Robotics program becomes new youth pull for Lowcountry church
Photo by Kelly Gottheiner
By Jessica Brodie
MANNING—A love for LEGOs has turned into a fruitful ministry for one Lowcountry church, bringing new members to their youth group and an exciting and innovative way to share values of Christian fellowship with young people.
John Enrietto spent his career as a mechanical engineer, and when he moved from Indiana to Manning, his neighbors quickly invited him to Manning United Methodist Church. One day, while chatting with church youth ministries leader Kelly Gottheiner, the pair began discussing a program called FIRST, something Enrietto had worked with before.
FIRST, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, is a global organization that enables young people to research, fundraise, design, build and showcase team-based robotics. Enrietto had helped his nephew with a FIRST competition some years ago, and he shared it with Gottheiner.
Gottheiner thought the program would be a good fit for some of the young people at Manning, who enjoyed LEGO-building and other robotic-style hobbies.
“I was talked to Kelly about it, and the next thing you know …” Enrietto said, laughing as he described how he and the kids began meeting weekly in August, learning about FIRST and an upcoming robotics competition they could enter in nearby Colleton County.
At first it was four middle-school boys—Hunter, Tripp, Jacob and Colton—who were most enthusiastic about the weekly meetings. But as word spread, other boys and girls joined in.
While the initial four ultimately represented the church at the competition in December, earning the group a Rising Star Award, next year the leaders expect even more kids will participate, and they plan to start meeting this spring to prepare.
“It’s been a blessing to add this unique activity, which has brought three new kids to our youth group permanently,” Gottheiner said.
“A robot program—that’s what the kids see most about it, something to get them involved—but there’s a lot more to the program than just programming a robot,” Enrietto explained. “At same time, it’s also teaching them about STEM and different knowledge technologies, as well as teamwork, patience, problem-solving and presentation work. Half the program is building an actual robot, while the other half is working on researching and small project presentation, and that’s where the kids excel. They don’t even realize that’s what they’re getting into, and by the time they’re doing this, they’re putting together an actual presentation for complete strangers and interacting with people they never knew.”
Enrietto and Gottheiner said the program not only provided a fun way for the kids to interact around a shared interest, but it subtly taught them the value of church connection, including Christlike values such as cooperation and supporting one another.
“We teach the kids life skills, which include sharing, helping others, healthy competition,” Enrietto said. “If someone has a problem one day, the other team members step up and it’s time to help the other person. They help each other and hold each other up—there’s just a lot there.”
Not only that, but it’s fun.
“The smile on their faces says it all,” Enrietto said. “I was amazed at how much they grew. And they did great. They amazed me!”
“It was fun, and all of us enjoyed it,” Hunter said.
For more on FIRST, visit https://www.firstinspires.org.