The Friday Finish - "We need to do something!" - Swapping textbooks - CAP Promotes, Passes Leadership - May 13th, Doing Good
- Tim Crawford
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
April 11, 2025
“We need to do something!”
Today, two rented box trucks loaded with food, medical equipment, beds, mattresses, household items and clothing were emptied at the Red Bird Mission Community Store and Community Outreach. Kim Ring, a member of Liberty Methodist Church in east central Alabama, has made dozens of trips over the past 20 years with his friend, John Riley. Kim said,
“This is a calling for me.”
The connection began after John moved back to his hometown of Abbeville, Alabama and started a bible study. As they were growing spiritually together, one day John said to the group,
"We need to do something!”
He told the group that he had a burden for the needs in Appalachia, but “didn’t know where to start.” So one of the group members volunteered to search the internet and came back with a couple of suggested missions. John said that they saw that Red Bird Mission
“needed all kinds of things”
and loaded up a little trailer the first trip to check things out.
The folks involved in the project have brought others in to help in other cities telling about all the variety of programs at Red Bird. They make two to three trips a year, and John said that they believe they have delivered over 120 tons of needed donations. They’ve also visited the school and outreach of Red Bird that has resulted in financial support from team members and others that have heard about the good things Red Bird does for the people.
John was recovering from a surgery and unable to make the trip this time, but they had to clear out the building where the Liberty Methodist and Abbeville Methodist churches had been warehousing donations. Kim said in the early years they used an old cotton gin as a warehouse, but declared that this joint project won’t stop because they understand the need at Red Bird. In fact, when Kim saw how full the Community Store warehouse was today because of a shortage of volunteers, he resolved to go back home and continue recruitment of others to come to Red Bird to help with the sorting.
Swapping Textbooks for Bows and Arrows
This week, the Red Bird Christian School (RBCS) Senior Class and 8th grade students stepped into an amazing experience, swapping textbooks for bows and arrows! These students are harnessing the age-old skill of archery under the expert guidance of RBCS Archery coaches Danny Kelton Adams, Cody Asher and Kayla Smith.
Although archery may appear unrelated to traditional education, its teachings are significant. As students concentrated on the targets, they soon realized that the abilities developed in archery go well beyond just aiming for a bullseye. During their lessons, archery coaches introduce students to the fundamentals of stance, bow handling, and aim. These essentials lay the groundwork for a sport that requires sharp focus and highly developed skill.
Besides promoting leadership, learning archery provides essential survival skills that are increasingly relevant in today's complex world such as resourcefulness, physical and mental stability. As the 8th grade and Senior Class sharpens their archery techniques, they prepare not only to lead but to face life’s challenges with confidence and resilience!
This unique experience proves that education can take many different forms. A lot of the best lessons come from straying off the usual path. When these students reflect on their experiences, they'll carry the lessons learned from archery into their futures. They'll be equipped with skills and insights that go way beyond just bows and arrows—it's all about building a legacy of leadership!
CAP Promotes, Passes Leadership
Thursday was a big day at Red Bird Christian School with our Civil Air Patrol Cadet Rank Ceremony and Change of Command! We’re so proud to celebrate the achievements of our cadets, including six members who ranked up: Aiden Caldwell, Laya Estep, Sarah Adams, Aiden Smallwood, Keira Walker, and Peyton Smallwood. We also officially promoted our first noncommissioned officers (S. Adams and A. Smallwood), which is a huge step for our cadet program!
A special shout out to Aiden Smallwood, who not only earned a promotion but also stepped into his new role as Cadet Commander, taking over from Lexie Estep, who has done an outstanding job leading the unit.
The Civil Air Patrol teaches our students important life skills like leadership, responsibility, and teamwork—skills that will stick with them well beyond their school years.
A huge thanks to our awesome adult volunteers who make this program possible, and to all the parents and families who came out to cheer on their cadets today. We couldn’t do it without you!
Taken from a Red Bird Christian School Facebook Post
May 13th – A Day for Doing Good
We’re not superstitious at Red Bird about the number 13 because May 13th will be a day for doing good at Red Bird Mission. The annual day of giving, Kentucky Gives, has done a lot of good for the people that Red Bird serves over the past decade. Mark your calendar for Tuesday, May 13th and join us to do good by giving to help others on Kentucky Gives Day.
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