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Youngchurch


Music spreads joy A


little music goes a long way to bring joy to kids at Christ Lutheran Church, Woodstock,


N.Y., and to children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Hamisi, Kenya. Christ Lutheran became aware of Crossroads Springs Institution (www.crossroadssprings.org) after a member visited Kenya in 2004. Since then the school and care center for orphans has been a beneficiary of the church’s Mission Endow- ment Fund, which supports projects locally, nationally and globally. Last year the Sunday school classes decided to help too. The 12 youth, ages 5 to 12, offered an adaptation of Godspell in the spring and Wish You Were Here at Christ- mastime. Between freewill offerings from the musicals and matching funds from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, the youth raised more than $1,000 for Crossroads Springs. The musicals are written or


adapted by Barbara Pickhardt, the children’s choral group director. She schedules rehearsals before Sunday school. Additional rehearsals are held prior to the productions, but there are no problems getting these busy kids to attend. “By then, children and parents are so inspired that they show up,” said parishioner Eleanor Anderson.


Send stories of your youth group (pre- school-confirmation age) or craft ideas to: Andrea Pohlmann, 8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago IL 60631; andrea.pohlmann@ thelutheran.org.


Congregation members invite anyone and everyone they can think of to the productions. They get the news out by word of mouth and outreach advertising. In the end,


many benefit from the musicals. “It energizes the kids as well as the con- gregation, and sup- porting Crossroads


40 The Lutheran • www.thelutheran.org Youth from Christ


Lutheran, Woodstock, N.Y.—here dressed for a production


of Godspell—learn the joy of giving to orphans in Kenya by putting on shows for their congregation and community.


Preperformance photo shoots are part of Wish You Were Here, the troupe’s Christmas production. The children “traveled” to the Holy Land and witnessed the birth of Christ firsthand.


Springs is an added bonus,” Anderson said. Morgan Camera, 11, put it this way: “It’s a joy just to do the plays. And knowing that while doing the play you’re helping someone in need makes it even better. I’m looking forward to our next play.” That play is currently in rehearsals. Power Failure is a review of songs the


children have learned from other productions, Sunday school and vacation Bible school. It’s set in a school classroom in the 1800s, a Hollywood film stu- dio and the president’s cabinet meeting in Washington, D.C. The power fails in each act, with the conclusion that God’s power never fails—God’s love is eternal.


Plans are also in the works to enrich the connections between Christ Luther- an’s children and the orphans through the sharing of stories and pictures. M


For more information, contact Anderson at eca101049@hotmail.com.


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