Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Farmington Bible School Celebrates 40 Years
FARMINGTON — Thursday Bible School at Farmington Church of Christ held its 40th graduation service in May and 73 children participated in the annual ceremony.
The school, held Thursday mornings during a regular school year, was started in January 1975 by then pastor Ed Spurlock, who brought the idea from his church in Fort Worth, Texas. The first school had 35 children enrolled in it.
Helen Carter, school coordinator, was a teacher the first year and she guesses that thousands of children have gone through the program. Carter said second and third generations of former students are now enrolled in the school.
Carter said the goal of the school is to teach the Bible to children from 2 1/2 years old to those turning 5 before their kindergarten year.
“We’re not a babysitting service,” said Carter, who volunteers like everyone else involved in the ministry. “We’re here to teach the children.”
Children come to the school from across northwest Arkansas. Some are from Winslow, Siloam Springs, Cave Springs, Goshen and Elkins, in addition to students from the local area. The school does not advertise and parents learn about it through word of mouth. It apparently receives lots of recommendations because Carter has a waiting list for next year and many times, she said, parents place their child’s name on the list at birth.
The school is held 9-11:30 a.m. Thursdays and children journey through the Old and New Testaments in the Bible. They have 16 lessons from the Old Testament and 13 lessons from the New Testament. A few changes have been made since the first year but basically the curric- ulum remains the same.
The main changes over the years have been through technology, Carter said. She remembers using a mimeograph machine to run off the children’s lessons. Lessons include handwork, such as a craft and color page, and children take these home to help them remember what they’ve learned. The handwork changes for the children as they get older, Carter said.
All children enrolled in the program participate in the graduation ceremony, each wearing a gown and a handmade cap.
Carter has remained with the school for 40 years because she loves the children who go through the program.
“To me, it’s a mission field,” Carter said. “They are all so eager to learn.”
The school will have a 40th- year reunion this summer and is inviting all students, former students and children to attend the reunion, which will be 1-4 p.m. June 27 at the church on Main Street in Farmington.