Mesquite ISD Read Play Talk Magazine Fall 2017 | Page 19

of May. We wanted to do a RPT theme so that [the
kids] got to go home with something,” she said.
After approaching FUMC Senior Pastor Tom
Palmer with the idea, the
committee, full of local
moms and grandmothers,
got to work. Lesson plans
included reading different
Bible stories and focused
on how to apply the theme
of the story to the kids’
everyday lives.
“We made and passed out
‘readers’ for each Bible
story so the kids went
home with four paper-made books. Then we let
them pick books to take home overnight from
the donation piles. Every child went home with a
minimum of eight books,” Howe said.
“There was another MISD teacher, Lisa Pinkston, on
the planning committee, and we had been working
on our classroom libraries, so we boxed up books
to donate for the kids. They loved it!”
Also participating in the VBS event were St. Marks
and St. Stephens United Methodist churches, both
located in Mesquite, along with New Covenant
UMC of Sunnyvale. FUMC hosted about 38
students in early August at the church’s downtown
Mesquite location for VBS. The combined church
group is considering adding more RPT events to
their calendars.
Topics for VBS
included the
Bible stories
of Moses,
Jonah and the
whale, David
and Goliath,
and Jesus in
the temple.
Each night,
the children
embraced RPT
from a Biblical
perspective,
reading Bible verses (as well as secular books, too!),
creating crafts, discussing their thoughts on the
stories and even singing fun songs.
Howe said her whole purpose was to facilitate
the VBS lessons so that students would learn
more about God through literacy activities and
enjoy themselves while
doing it. Making reading,
playing and talking not
just a hobby but a daily
habit drove not only
Howe’s VBS curriculum
but also continues to
drive Mesquite ISD’s early
childhood curriculum
each day.
“We have just started
these ideas to support
RPT for MISD and
are planning more activities and workshops to
help parents, grandparents and members of the
community be active in reading with children in
the neighborhood,” Howe said.
In the future, FUMC has goals to
continue promoting RPT through its
ministries. Currently, some church
members volunteer to visit MISD
schools and mentor students in
reading and math.
Plus, there’s a “Red Beans and Rice” ministry:
“A group goes out into the community with
a simple dinner of red beans and rice and
cornbread, but brings a book or two to do a “read-
aloud,” said Howe.
FUMC shows that it isn’t hard to
make a difference with a little hard
work. Mesquite ISD appreciates the
church’s commitment to the RPT
initiative.
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