First Baptist Church Georgetown first became involved with Literacy Connexus when we hosted the WMU of Texas Annual Meeting in 2011. One of the hands-on mission projects was building bookcases--half went to the border and half were given to children here through the Boys and Girls Club.
When we began planning FIRSTSERVES DAY in August, we wanted to do another bookcase build. Again, we wanted to partner with Literacy Connexus and send half of the bookcases to the border and give the other half locally. We would construct sixty bookcases that morning as an inter-generational ministry project. One of our men bought all of the lumber and materials and, with the help of two others, cut the lumber into pieces and pre-drilled the holes.
One of our young Bible study classes gathered their families on a Sunday afternoon and painted the primer coat on all 360 pieces of wood. On FIRSTSERVES DAY, the volunteers gathered and quickly hammered and screwed the pieces. They were amazed at how quickly the sixty bookcases came together. During the next couple of weeks, volunteers painted each bookcase with beautiful, bright colors.
Robert Cepeda, Director of Missions, Rio Grande Valley Baptist Association, arrived and loaded up thirty of the bookcases to give at a family reading fair in Olmito, in November.
Carver Elementary, a full Title I school, is one of our partner schools in Georgetown. The principal was thrilled to receive bookcases to give to students. At Parent Information Night, the names of thirty kindergarten-through-second grade children were drawn to receive them. Teachers were excited. Children and their parents were excited. It was a win-win for everyone. When I encountered one of the little girls at another community event, she was so happy about "winning" a bookcase, which even matched the colors of her room.
We had new and gently-used books donated, which were sorted and packed on FIRSTSERVES DAY. Each bookcase given to children included a package of five books.
What an exciting way to get so many people involved in serving the children in their community and along the border.
Charlotte Watson
Minister of Missions
First Baptist Church Georgetown
Stop by our Literacy Connexus display in Corpus Christi. See what we've been up to, and learn about volunteer opportunities through:
