Sunday School Just As Popular On Saturday

Spokane Christian Center does Sunday school in a big way - so big, it had to move it to Saturday.

The program got just too popular to hold on the same day as worship services. The church, located at 8909 E. Bigelow Gulch Road, sends 10 buses all over the city and Valley to pick up students for its “Saturday Sunday School.” All told, volunteers drive more than 400 kids to the church each weekend.

They go everywhere. Drivers travel as far north as Joe Albi Stadium, as far south as 29th Avenue, and in the Valley as far east as Pines Road.

And, surprisingly, most of the students don’t come from families that attend the church regularly.

“Probably just 1 percent go to the church on Sunday,” says the program’s director, Linda Sharkey.

Sharkey says volunteers got the word out initially by going door to door. Now, more people hear about the classes by word of mouth.

“Kids say, ‘Would you pick up my cousins?”’ Sharkey says. “They love it.”

She says the program is so popular because its messages are relevant to young people. They don’t just learn Bible stories, but about how those lessons affect everyday life.

“You never hear kids say ‘this is boring,”’ Sharkey says.

The church invites law enforcement officials to come and talk about how to steer clear of gangs. Body builders and karate experts come by to strut their stuff, but the message is ultimately to “be strong in the Lord,” Sharkey says.

To drive home a message about the Christian belief that Jesus is the spiritual king, children watched parts of Disney’s “The Lion King.” Then, folks from Cat Tales even brought over a real lion.

But Sharkey says the children who attend Saturday Sunday School don’t always have to be wowed by giant felines to stay captivated. The Bible stories that have been heard over and again by some are often new to other children.

Saturday Sunday School is for all children ages 4 to 18. For more information and bus routes, call the church at 924-4888.

St. Mary’s mission service

St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 304 S. Adams Road, will hold a special blessing at Sunday’s 11 a.m. Mass.

The congregation will pray for a group of teenagers going to Mexico on a mission trip sponsored by Amor, an international organization similar to Habitat for Humanity. That team of youth group members is scheduled to leave Tuesday. In Mexico, the group will build two homes and perform other volunteer work.

, DataTimes