Salvation Army Youth Ministry Program Provides Fun, Food & Faith
The Salvation Army’s Fredericton Community Church is a space where kids come to play, share a meal, and learn lifelong lessons.
Every Tuesday evening throughout the school year, excitement fills the air as children aged 7 to 12 eagerly join in on Orange, a cornerstone program of Fredericton’s youth ministry.
Orange is a Christian-learning curriculum that provides educational materials to thousands of churches across Canada for kids, teens, and families. It strives to teach kids important life lessons, while fostering a time of fun, growth and meaningful connections.
“A big part of implementing this program in Fredericton is the relationship building,” said Lynette Brewer, Community Children’s Ministry Leader for Fredericton. “Families that attend are often newcomers to the country and they just want to get to know people and they want their children to make friends.”
Children begin arriving around 4:30 p.m. for an evening filled with learning and fun. Activities kick off with gym play or craft sessions, followed by a leisurely dinner that emphasizes quality time among friends. After, more games ensue and a reflective Bible lesson is provided where kids are encouraged to share their insights. Each month has a theme for the lessons, and last month it was patience.
“We all need to work on patience,” shared Brewer with a smile. “Orange lessons draw from the Bible’s teachings and are extremely well done. The room is filled with laughter every week!”
The program also strives to offer children unique experiences beyond their usual routine. Recently they held a ‘birthday night’ where they celebrated everyone’s birthdays for the year. The festivities included a thrilling outing to Kingswood Entertainment Centre for laser tag, play climber, birthday cake, and pizza.
Joylene, a mom of two boys in Orange, said her kids look forward to Tuesday so much.
“We love it and are so thankful for this program,” she shared.
One boy in the program expressed a similar sentiment.
“Orange is my favourite part of the week,” he said.
To learn more about this program, please contact lynnette.brewer@salvationarmy.ca
By: Josh Fischlin
