Garden Spot townlively.com
AUGUST 14, 2024
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LX • NO 34
Fall Released Time planned BY ANN MEAD ASH
A
s t a t e s t a t u t e d i re c t s schools to dismiss students to attend religious instruction if requested by a parent. ELANCO Released Time is one of a number of such programs sanctioned by the state of Pennsylvania. In the ELANCO School District, ELANCO Released Time operates programs for students in third through sixth grades attending New Holland and Blue Ball elementary schools. This year, the New Holland program will begin on Thursday, Sept. 5, and the Blue Ball program will begin on Thursday, Sept. 12. Students at those schools will receive papers about the program shortly after the start of the school year. The ELANCO Released Time program uses a two-year sequential curriculum that begins with the establishment of God as Creator. The program teaches that humans are sinful and in need of a savior
and that God provides a way to salvation through Jesus Christ. While both programs use the same overall curriculum, implementation may vary, but both generally include a Bible lesson, songs, prayer, listening time, and memorizing Bible verses. Ne w Holl and E lementar y School students who choose to take part will ride buses provided by local churches from the school to Petra Church, 565 Airport Road, New Holland, each Thursday at 2:15 p.m. Students at Blue Ball Elementary School will be walked to nearby Blue Ball Mennonite Church, 143 Ewell Road, East Earl. Released Time volunteers will arrive at the school at 2:15 p.m. to walk participating children to the church. Students who take part in the New Holland program will be given the opportunity to earn points toward a week at Woodcrest Retreat in Ephrata, Greenview Bible Camp in Denver, or Tel Hai Camp & Retreat in
Volunteers with the New Holland Elementary School ELANCO Released Time program gather at Petra Church, where they will mentor children this fall.
Honey Brook. At the end of the spring session, two students from each grade will be chosen through a drawing to win a camp scholarship. In addition, the two students with the highest number of points for the whole year will receive scholarships. “We give 10 total scholarships,”
said New Holland coordinator Deb Reimers. In addition, a group of mimes visits the program to give a presentation of the Gospel each year around Easter. “We also make a big deal of the sixth-grade students when they leave us,” shared Reimers. “We take them to Sight & Sound Theatre. It’s a
graduation trip.” Children who participate in the Blue Ball program will also earn points each week for verse memorization and other accomplishments. “At the end of the year, we give out a prize for the best performing boy and girl in each grade,” said Kevin Kirkpatrick, school See ELANCO Released Time pg 2
Tabernacle to end season
BY ANN MEAD ASH
BY ANN MEAD ASH
Woodcrest Retreat, a camp providing a variety of experiences including day, resident, adventure, and Conquerors special needs camp, is located on a 110-acre wooded hillside in northeastern Lancaster County. In 2021, the camp served more than 1,800 children. According to Jason Martin, operations director at Woodcrest, by 2023 that number had increased to more than 1,900. This year, more than 2,000 participated. To make it possible for all those children to attend camp, Wood- Organizers of the 15th annual Woodcrest Retreat 3D archery shoot
A local musical ensemble, the J-Tyme bluegrass band from Bowmansville, will conclude the 2024 season at the “Pop” Fry Tabernacle. “We’re enjoying great attendance at our events,” said Marty Fickes, president of Fivepointville Bible Conference. “We have a lot of fun handing out prizes and meeting new people at every event.” J-Tyme, a six-piece group that includes siblings ages 14 to 21, will present a concert on Saturday, Aug. 17, at 6 p.m.
on the Tabernacle stage at the Fivepointville Bible Conference, 528 Chapel Lane, Denver. The event will take place rain or shine, and a freewill offering will be received. J-Tyme’s musical presentation will include Christian and traditional bluegrass songs. The band’s name was chosen because the first letter of the first names of the father and four children start with the letter J. Band members play a number of instruments, including banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dobro, and the spoons. The 2024 season is the 76th for the Pop Fry Memorial Tabernacle.
See Fivepoint Bible Conference pg 4
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See Woodcrest pg 2 are preparing to hold this year’s event.
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15th 3D archery shoot scheduled