ach week Sprouts, our discipleship group for children in grades 2-5, focuses on Acts of Kindness, Acts of Devotion, Acts of Worship, and Acts of Justice. The first three are fairly easy for the children. The last one (Acts of Justice) requires action that effects a longterm change. Our group has decided they can make a difference by providing books to children so they can learn to read better. Did you know that more than 20% of adults read at or below a fifth-grade level? And that 43% of people with the lowest literacy skills live in poverty, 17% receive food stamps, and 70% have no job or a part-time job? As Christians, we serve these people with kindness by feeding them, providing them with clothing, and meeting other immediate needs. But as Christians we are also called to “work for justice that removes the need for charity.” The kids in Sprouts have agreed to donate books they no longer read to a local school with an abundance of children who don’t read at grade level. These are children who can’t practice their reading at home because they don’t have books at home. We’d like to make this a congregation-wide outreach. Please consider donating a new or gently read book (or several) to this very worthwhile cause. A box has been placed near the church office to collect books. We’ll affix bookplates identifying the books as a gift from our congregation. Love and prayers and thanks for your support, The ECUMC Sprouts Thoughts Upon God's Sovereignty | Covenant Discipleship Institute at Asbury Calling the Church to a Higher Order | Cultivating Sprouts Plant a Seed for Literacy | Called to be a Miracle | How Goes Your Walk? Prayer | Back to Covenant Discipleship Quarterly Home Page