View images from the Monday session of the 2017 Iowa Annual Conference.
The Change a Child’s Story ministry was celebrated Monday at the Annual Conference Session.
Patty Link is Advocate for Change a Child’s Story and in her address before the Conference Session she called the ministry Task Force to the stage, as well as asked everyone else present who has taken part to raise their hand. This illustrated the widespread nature of participation in Change a Child’s Story.
Link acknowledged them and said, “These are your real difference makers.”
The Iowa Annual Conference donated 84,406 books during the program as of Monday, she said, as well as 29,631 hours of reading to children in poverty.
Link told the Conference Session the Task Force “made mountains move.”
The initiative is coming to an end and Link thanked Bishop Julius Trimble for his passion for children in poverty and she thanked Bishop Laurie for her support since her arrival. Link thanked the Task Force as well, Conference staff, and everyone in the Conference who had taken part in Change a Child’s Story.
More than a million stories had been read, Link continued, and were unbelievable in their impact.
“The kids we got to interact with made our lives richer,” she said.
It was noted that among the support for Change a Child’s story was a donation of $350 from Women at the Well out of their own wages.
Assistant to the Bishop Rev. Karen Dungan thanked Link, whose employment with the Conference will end with the close of Change a Child’s Story.
Link and the program received a standing ovation.
