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Hayneville Church of Christ hosted its second annual back-to-school community outreach event Aug. 3. The fun-filled family event, orchestrated to serve nearby families, provided the congregation with a chance to help families prepare for school while cultivating family time for children and their parents.

Pastor Martin McCall, Sr. said the July heat was no match for the fun, as parents and children enjoyed hamburgers, a water slide, a bounce house and outdoor games.

“This is the second year we’ve done it,” McCall said. “And it gets bigger and better every year. We try to help the kids in the neighborhood and kind of reach out to them; to try to give you a different perspective of life so they can have a good time and enjoy themselves. We served a lot of hamburgers or hot dogs. The kids were having a ball.”

Church members gathered school supplies, too, McCall said. Each child received supplies like paper, pencils, crayons, glue, scissors and more.

“Each child received paper, pencils, a tablet, whatever they will need for the first quarter [of school],” McCall said. “Our members pitched in and supplied the items.”

According to McCall, one of the most important aspects of the event included time for parents to play with their children.

“The children love coming to church,” McCall said. “They love the activities that are going on around them. And the way I see it, it gets them involved in some positive things in their life. We put some good things before them, and they see some good things rather than bad things.

“They see their parents’ part in it too. The parents love engaging with their children. I like that. Sometimes parents aren’t involved with their children like they should be. They had a good time, and I enjoyed watching them.”