Posts Tagged ‘First Impressions’
BY JOE HAMMONS
Northview Church’s Carmel campus is proud to offer a unique and wonderful program for our families with deaf children.
We are so blessed to have Amanda Arroyo, First Impressions and GraceWorks coordinator. Amanda taught for 17 years in Deaf education, most recently at the Indiana School for the Deaf. She continues to use her gifts and talents to bless those in the deaf Community through the Deaf Children’s Ministry.
Amanda wanted a way to reach out to deaf children and their families. The American Sign Language StoryHouris an incredible outreach that fulfills special needs so that families have a time and place to be with each other, socialize and learn and experience Christian fellowship. And it’s a lot of fun!
The American Sign Language Story Hour is an incredible outreach that fulfills special needs so that families have a time and place to be with each other, socialize and learn and experience Christian fellowship.
Designed specifically for deaf children age 4-12 years old, a different story is read each time in ASL and in English. Voice interpretation will be provided; hearing children are also welcome. These are interactive events where the children can ask and answer questions, do crafts related to the story, learn signing and more. Also, they will get to enjoy ice cream from Capstone!
At the conclusion of each class, and if they so choose, Amanda will email the participants a link to an ASL video file. The video clip is the retelling of the story and also covers the signing lessons that are taught during the class. The ASL Story Houris held once a month, usually on the second or third Saturday in the Atrium. Dates and times include: Jan. 12, Feb. 16, March 16, April 20 and May 11 from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Please contact Amanda Arroyo at amanda.arroyo@northviewchurch.us or 317.846.2884 for more information.
BY MICHELLE THOMPSON
Research supports the power of ‘a place to call home’ – fully equipped with a safe, warm, caring environment, nurturing, supportive adults, and stable school environments – in building a foundation from which children thrive and grow. The Agape House is just such a place. A Hamilton County non-profit organization, Agape House is home to eight foster children in need of a safe environment, excellent schools, Christ-centered spiritual guidance and most of all, unconditional love.
Amanda Arroyo, First Impressions/GraceWorks coordinator at Northview Church’s Carmel campus and Good Neighbor Weekend of Service volunteer, learned first-hand the amazing work of Agape House in October. Amanda participated in the Saturday morning service project with her Life Group, joining hands with about 30 – 40 other volunteers.
Rolling up their sleeves to accomplish the tasks needed, the group mowed, raked leaves and cleared parts of the yard. The front and side porches were painted and the back porch was scrubbed down. This is a newly secured home for the Agape House, and there was much to do: cleaning inside and outside the home, within the kitchen, polishing things and making the house more of a home for the children. While the adults were busy at work, children of the volunteers and Agape House children were busy at play.
A Life Group from Northview Church’s Carmel campus recently volunteered at Agape House through Good Neighbor Weekend.
The Northview Church Life Group connected to Agape through Amanda Harris, group participant, who was familiar with the work and needs of the home. “The experience gave me the opportunity to really get to know my new friends and work towards something together,” she said. “It was very special to see the love of Jesus in all the friendly faces on our team.”
The Agape House staff (volunteers and the ‘Mom’) offers a huge commitment and many sacrifices to make this special place a home to the children. “God has obviously created Christians for serving,” Arroyo said. “When you serve there is an immense satisfaction and peace that comes along with doing for others.”
This home was established to keep siblings together in the foster system. The Agape House Mom wants to ensure that the children maintain a relationship with their birth families as much as appropriate and possible. The October Good Neighbor Weekend of Service didn’t conclude the helping hand extended to Agape House. The Life Group continues to keep in touch and lend a hand when able. Recently, the lawn mower was on the blink, and Life Group members pitched in to get it repaired.
As with any home, the work is never finished. Agape House is no different. For this ‘family,’ the adage, ‘if you build it they will come,’ seems both fitting and true!
For more information on Agape House, please visit www.agapefamilies.org.
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