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PLAINS &#8212; A local church group took time out of its weekend to focus on some of the smallest members of its community.The Plains United Methodist Church held its first annual children&#8217;s craft-and-movie event Saturday, catering to children from Kindergarten to sixth grade.The church&#8217;s pastor, Rev. Dr. Paul Amara, said the group aims to focus activities for youngsters not only within the congregation, but the community as a whole.&#8220;We&#8217;re trying to reach out to the community,&#8221; Amara said. &#8220;Having kids get together &#8212; not during Mass on Sunday or in school &#8212; but so that kids have time to really get together and mingle with one another in a safe environment.&#8221;The two-hour event featured DIY arts and crafts, such as creating jewelry out of beads and drawing, as well as watching &#8220;Shrek.&#8221;Children&#8217;s ministry organizer Bonnie Melton, along with BriAnna Hawk, both of Forty-Fort, helped organize the kid-friendly event.&#8220;BriAnna puts together most of the ideas for programs for the church,&#8221; Melton said. &#8220;She&#8217;s helped organize our Bible Study and Vacation Bible School.&#8221;Hawk said one of the biggest programs the church offers is the yearly &#8220;Trunk or Treat&#8221; that&#8217;s held for the local Solomon Elementary school at Halloween.&#8220;We have great success with that every year,&#8221; she said.Amara, who has been the church&#8217;s pastor for the past seven years, noted the need for children within congregations. Over the past decade, many local places of worship have shuttered their doors due to lack of attendance and contribution. Amara said without children, a parish would have a hard time surviving.&#8220;If there&#8217;s a church without children, it is not a growing church. Having children&#8217;s programs such as these gives the church a big push to it&#8217;s needed success and growth, for itself and the community.&#8221;<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Marcella KesterFor Times Leader</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach the Times Leader newsroom at 570-829-7242 or on Twitter @TLnews.</shirttailMeta></div>

Plains United Methodist Church caters to youngsters with crafts, movie