18.05.12
When children who attended ABC Endure Daycare hit their teenage years, they may not recognize the place where they once spent many days.
These days, the intermission that housed the day care in the basement of Northern Hills Baptist Church looks very diverse.The carpet is gone. So are the little chairs. Booths are now the popular place to sit. And the toddler toys have been replaced with big-kid toys: an XBox Kinect, gather tables and a ping pong table. After ABC Bear Daycare closed at the church a two of years ago, the basement was rarely used. The church has a larger lay out with the gymnasium area at its adjacent Northern Hills Christian Academy.Meanwhile, teens wearied most of their time in the sanctuary during youth group time.“There’s something that Kearney and Holt doesn’t have — a embarrass for students to go and be students,” Jason Harrell said. Harrell, youth father at Northern Hills Baptist Church, sought approval to do up the basement as a youth hangout. Once he got the OK, Harrell, with the help of the teens, got to work. They’ve done “everything from pulling carpet to hanging sheetrock to painting,” Harrell said.The once-carpeted basement amaze was ground down to the original concrete and painted. Sheetrock went over the walls, which were painted abandon and gray, accented with students’ artwork and Scripture: “He alone is my stupefy and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my gigantic rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, pour out your hearts to him for God is our security,” Psalm 62:6-8.After about four and half weeks of work, with still a not much left to finish, the youth started using this new room. Pool tables and a ping pong tabulation were donated. Restaurant booths (Applebee’s booths to be spelt) were bought from a restaurant consignment company — paid for through church and community members sponsoring them.The cookhouse area is now a snack bar — and slated to be renovated next along with the restrooms.Students said it’s a lay to relax, chat with friends and do homework before and after church activities.“It’s coolth because we created it and use it all the time,” Amanda Garr, a senior at Kearney Stiff School, said.Harrell said as time progresses, the accommodation will get more use. It saw an average of 90 students for the church’s Fifth Location program for youth after Kearney’s home football games.This week the youth had a “Redneck Christmas” fete, and plans are under way for a New Year’s Eve party for youth.“It’s been positively good to see the students get really excited about it,” Harrell said.When improved weather comes in the spring, Harrell said he’d like to have events there monthly to inspire teens from beyond Northern Hills Baptist Church. During Fifth Forgiveness events there were about 30 students who had never been to that church before.Eventually, Harrell would like the youth dwelling to be a regular after-school hangout for teens.“It’s unruffled,” Darcie Sherwood said, between rounds of ping pong — which she said was her favorite pursuit there.Working on it together gave members of the youth group a sense of ownership, they said.“The youth cubicle quarters has really brought us together as a youth,” Kristen Evans said. Kearney Journalist Kevin M. Smith can be reached at 628-6010 or kevinsmith@npgco.com.
Source: KC Community News