21st Time Announces New Study

The Satanta United Methodist Church's 21st Time Class will begin a DVD-based study of the book unChristian by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons this September. The book focuses on the (mis)perceptions that young people have about Christians and Christianity and what the church can do to transform the hearts of this generation. The publishers of the book put it this way:

Christians are supposed to represent Christ to the world. But according to the latest report card, something has gone terribly wrong. Using descriptions like “hypocritical,” “insensitive,” and “judgmental,” young Americans share an impression of Christians that’s nothing short of . . . unChristian. 

Groundbreaking research into the perceptions of sixteen- to twenty-nine-year-olds reveals that Christians have taken several giant steps backward in one of their most important assignments. The surprising details of the study, commissioned by Fermi Project and conducted by The Barna Group, are presented with uncompromising honesty in unChristian. 

Find out why these negative perceptions exist, learn how to reverse them in a Christlike manner, and discover practical examples of how Christians can positively contribute to culture. 

Please consider joining the discussion, which will be held on the following four Sunday mornings at 9:45 a.m. in the 21st Time classroom at the Satanta United Methodist Church:

• September 9
• September 16
• Septemeber 23
• September 30

Contact Ryan Burrows for more information. 

Thoughts on Our Recent School Fair:

What Worked and What Needs Improvement

What Worked

• Our numbers were strong. Eighty-two children attended along with their families.
• Having bags for each child worked well. There was a lot of stuff to cart home!
  
• The food was excellent! Kudos to Kelly for providing healthy foods presented in a fun way. Kids WILL eat fruits and veggies. The Finney County Extension Office's booth on hidden sugar and fat in "ordinary" foods was excellent.
• The school supplies went over well. Our count indicated that 111 elementary students in grades K-6 took advantage of our kits. About 60% were given away while 40% were purchased at cost. Having a table at enrollment was very helpful! Did we over order? Perhaps, but unclaimed kits went to the elementary school to supply students who enrolled late and to replenish supplies that run low.
• Twenty-one children received dental screenings courtesy of the Koehns. Tons of toothpaste, toothbrushes, and floss were given away. 
• The car seat safety booth that was provided by Haskell County Health was great. 
• The Gideons reported giving away 97 New Testaments.
• The book fair ensured that every child would go home with at least one new book. Books that remained at the end of the fair were given to USD 507 for use in classrooms and in our building libraries. 
• It was great to have Russell Child Development on hand along with Learn and Play. 
• The table advertising the work of the Satanta United Methodist Church was very successful. 
• Jose's personal hygiene table was very good.
• The haircut coupons seemed to have gone well, but we'll need to see how many come back via Vanity so that we can gauge the success of this element of our project.
• The grant from the KLC, our garage sale proceeds, and support from our congregation meant that funding was not an issue. 
• Our celebratory pool party for those who helped at the fair went well. We strengthened our connections as a group.

What Needs Improvement

• Our signage could have been better. We should have created a map of the event that could be handed to each guest at the door. 
• We should have found greeters to help "direct traffic."
• We should have had all those present sign in so that we could generate more accurate attendance numbers.
• We should have found a Spanish-English translator in addition to Jose. 
• Our used clothing was successful, but it was unclear to our guests that these items were to be given away at no charge. Once again, signage could have alleviated this confusion. 
• We need to develop the roles of the organizations we invited. Haskell County Health, for instance, might be asked to take on a larger role next year by assisting with HealthWave forms and NeedyMed registrations.
• Too few families took advantage of our offer for a free 8 x 10 photo from Studio 113. Less than 20 photos were taken. It may been unclear that these photos were free, and some families did not come prepared for a family photo. 
• Very few, if any, members of our German-Mennonite community were present. Our advertising focused on our Spanish-speaking community but not our Mennonite neighbors. 
• Our outside games might have been better if they weren't across the street. They worked well but were disconnected from the rest of the event.
• We did little to help students at the junior high and high school level. If funds remain once bills are paid, we need to explore ways to serve ALL our students.

On August 4, 2012, the Satanta United Methodist Church’s 21^st Time class hosted a back-to-school fair that focused on three areas of service: education; health and wellness; and personal development. Eighty-two children and their families attended the back-to-school fair, which ran from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The event began in our church office, where members of the 21^st Time class encouraged families with students in grades K-6 in the USD 507 Satanta school district to register for school supply kits.

These kits, which matched local school supply lists, were purchased from Kits for Kidz. Families could purchase them for $15-$20 (depending on the grade level) or request a scholarship to cover the expense. These scholarships were provided by $1,500 in grant money from the Kansas Leadership Center—an amount that provided 100 free school supply kits. That evening 52 children (about 25% of the children in grades K-6) requested kits. Church members distributed the remainder of the kits at school enrollment the week following the fair. Before families left the office, they were encouraged to take $5-off-a-$10 children’s haircut coupons for use at Vanity, a local salon. Finally, children were given a complimentary “Satanta Indians” reusable shopping bag as they headed out into the larger fair.

The first stop outside the office was a free book fair which featured new reading materials purchased from First Book, an organization dedicated to helping underprivileged children build their own home libraries. Representatives from Russell Child Development and Learn and Play met with families about the services they offer. Ron Lucas, and SUMC member and representative of Gideons International, distributed 97 Bibles.

Families then visited the United Methodist Mexican-American Ministries (UMMAM) food pantry and clothing closet, which, for the evening, had been transformed into a used clothing store for children. UMMAM community developer José Olivas was on hand to distribute soap, shampoo, and deodorant to each child in attendance as well as to supply information on Healthwave, Kansas’ free-and-reduced lunch program, and NeedyMeds, a web-based organization that helps individuals who need help lowering the cost of their pharmaceuticals.

Alongside the UMMAM services, families found a representative from Haskell County Health who was on hand to assist with car seat safety. The next stop found children receiving complimentary dental screenings courtesy of Tiffany Koehn, a local dental hygienist. Koehn provided kits containing toothbrushes and floss and information on UMMAM dental clinic. Twenty-one children received these services.

Families were then greeted by Jean Ann Troutt, a long-time member of the church, who gave small gifts to each child and encouraged them to attend the church’s Connect Sunday on August 26, which will include a mini-Olympics for children. After leaving Jean Ann, families were encouraged to take a family photo with local photographer Danelle Groth, owner of Studio 113 photography. Groth provided a free 8 x 10 to each family, which was mailed out following the fair.

Finally, families reached our “food court,” which featured fresh fruit kabobs, a variety of vegetables, homemade breads, deli meats, cheeses, and crackers. As individuals passed through the line, they heard from a representative from the Finney County Extension Office who spoke on cutting unneeded sugar and fats from diets. After the meal, children who hadn’t already done so participated in a “Get Moving!” obstacle-course challenge in the public park across the street from the church.

Those involved deemed the evening a success and are already planning a follow-up event next year. We serve a loving God, and we are perhaps most like him when we too choose to serve. For more information on the Satanta United Methodist Church, visit www.satantamethodist.com.