Second- and third-graders are the perfect age to learn something new, said Laura Landis, president of Bible2School - Elizabethtown. In a one-room schoolhouse at Rissers Mennonite Church, they are learning about the Word of God. Bible2School - Elizabethtown holds classes for second-graders who attend East High Elementary School on Tuesdays and for third-graders who attend Bear Creek School on Wednesdays.

Classes are held over the students' lunch and recess time, and busing is provided by the program to the site and back from the schools.

"The second-graders are learning stories from the Old Testament, and the third-graders are hearing stories from the New Testament," said teacher Karen Olweiler. Each week, the students bring their lunches to enjoy while instructors introduce the lesson of the day and recap the previous week's topic. Each lesson is accompanied by games, activities and songs. "This age group has a lot of energy, so we like to play games and keep them active," Olweiler noted.

Landis said targeting the program to second- and third-graders is intentional. "It's important that we reach children at this age," she said, noting that the students are old enough to understand the lessons but young enough to still be impressionable. "Some of the students don't go to church and have not heard about Jesus. This could be their first experience with any of these stories or with the Bible."

Olweiler explained that focusing on elementary school students also sets the children up for success in all aspects of their life. "It's very important for these students to have a foundation of truth," she said. "As these kids get older, they'll face peer pressure, and they'll have to make some big decisions. It's important that they have this foundation to build on when they are making those choices."

Landis understands firsthand what it's like to be a young child hearing about the Bible for the first time. She participated in a similar program as a youth in the 1950s. "I can still remember seeing the Bible stories on the flannel board they used," she recalled, noting that she became a lifelong Christian. "These students are learning to pray. They are learning they can talk to God."

That relationship with God is a focal point of the classes, Olweiler said, noting, "The students learn that God loves them, and they can talk to Him anywhere, anytime. They learn they are special in God's eyes."

She emphasized that the Bible2School - Elizabethtown program also spotlights kindness and friendship. "We encourage them to be kind and respectful with each other," she commented. "We've had kids in the past who have been bullied, and they can come here and have a different environment where they are surrounded by kindness and love for each other."

Bible2School - Elizabethtown is currently enrolling new students, and the organization is looking for volunteers to teach classes as well as to drive the minibus purchased by the organization. No special license is required to drive the bus, Landis said, and volunteers need to be available for about an hour on Tuesdays and Wednesdays over lunchtime. For more information on Bible2School or to volunteer, visit https://elizabethtown-pa.bible2school.com or contact Arlene Heistand at arleneheistand@embarqmail.com or 717-653-4549.