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CBA, CAN plan pre-ICRS literacy outreach Print Email
Written by Jeremy Burns   
Thursday, 25 June 2015 10:53 AM America/New_York

Orlando-Childrens-ChurchThe Christian Authors Network (CAN) and CBA will co-host two literacy events for 500 inner-city, at-risk children (preschool through high school) of the Orlando Children's Church. To be held prior to the International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) in Orlando, Florida, the events include author-child literacy activities and the distribution of books, magazines and reading-related items.  

CAN children's authors will visit the Orlando Children's Church Saturday, June 27, where children will participate in literacy activities with a Christian focus. Eddie Jones (The Caden Chronicles), Carol McAdams Moore (Dare U 2 Open This Book and Just Sayin') and Karen Whiting (Nature Girl and The One Year Devotions for Active Boys) will address large groups about writing and exploring God's Word through books.

Katrina Cassel (Promises for God's Princesses), Diane Stortz (Words to Dream On) and Rebecca White (Nature Girl) will work with breakout groups of children to explore crafts, songs, devotions and rhymes in books.

"What's different about Christian authors?" said Angela Breidenbach, CAN president. "We're in literal ministry. We at the Christian Authors Network are bonded together in marketing. But our first priority is to minister to those the Lord brings into our sphere of influence. I'm honored to be part of something so much bigger than a marketing group."

Each of the 500 young people at the church event will receive a bag containing a book by a Christian author, Christian magazines for children and various literacy-related items. Fifty children from the church singing at the ICRS Worship Him event also will receive a bag.

Prior to singing at Worship Him on Sunday evening, children from the Orlando Children's Church will enjoy a hot dog supper (courtesy of CBA), hear devotions by children's authors Crystal Bowman and Dandi Daley Mackall, and receive a unique literacy bag from CAN.

"Children are the living messages that we send to a time and to a place that often we will never see," said Peter O'Driscoll, founder of Orlando Children's Church. "Let's send there as Christians with a heart full of love and Spirit of Christ."