Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
Each Wednesday afternoon, the doors of the Marlinton United Methodist Church are opened to students for an after-school program called Kids Rock.
The program began in 2013 under the guidance of Reverend David Merryman and his wife, Mary Alice.
“We do all kinds of things,” Mary Alice said. “We generally have a snack first where we sing grace. We do a Bible story and we always play a game. If it’s raining, we watch a movie. They sing songs every week.”
The Merrymans are joined by volunteers from the church and Marlinton Woman’s Club.
Recently, the focus of the program was an Easter play which the students performed for friends and family.
“We spent the last three months working on their Easter play,” Mary Alice said. “We did the play on Palm Sunday. The kids brought their folks, aunts, uncles and cousins – everybody. We had 160 in church that day.”
Included in the Kids Rock program is a special birthday celebration.
Once a month, the students sing Happy Birthday to those whose birthdays fall within the month, and they snack on cupcakes.
“The people who have birthdays get to wear a crown and we sing to them,” Mary Alice said. “Martha Jo Sharp makes birthday cards for all the kids.”
The after-school program only operates when school is in session. If schools have a snow day or are closed on Wednesdays, the program is canceled for that day.
For more information on the Kids Rock program, contact the Marlinton United Methodist Church at 304-799-4055.