Swing Me!

“Keith. Keith! KEITH!!! Can you swing me?!” The sounds of my summer were full of little voices calling for pushes on swings, band-aids on boo-boo’s, help with crafts, bathroom breaks, and a hundred other requests. In an unexpected turn, due to staffing needs of the ministry, I directed the Elmhurst Park Children’s Program this summer – a first in my time at The Boston Project – and I loved it!

For six weeks, The Boston Project operates a free, drop-in program for kids ages 5 to 12, full of activities, games, crafts, Bible lessons, and more. On a typical day, we had 50 to 60 kids at the park. In total, we had over 130 different kids come at least once this summer!

I loved that my job was to play with kids, meet parents and families, and lead with an awesome staff team. I especially enjoyed watching kids demonstrate our weekly Bible verses to the motions that “Miss T” taught them, and talking about incorporating them into their lives. I loved seeing kids’ eyes light up when we got visits from special guests, including scuba divers, drummers, storytellers, liturgical dancers, gymnasts, and more. Personally, I also loved serving with my own family – our boys came to the park almost every day of the summer, and Sarah used her creative skills on several fun projects.

Finally, I loved that God made a way for this ministry to happen for so many families, when just weeks before the summer, we were a breath away from canceling it all. Thank you to all who gave to the “Change the Headlines” campaign and our family’s personal fundraising goals – God used your generosity to bless many families this summer!

~ by Keith Riddle