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Church Eases Sting Of Back To School

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By GEORGE H. NEWMAN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 3, 2008

PLANT CITY - Area schools are back in session, but some of the sting was taken out of the return to homework and tests by a family fun day sponsored by a local church.
Youth Pastor James Lewis Jr. of Glory Temple First Born Church of the Living God, 1301 E. Church St., played a big part in promoting the Aug. 23 back-to-school event. Lewis passed out fliers and helped spread the word to get families and students to attend.

"This was our third annual event," Lewis said. "Everything went well except for a couple of rainstorms that made us move inside a few times.

Free hamburgers and hot dogs, games and a live disc jockey helped draw families and children to the church. Free paper, pens, pencils, book bags and other school supplies were distributed.

"This event is not major," Lewis said. "But we believe it will grow into something we can do as a church to help support the youth of our community in obtaining a good education."

About 45 people took advantage of the food and drink, said Lewis' father, who is church pastor.

James Jr.'s wife, Courtney Lewis, said leftover school supplies would be given to needy children during the school year.

Weather presented a bit of a problem during the event, James Lewis Jr. said.

"The rain drove the disc jockey inside to protect his equipment right about noon," he said. "Then the sun came out, and we moved everything back outside when the rains came again."

The DJ packed up his stuff and left, but James Lewis III, the 16-month-old son of the youth minister, took up the slack in entertainment by trying his hand at a drum set inside the church.

"He's actually pretty good at it," his father said. "It won't be long before he's playing in the church band."

Glory Temple First Born Church of the Living God was founded in 1948 by the late Bishop D.W. Shingles. The Pentecostal church is part of a group based in Waycross, Ga., established in 1913.

Reporter George H. Newman can be reached at (813) 865-4451 or gnewman@tampatrib.com.

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