Church Joins Forces With Spokane Police

North Hill Christian Church isn’t just reaching folks through Sunday sermons. The church has now joined up with the Spokane Police Department to give neighborhood children something fun to do and teach them valuable lessons in the process.

“The Willard Project” is a series of activities held every Wednesday on the playground at Willard Elementary, 500 W. Longfellow. All neighborhood children entering the fifth or sixth grades are invited.

Young people participate in activities and hear safety messages from police officers as well.

“They play games that stress sportsmanship and see a lot of special programs like crime prevention and bike safety,” said church spokeswoman Darlene Breuer.

Police will also talk about saying no to drugs and stopping violence. The officers also plan to introduce the grade schoolers to a K-9 unit.

The weekly Wednesday gatherings happen from noon to 3 p.m. Activities include kickball, tetherball, softball and board games. There’s cookies and punch, too.

“All the things that make it fun,” Breuer said. And on the last Wednesday of every month, the group watches family films at the church at 4620 W. Post.

Organizers stress that while the fun games and films are wholesome, they aren’t preachy. The films, for example, will often be Disney movies, not religious epics.

“We don’t want people to think it’s a religious thing, because it isn’t,” Breuer said. “We just felt youth needed supervised summer activities in the summer.”

For more information, call the church at 326-5400.

Guest pastor

North Hill is also welcoming a special guest: the Rev. Gail Davis.

Davis used to be North Hill’s pastor; now he’s the Disciples of Christ denomination’s regional minister for all of Arizona. He’ll deliver the message, “I love this much,” during the 10 a.m. Sunday service. Janet Exner will also perform a special cello piece.

Picnic for twentysomethings

Life Center Foursquare Church, 708 W. Nora, will host a picnic for single college students and twentysomethings after its 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday services.

The Rev. Brent Harris, the church’s college pastor, said the event isn’t just for folks attending Life Center.

There will be volleyball and other activities. And don’t forget the best part - free food.

The event happens at Manito Park at 2 p.m.

Schedule change

This weekend might be a hectic one because of Independence Day traveling. So, to prevent adding walking into an empty church to the list of holiday blood-pressure raisers, listen up.

First Church of the Nazarene, 9004 N. Country Homes Blvd., is changing its schedule for this Sunday only. Instead of 9:30 and 11 a.m. services, the church will have one 11 a.m. service. There will also be no Sunday school.

, DataTimes MEMO: What’s news at your church? We want to help spread the word. Write: Church Notebook, North Side Voice, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. Fax: 459-5482.