First Methodist Youth Complete
Bell Tower Experience

 

by: Bobby McDonald

 

 

David Watson, class teacher, poses with 2010 class members,
Ryder Caddell, Gage Penson, Mark Roberts, and Matthew Roberts,
as they prepare to ascend the bell tower, Saturday.

 

 

What young boy hasn't wanted to climb the highest mountain, or see the world from above? Well, that's what David Watson knew, some nine years ago, when he was faced with teaching a class of 2nd through 4th graders, at First United Methodist Church. That's when he challenged his charges with getting their Bible work completed and he would take them on a climb to the highest peak of the church, the bell tower.

What began as a simple climb, nine years ago, has become a "rite of passage" for young men at First United Methodist Church.  Class members are challenged to complete a number of scriptural memorizations, learn to meet members of the church, and serve others, and once they have "mastered" the skills, they join those others that have climbed the bell tower.

Students must first learn John 3:16, memorize the 10 Commandments, name the disciples by heart, offer beginning prayers for the class, learn the books of the Bible, and name the authors of the New Testament. Then, they are asked to recite the Lord's Prayer, learn the Beatitudes, greet members of the church as they arrive at church, learn the Apostles Creed, complete a mission projects, learn about the life of John Wesley, and serve as an acolyte. It's all to prepare them for a foundation in the scriptures and ends with the challenge to climb to the highest point of the church.

 

 

 

Saturday, August 21st marked this year's class completing the climb to the bell tower.  The four candidates included: Ryder Caddell, Gage Penson, Matthew Roberts, and Mark Roberts. Each had completed their spiritual experience, and it was time to climb the tower.

 

 

 

 

Candidates met with family and friends at First United Methodist Church at 9:00 a.m., Saturday. They were greeted by David Watson and members of the Sulphur Springs Fire Department, who helped to "rig" each member with a safety harness and wish them "Godspeed" as they made the steep climb. All four youth, made the assent to the belltower, where their name was inscribe with others who have made the climb.

Ben Watson,  a member of the first class to make the climb, was on-hand to cheer those along, that made this year's assent.

 

 

 

"It's an experience that becomes a highlight in your life," explained Ben. "It symbolized a completion of hard work and memorization, to provide a spiritual guidepost to your life, and allows you the experience of seeing the church and Sulphur Springs from a different perspective. You're allowed to 'ring the bell' in the tower, that signifies your completion of the work!"

 

 

Myra Watson has begun, basically the same program with her class of girls, so look for them making the ascent in the future, at First United Methodist Church.

 

 

The spiritual foundation learned in the program is the key to
its success at First United Methodist Church.

 

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