Whether it’s letting us play games to win candy or handing out drinks to anyone who wants one or even just saying kind words to us. We thank you for all you have done and continue to do.”
It’s stuff like that – and having a kid out of the blue turn back before going home and saying “thank you so much for doing this!” that makes all the effort so worth it.
So if you go by Central UMC one Friday at about 3:27 p.m. you will see the droves of kids who come by in a span of 10-15 minutes to play a game, get a drink and move on. It doesn’t last long – but it’s quite an amazing thing to see. God can do amazing things in just 10-15 minutes!
-Submitted by Sharon Conlyn