Each week, King’s Kids serves up a bible lesson, craft, and social time for youth – with cheesy pizza to boot!
King’s Kids is a volunteer-led initiative of Grace United Methodist Church’s Ministry in New Castle, Pennsylvania. The afterschool program meets weekly at the Croton Pizza Joe’s
Sally Vernon, a volunteer who began the program 30 years ago joked, “If you ask kids they say they come to eat!” The program is now seeing its second generation of youth, she said.
Afterschool Program Spreads into Community
King’s Kids is an ongoing ministry of ours that has transitioned through the merger of five churches,” said Bill LaVelle, senior pastor at Grace United Methodist Ministry in New Castle, Pennsylvania.
“We fully support it financially and provide cookies and snacks and whatever Sally and her volunteers need,” LaVelle said.
Pastor LaVelle went on to say that the ministry is a good witness to folks who come in to pick up pizza. People want to know what is going on and volunteers are able to tell them about the ministry and sharing the love of Jesus with youth and their families.
Vernon added that people from the area have offered to give donations to the program. Each week, several youth in kindergarten to sixth grade attend the program, which involves a bible lesson, craft, and social time. A number of adult volunteers are on site to assist.
“I feel the area needs this,” Vernon said. “It’s an area where we are the only church. It gives the kids something to do.”
Local Pizzeria Volunteers Space
The program came about with the assistance of the pizza shop’s manager, Vernon said. She used to order pizza for the church, and when the afterschool program needed a new location, Pizza Joe’s offered space.
God was there in the transition of the program to Pizza Joe’s, Vernon said. “I said, ’Okay, God! This is it!”
Now, the program is something that the youth who attend depend on, Vernon went on to say. “It’s something that they need once a week to know someone is there to love them and care for them” she said. “We have talked about bullying a lot. God loves them. They have said that has a least helped them a little bit,” Vernon said.
The pizza shop helps out in several ways. On Valentine’s Day the youth received a heart-shaped pizza.
“They keep coming back,” Vernon said of the youth. “So, they must like it. We give them in the attention. We’re steady, their constant.”
Your Generosity Helps Others
By supporting your local congregation’s outreach ministries, you impact lives of your surrounding communities and those around the world. No matter what part of the world we live in, your generosity can reach across oceans and help churches like Grace UMC help school-age children get good grades.
story by Rev. Sally Bell, Grace United Methodist Church
This story represents how United Methodist local churches through their Annual Conferences are living as Vital Congregations. A vital congregation is the body of Christ making and engaging disciples for the transformation of the world. Vital congregations are shaped by and witnessed through four focus areas: calling and shaping principled Christian leaders; creating and sustaining new places for new people; ministries with poor people and communities; and abundant health for all.
