New Christian arts, music program starts up this fall

Betty Anderson (back row l-r), Emily Yuhas, Ben Wolverton, Taylor Stephan, Sue Morton, Matthew Stephan and Music Director Pat Weitz and Elizabeth and Emily Anderson (front row l-r) Danny Wolverton and Robert Anderson get ready for a new Christian arts and music program at the Methodist Church in Allentown.

ALLENTOWN - A new, ecumenical, weekday art and music program for children in kindergarten through sixth grade will soon be available in the borough.

An open house will take place on Sept. 27 at the Methodist Church, located at 23 Church St., where families can drop by between 4 and 6 p.m. to find out more about the program and to register, according to Pat Weitz, the musical director of the Community Christian Choir (CCC).

The Community Christian Choir, an ecumenical organization of adult and child choirs in the area, is sponsoring the arts and music program as part of its development of a Christian School of the Arts.

Weitz will oversee the program, which will run in 10-week sessions beginning Oct. 4. It will be similar to a community vacation Bible school, she said.

The weekly class will include music with Weitz. In addition, children will experience prayers and other worship arts such as drama, puppets, movement, writing, speech choir, arts and crafts, and more, according to Weitz.

"By integrating the arts into high-quality, meaningful programs, children can experience life-giving and life-changing moments for development and growth of their spiritual lives," she said.

Weitz said leaders from various small churches in the Millstone and Upper Freehold area are collaborating to begin the program.

"The new program can serve as a resource to help strengthen local churches and to help build a children's ministry program beyond Sunday school time," she said.

She encouraged any small area churches that may not be able to offer something similar to team up so that a program of this caliber can be available for all children.

Children in the program will periodically sing at the worship services of the participating churches, according to Weitz.

Families are welcome to participate regardless of church membership, according to Weitz.

For additional information and a brochure, contact Pat Weitz at (609) 587-7076 or plweitz@optonline.net. For more information about the Community Christian Choir, visit www.ccchoir.com.