Dear Ms. King,

The church of tomorrow will be filled with kids that come to Christ today! At Fairhaven we are passionate about making church a place that excites kids to come and learn about God. There are so many things that are competing for the attention of our kids today, and the church needs to be attractive to them. If all we did was get them to come and to amuse them, you would be right…there are many more useful things to do with our money.

The reality is that hundreds and hundreds of kids have invited Jesus into their lives and because church is exciting for them, they are bringing their unchristian friends who are being introduced to Jesus Christ.

I wish you could see…the group of 4th and 5th graders that come every Saturday morning for prayer as they pray for their friends and missionaries.

I wish you could see…that same group of kids lead their peers in worship every Sunday morning.

I wish you could see…our children that visit nursing homes every month.

I wish you could see…our elementary children that go on missions trips every summer and minister to the homeless and less fortunate.

I wish you could see…80 kids who are in kids choir who sing worship songs with such joy and passion in our worship service, and in the community - the Greene, Dayton Dragons game, Dayton Bombers games.

I wish you could see…the Christmas party that the kids planned for over 100 single moms and children.

I wish you could see…the hundreds of children every Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday evening, Saturday night and Sunday morning learning about God and who He is through His word.

I wish you could see…the number of moms and dads that have been brought to church because their kids don’t want to miss church.

The truth is that our investment in making church fun and exciting for children is something that Christ would be pleased with as He himself invited kids into His lap.

Our investment is not limited to children as we have given millions of dollars to missionaries and national pastors from around the world. Hundreds of adults every year travel at their own expense on mission teams. In fact .26 cents of every dollar goes to a ministry beyond the walls of our church family. This year alone we have given assistance to many families who have become unemployed.

It is our passion to see people introduced to and transformed by Jesus Christ.

I guess what I am trying to say is…come and visit! Come see our hearts, our ministry, and what God is doing.

We would love to have you! If not…no worries!

Humbly.

Letter to the Editor: (Dayton Daily News)

“Fairhaven Church addition creates ‘exciting environments’ for kids,” March 19: “Where can you go to church, enter a submarine and slide down an enclosed swirling tube into an aquatic-themed room with 3-D coral and fish on the walls?”

This sounds more like an amusement park than a church. I can think of so many more useful and important things to do with the money.

A church is not supposed to be exciting and amusing. Its purpose is for the worship of God and to aid in the spiritual maturity of Christians. There are children in this country who are homeless and have no idea when or where they will get their next meal. There are families in this very state who are losing their homes and who are unemployed.

This article was a classic example of hypocrisy in the Christian religion. Churches are becoming businesses, with Starbucks cafes, fancy lobbies and services not unlike what I would expect at a rock concert.

What would Christ say to them in response to these foolish actions?

Andrea King
Centerville