Parents aren’t the only ones getting ready to send their children back to school. The Columbus Baptist Association is preparing, too.
The organization’s Backpack Buddies ministry will start back up this month, and members will gather in Whiteville to pray for students and staff returning to educational facilities.
The first packing party for Backpack Buddies will be on Monday, Aug. 15, at 7 p.m. at the CBA office. Volunteers are always needed during the event, and donations are always appreciated.
The program is geared toward feeding children over the weekend who may not otherwise get a meal again until Monday morning at school. Bags are sent home with the children every Friday and include breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack for Saturday and Sunday.
The Columbus Baptist Association will be having a community back-to-school prayer gathering on Sunday, Aug. 21, at 3:30 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church located at 201 South Thompson.
Rev. Barry Swain, the new pastor of Western Prong Baptist Church, will be bringing a special message for the children, and at the conclusion of the gathering, the CBA will be praying over students and staff as they returned to school for the 2022-2023 school year.
“We are going to come together with our students, our teachers, the community and our parents, and pray that this is going to be a wonderful school year,” said Rev. Dave Heller, Associational Missions Strategist, of the Columbus Baptist Association.
The CBA office is located at 208 South Thompson St., Whiteville. To volunteer for the Backpack Buddies packing party, or donate to the ministry, call 910.642.2155.
