By Donna Thornton/News Editor
Many people think of mission work as something that takes place in a foreign field, but young people from First United Methodist Church of Gadsden and Southside United Methodist Church recently worked on a Service Week largely within walking distance of the Gadsden church.
Youth Minister Andy Yarnell said it is the third year the youth group at the church have taken on projects around Gadsden.
They assembled daily with youth from Southside UMC and tackled painting, yardwork and other projects, visited Holy Comforter House and Daugette Towers and did other work in the community.
One of the highlights of the week for was hosting a “Super Hero Invasion Party” at Cherry Street park in Gadsden.
Another, Yarnell said, was a dance party at the home of Beth Kimball, a long-time music teacher in the area.
“She gives neighborhood children piano lessons for practically nothing,” Yarnell said.
“She enjoys having the young people visit her house and have a dance party in her front yard.”
Neighborhood children were invited, along with the children from Southside Academy.
Children were invited to dress as their favorite superheroes, and participate in sack races, “fights” with superheroes and other activities.
Yarnell said keeping young people in their community to do a service/mission type project is much cheaper than taking a group out of the county, and it provides some greatly needed service close to home.