N.C. volunteers to teach Bible school

When people think of all the volunteers that have come to St. Tammany Parish to help rebuild the community after Hurricane Katrina, they are usually here to help clean up the debris, or to rebuild homes that were flooded out by the storm.

One group of Good Samaritans from the First Presbyterian Church in Banner Elk, N.C. are also helping to rebuild the spirituality of the area by volunteering to teach Vacation Bible School at Slidell’s First Presbyterian Church in Slidell.

“We are so excited to have them back again,” said Pastor Barbara Thursby.

This is the second year the North Carolina church has sent down volunteers and money to teach the Bible school. The volunteers come down with supplies, teachers and food to instruct children from kindergarten to sixth grade. The school will start July 13 and run until July 16 from 8:30 to 11 a.m. everyday.

“They did a phenomenal job last year,” said Ann Lentz who runs the church’s Christian Education Services. “It was a real blessing.”

The First Presbyterian Church of Slidell is no stranger to out-of-state volunteers coming down after the hurricane.

Thursby said since Katrina, the church has been used as a dormitory for over 5,000 volunteers who have come here to build houses and do whatever they can to make the parish whole again.

“We still have volunteers staying here,” Thursby said. “We get between 20 and 100 people every week.”

Lentz said people could call the church office at 643-0871 to pre-register for the Vacation Bible School. She recommends you call early because the school was very popular last year.

“It really was a lot of students last year,” Lentz said.