Where faith is caught,
not taught What’s the secret of this long- standing after-school ministry?
Ask the children Text and photos by Terri Mork Speirs I
f you asked 4-year-old Lilly Miglia what she likes best about church, she will say “drawing pictures.” And “being in here,” referring to the nursery room with
bright walls and lots of crayons. A pragmatist, Lilly will then turn away from you and return to her project. Every week Lilly joins up to 85 other children, youth
and adults for Wednesday Night Live, an intergenera- tional aſter-school program of Faith Lutheran Church in Marion, Iowa. In addition to the blending of ages, the program integrates mind, body and spirit as the sched- ule includes homework time, large motor games, discussion, Bible study, confirmation and a hot meal. While Lilly is beginning her expe-
rience with Wednesday Night Live, Michelle George is a 30-year veteran, having begun when she was 10. Today she volunteers as a table parent, com- mitting to sit with the same group of youth each week, eat with them, ask
Lilly Miglia, 4, says her favorite part of Wednesday Night Live is “being here,” referring to the nursery room, and “drawing pictures,” like this one she is holding.
about their day, teach basic manners and model kindness. Even aſter three
decades, the program is important to George because “it provides a safe place for kids to just be themselves. Kids these days get so much pressure from the world—from teachers, peers, parents. It is nice to have time set aside each week where they are reminded that they are precious just for being who they are.”
Carter Waelchli, a sixth-grader at Faith Lutheran Church, Marion, Iowa, tells how to keep church relevant.
‘Advancing new ideas would be really more
helpful for everybody, not just for the
pastors and the geeks like me, but for the whole community.’
Te Wednesday Night Live table
dynamics are further enhanced by the fact that there is no scrimping in menus, which are kid-friendly, well- balanced and good-tasting. Te din- ners are cooked by rotating teams and served family style. Even though this program has run
for decades, it isn’t a members-only club. Presently 55 youth are registered, but they set the dinner table for 85. Te group is intentional about saving room at the table for guests, visiting parents and volunteers.
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www.thelutheran.org
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