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Central VBS starts Sunday
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Central Church of Christ invites the community to its Vacation Bible School Sunday through Wednesday, 6 - 8 p.m. each evening. Youngsters admiring the lofty towers in the Castle of Courage VBS are, from left, Katherine Rorie, Isabella Burdine, Clara Rorie, Ezra Hewitt and Phoebe Smith.

Goliath must have been a frightful sight, as scary as monsters in any horror movie.

He was a giant, the Bible tells us, and he offered to fight to the death the strongest man among his enemies.  But none was brave enough to accept his challenge, not even after 40 days of his taunting them morning and night.

Not until a little shepherd boy stood up and stepped forward.   David wasn’t big enough to wear battle armor, but he trusted in God to protect him.   With a small creek rock and his slingshot, the boy felled the bullying giant once for all.  (I Samuel 17)

The victory of David over Goliath is just one of the stories of courage against the odds that will come to life in Vacation Bible School starting Sunday at Central Church of Christ.  The series runs through Wednesday, June 7.

With a backdrop of soaring fortress towers, Castle of Courage invites all ages to share the adventures of Bible heroes every evening, 6 -8 p.m., said Josh Pierce, Central’s youth minister.   Registration will be in the church’s lobby just off North Spring Street, where ample, nearby parking will be available.

“This year’s VBS will have classes and childcare for everyone attending, from babies to adults.   And we’ll be providing a complimentary meal, not just chips and soft drinks,” he noted.

Bus transportation may be arranged by calling the Central church office at (931) 473-6537. Parents and caregivers for very young children are encouraged to stay with them for the entire evening, which will be featuring instructional skits, costumed characters and group singing.

“The theme is building personal courage with inspiration from real people in the Bible, people who trusted God to lead them, defend and protect them against the worst the world could send their way,” Pierce explained.   Among the stories of major figures exemplifying the power of God will be Jesus, Moses and the prophet Elijah.

Local farm partnership brings fresh beef to Warren County Schools
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Warren County Schools has beefed up lunch menus this school year through a new community partnership. Thanks to a collaboration between the district’s School Nutrition Department and Barton Creek Farms, students at Warren County High School, Warren County Middle School, West Elementary, Eastside Elementary, and Dibrell Elementary are enjoying locally sourced, farm-fresh beef in their lunches as part of a pilot program.

The initiative, spearheaded by Terri Mullican, Director of School Nutrition, has already shown great promise in its first few months. The partnership with Barton Creek Farms, located in Rock Island, Tennessee, ensures that the beef served is not only local to Warren County but of the highest quality. Barton Creek Farms specializes in farm-to-fork beef, with grass-fed and grain-finished cattle. Each calf is born and raised in Rock Island and goes through USDA-inspected processing, ensuring it meets the strictest safety and quality standards.

“When the opportunity arose to provide fresh, local beef, we knew it was a no-brainer,” Mullican said. “The fact that it’s a product from right here in our community makes it even more special. We can’t wait to implement it district-wide.”

Barton Creek Farms delivers fresh ground beef to the district monthly, and the nutrition

department incorporates it into homemade recipes such as lasagna, meatloaf, chili, and tacos.

As of now, the beef is being served at five schools, but the ultimate goal is to expand the program to all ten lunch-serving schools in the district.

The pilot program originated from a conversation between Mary Roller of Barton Creek Farms and Mullican. Roller, recognizing the farm’s potential to support local schools, reached out to gauge the district’s interest in serving local beef to students. Around the same time, a Warren County school board member contacted Mullican to share information about a similar partnership in neighboring Dekalb County, which helped push the initiative forward.

The timing worked in the district’s favor, as the nutrition department was able to fund the purchase of the beef using existing resources, eliminating the need for additional funding. Now that the pilot program is enjoying a successful run, the department has budgeted to extend the partnership district-wide for the 2025-26 school year.

Dr. Grant Swallows, Director of Schools, praised the program’s economic approach to student nutrition.

“This pilot is a perfect example of how we can use local resources to continue providing nutritious, healthy meals for our students,” he said. “We are grateful for partnerships like this one that benefit both our students and our local community. We always strive to support our local businesses when we can because our community is so good to us.”

In addition to working with Warren County Schools, Barton Creek Farms also partners with local restaurants to offer farm-fresh beef on their menus. The farm’s offerings include ground beef, steaks, roasts, and custom cuts by the quarter, half, or whole cow, meeting diverse consumer needs.

As the program continues to grow, the district hopes to expand its focus on farm-to-school meals, benefiting students’ health and connecting them to the agricultural roots of the community