Promise Island Reading Club Helps Cincinnati Children Build Reading Skills
New Burlington Church of Christ in Cincinnati launched the Promise Island Reading Club to help local children strengthen their reading skills. Despite its small congregation, the church organized six weeks of reading activities, individual tutoring, and book sharing for children entering kindergarten through third grade. The program also created opportunities to connect with local families.
- The congregation of approximately 50 to 60 worshippers organized a six-week summer reading program.
- Volunteers provided individual tutoring, stories, snacks, and access to a children’s library of more than 100 books.
- The church partnered with local school districts to promote the program and planned to invite participating children to Vacation Bible School.
By Jennifer Johnson
New Burlington Church of Christ (Cincinnati, OH) is very small—only 50 or 60 people gather for worship each Sunday. But this little church is making a big impact on its community.
Promise Island Reading Club Brings Books and Tutoring to Local Children
In June the church launched its Promise Island Reading Club for children entering kindergarten through third grade. Each Thursday morning for six weeks volunteers led activities, tutored children one-on-one, read stories, and provided snacks.
The team also built a children’s library for the new program, with more than 100 books bought secondhand or donated, and gave each child a new book bag in which to carry them home.
“We wanted to do something to help the local school districts,” says Margie Redford, a member at New Burlington and an editor at Standard Publishing. “Before the school year ended two districts allowed us to promote the program and pass out flyers so parents could register their children.”
As its name indicates, the reading club theme is the same as this year’s Standard Publishing Vacation Bible School course, and New Burlington decorated the entire lower level of its education area with palm trees and beach décor. This month, the church is offering a VBS—reusing the decorations and hoping some reading club kids will attend.
—Jennifer Taylor
