The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
One of the first things children learn in Sunday school is the famous Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." The Sunday school class at the Northminster Memorial United Church is taking that lesson to heart by reaching out to help children in the community and abroad. The youngsters have donated over $700 to youth- and church-oriented programs this year in addition to sponsoring a needy child overseas and making regular drop-offs at the Lord's Bounty Food Bank, where many clients are children. "They get excited about it," said Lisa Aune, superintendent of the Sunday school. "They're very empathic. They haven't distanced themselves yet from the possibility of what it would be like to live differently, and when we talk to them about how children in other countries don't have what we have, they can see so clearly what that would feel like. They want to do everything they can to help. That excitement certainly spreads to our whole congregation." The class obtained donations from the congregation and also conducted a bit of fundraising, including a silent auction of their homemade gingerbread churches, with the church members. The children's efforts have recently allowed them to present $100 cheques to three local programs ? Read to Me, Best Beginnings Baby and Me, and Kids First North in Creighton ? as well as the Wellman Lake Bible Camp and the Mission and Service Fund, both projects of the United Church at the national level. See 'Collect' P.# Con't from P.# An additional $211 went to purchase livestock and medical supplies for children in Third World countries. Throughout the past year, the class continued to sponsor a needy child overseas, collect food for the food bank and provide toys to local Christmas programs. "It's important to our children, our teachers and our parents that our Sunday school be active in the community," said Aune. "And part of the children learning about Christianity means service to others." Sunday school at the Northminster Memorial United Church resumes on Sept. 12 at 10:30 a.m.
