EDMOND — Church takes VBS into community

An Edmond church is taking vacation Bible school into the community through an outreach program that includes a series of events in July.

Lori Jirousek, Kids’ Ministries program coordinator for the First Presbyterian Church of Edmond, said a planning team spent a lot of time in prayer as they determined how VBS should look this year.

“God repeatedly kept telling us to take it to the park and to our surrounding neighbors,” Jirousek said. “The more he whispered this in our ears, the more excited we all got.”

Jirousek said most importantly children will learn how their lives can be transformed by Jesus’ love for them.

“VBS in the Park — Son Rock Kids Camp 2009” will consist of three different events from July 24-26 at two different locations, Stephenson Park and at First Presbyterian.

The first event, a praise and worship concert and free family picnic, will be from 6-8 p.m. July 24 at Stephenson Park, off S. Boulevard Avenue at E. Fourth Street and Littler. More praise and worship, family-friendly games, storytelling, music, crafts and free lunch will be offered from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 25 at the park.

First Presbyterian’s VBS program will be capped by a 9:45-10:45 a.m. event featuring a special VBS slideshow, camp songs and personal testimonies at First Presbyterian, six blocks south of the University of Central Oklahoma on 1001 S. Rankin St.

First Presbyterian VBS directors are Molly Crouch, Mona Earnest, Debra Gallagher, Kristi Regalado, Terrie Jones, Amy Reid, David Dabrowski, Shelly Fryer and Jirousek.

For more information about First Presbyterian’s VBS, call Jirousek at 341-3602, ext. 242 or e-mail her at lorijirousek@fpcedmond.org.



Church to become Louisiana Bayou

Waterloo Road Baptist Church will be transformed into the Louisiana Bayou each night from 6:30 - 8:45 p.m. July 12-16 for as many as 300 children as they gather for the annual vacation Bible school.

Open to children ages 3 through completed fifth grade, the evenings will be filled with unforgettable songs, memory-making crafts and life-changing truths, said Emily Townley, director of preschool ministries.

Joining Townley in directing the activities will be Melissa Marcum, director of children’s ministries. As many as 100 volunteers will serve as the children gather at Crocodile Dock “where fearless kids shine God’s light.”

An added feature this year will be the end-of-VBS program July 19, when the kids show what they’ve learned and enjoyed, followed by a free luncheon for their parents and church members.

For more information, contact the church at 341-9024 or at waterlooroad.org.



Foundation fights hunger

The Inasmuch Foundation has announced a match campaign to help fight summer hunger in Oklahoma. From now until August 30, any gift to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma will be matched dollar for dollar by the Inasmuch Foundation up to $100,000.

Every summer, the Food Bank experiences a drop in donations, even while the need for food remains high, said Rodney Bivens, executive director of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. Utility bills go up and children are no longer in school where they have access to free and reduced price meals.

“All of which results in more pressure on Oklahoma families who are already struggling to make ends meet,” Bivens said. “We are grateful for the generosity and support of the Inasmuch Foundation in recognizing and responding to this urgent need.”

Bob Ross, president and CEO of the Inasmuch Foundation, said his organization is pleased to provide donors with this opportunity to double the impact of their gift to the Food Bank during this critical time of year.

The Regional Food Bank is distributing more food than at any other time in the history of the organization through 450 partner agencies in central and rural Oklahoma. Partner agencies have reported as much as a 50 percent increase in the demand for food. Every dollar donated provides seven meals for those in need.

For more information about the Regional Food Bank or to make a donation, call 972-1111 or visit www.regionalfood -bank.org.



Edmond CROP Walk seeks sponsors for 2009

Motivated by the past success of Edmond’s CROP Walk, organizers of this year’s walk have set a goal of recruiting 200 walkers and raising $25,000 to fight hunger and poverty at home and abroad.

The annual trek will be held on at 2 p.m. Oct. 4 at Mitch Park.

“With the increasing cost of food worldwide, hunger is a more urgent problem than ever.” stated Sharon Huey, co-chair of Edmond’s CROP Walk.

The 2009 CROP Walk committee is currently seeking church and business sponsors to help underwrite the costs of this year’s T-shirts. Donors will have their names and logos listed on the backs of the shirts. T-Shirt sponsorships are $200. Shirts are awarded to all walkers who raise pledges of $100 or more. To be a sponsor, call Hariette Porter at 205-0156.

This year’s recipients of local support are Edmond Mobile Meals, Samaritan House, Breakfast on Boulevard, and Hope Center.

Since 1990, the Edmond CROP Walk has raised almost $253,000 to support the charitable work of Church World Service, a cooperative ministry of 36 denominations, providing sustainable self-help and development, disaster relief and refugee assistance in more than 80 countries worldwide.

Of that total, more than $63,000 has stayed right here in Edmond for hunger fighting efforts.

For more information about CROP Walk, contact Hariette Porter at 205-0156 or Sharon Huey at 802-6641, or visit www.cropwalk.org.