Appalachian Ministries gives children a merry Christmas

             The students at University of the Cumberlands that participate in Appalachian Ministries are not in Williamsburg, Kentucky just for an education, but also to serve and love others. They do so by going to communities in the area each week to play with and share the Gospel with the kids in low income areas. The week before Christmas they show their love for the families by giving the kids hygiene essential boxes, coats or scarves and toys.  

                                                                Photo by Bill Turner
Kids posing with their gifts from AM
Dec. 4, 2014.

“They were really excited about things that we take for granted, stuff that we could get every day at the store,” said Kathleen Kovach, a sophomore at UC and volunteer at AM. “It was a very humbling experience.”

            The students who go there every week are not the only ones investing in these families. During the summer, church groups from all over the country come to minister to the families in this area. They don’t see it as just a one-time summer mission trip, but that they want to stay connected throughout the year. They do this by adopting the different places that AM works at and providing the gifts that are given out around Christmas time, explained Magan Atwood, director of Appalachian Ministries and Campus Ministry Associate.

The support does not end with the students or church teams from the summer. Other local churches, campus ministries such as Mountain Outreach and departments at UC are involved in the Christmas season by working together to help the kids in the community feel loved.

“It’s about the community as a whole coming together for one cause,” said Abbey Cherry, recent alum from UC and Appalachian Ministries Intern.

                  Photo provided by University of the Cumberlands
Volunteers posing with the children's gifts
before they're handed out to the kids on Dec. 4, 2014.

These Christmas presents that the community provides for AM to give the kids are sometimes their first experience of Christmas. Atwood explained that some of the kids come from foster homes and they usually move around the time of Christmas so their foster families are not prepared to give the gifts or their biological families can’t afford it. She told a story from last year about a boy in the seventh grade who had never received a Christmas present before and his eyes lit up when he received the gift of a coat and toy.

            “I know that toys aren’t essential and there are people all around the world who would love to open up a coat or a scarf,” said Atwood. “We provided a physical need, like he needed a coat, but then we also got to bring some joy to his life, just something fun that he had never gotten to do before.”

             The Christmas party isn’t all about the toys or gifts. The college students and families visit with each other, eat pizza and play games. The students also share the Christmas story about why celebrating Christmas is important. Atwood said this is a compilation of sharing the Gospel with the kids throughout the year because it tells the story of how much God loved the world by sending His one and only Son as a gift for everyone.

                                                                  Photo by Bill Turner
AM volunteers and children listening to the Christmas story
Dec. 4, 2014.

“For the kids, it’s a deeper understanding not only of the Gospel, but for us to be able to be out there providing something for them to help them know we really do love them,” said Atwood. “We really do care about them. It’s not something that we come do because we have to. We really just love them and want to show them that. The parents get that same message. We’re not there to just take care of their kids for an hour and a half. We want to do that for them, but we love them and their family and we just want them to know that, not only do we love you and want to provide for you, but God loves you far more than we ever could and He has provided every need that you could ever have.”

This Christmas event allows the students to continue to strengthen the bond they have with each other, said Atwood. It’s a great way to show the families that it’s more than just a ministry. They genuinely care for them as friends.

The college students have fun choosing each child’s gift. They love to see the delight on their faces brought about not by the toys or the essentials, but by the love of the students giving them the gifts.

“Our main purpose doing AM is to show these kids the love of Christ that they may not be shown at home,” said Shantel Buchner, a sophomore at UC and volunteer at AM. “Whether they remember the Christmas presents or not, our hope is that they will remember the Bible stories that they have been taught throughout the year. We hope by giving these presents the kids will see that God’s love is real and he cares personally for them. And one of the ways we try to communicate this to them is through these Christmas presents.”