If you wander through the weaving halls of College Church of Christ on any Monday evening, a conglomeration of sights, sounds and smells will assault your senses. Some scribble primitive Picasso on the whiteboard, others mold Play-doh pizzas and others craft block towers of Babylonian dimensions, only to knock them down to the wild applause of their peers. In another room just down the hall, a different group of young children sits pacified and enchanted by a classic VeggieTales movie. Travel further down the hall, and, as the smell of Mrs. Peggy’s classic, country cooking gently wafts from the kitchen, you’ll see dozens of parents similarly infatuated as they prepare for their upcoming meal and Christian fellowship.
At 6:30 p.m. every Monday, these separate events all combine to form a ministry called Caring and Sharing. The program is of a simple but profound nature. For several hours, families from all around White County come to College Church of Christ. The adults are ushered into the fellowship room, where a devotional and meal are shared. The children are split up into groups and rotated between different classrooms and activities until they are also served a meal.
Dr. Tom Alexander, a Bible professor and member of the Caring and Sharing committee, described the event as a multilayered source of “local evangelism.”
“The providing of the meal surely has a benevolent aspect for people who need a meal, but the ultimate purpose is outreach,” Alexander said.
Through the popular medium of delicious home cooking, Alexander said the dinner not only fills the bellies of a hungry community, but also introduces them to the gospel and familiarizes more of the community with the congregation. As a result of the ministry, College Church of Christ has seen a boost in memberships and a number of baptisms.
Senior Eli Van Kuren has volunteered with the children’s ministry of Caring and Sharing for three years. Every Monday, Van Kuren said he makes it his goal to ensure the children attending can develop healthy relationships and understand their worth.
“A lot of these kids aren’t loved on enough at home,” Van Kuren said. “It’s the dark side of Searcy that a lot of Harding students don’t always get to see.”
For Van Kuren and other volunteers, these relationships with the children often come in the form of playful pillow fights, a pretend Play-doh meal or a game of tag.
Alexander and Van Kuren both said there is always a need for volunteers, particularly university students. Alexander spoke of several opportunities, ranging from the nursery room to the kitchen, from the fellowship hall to the kids’ rooms.
There are no words to truly describe the experience of Caring and Sharing. The reciprocal value of unending piggy back rides, patient puzzle building and mingling with the foundations of the community has no worthy phrase, but Van Kuren comes the closest to hitting the mark.
“If you come enough and have those relationships, you can carry it outside of a Monday night thing and turn it into a family that you interact with,” Van Kuren said.
For more information on how to get involved in Caring and Sharing, contact professors Dr. Eddie Cloer, Dr. David Bangs or Dr. Norm Stone.
