The Mount Sterling Community Center continues to add new programs for children and adults. Some are inspired by the success of similar programs; others are the result of a person in the community offer-ing to share their skills, knowledge and passions. New to the fall lineup are:
Book Study Group
Ree Brehm, who holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Findlay, will lead a study of the book, “Boundaries” by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend. The sessions will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Mondays, starting Oct. 20.
Over the course of nine weeks, the group will read about and discuss physical, men-tal, emotional and spiritual boundaries in a Christian context.
“It will be a lot of reading; it’s a pretty big book,” said Annie Tomlinson, director of the Community Center. “I hope to participate. Just the cover of the book was intriguing, and the title—‘Boundaries: When to Say Yes, When to Say No and to Take Control of Your Life.’ ”
For those who cannot afford the book, Tomlinson said the center will provide one.
More Counseling Sessions
Brehm is not only leading the Boun-daries group, she also is offering counseling for youths and adults by appointment from 1 to 7 p.m. on Mondays at the center.
The free service complements the adult counseling that Dr. Linda Stoer-Scaggs provides on Wednesdays.
Brehm is employed by Lighthouse Counseling Services in Columbus, and she is pursuing a masters degree in counseling at Liberty University. She is the wife of Leland Brehm, pastor of Derby Five Points United Methodist Church.
“She has worked with children, youth and adults—mostly with youth and women—on issues relating to trauma from sex abuse, depression, parent-child relationships, verbal and physical abuse, grief, and other issues,” Tomlinson said.
Scrapbooking and Card Making
• Craft Class: The first chance to get crafty at the Community Center comes along on Oct. 25 when Pam Wilson will lead a fall-themed class.
Between 10 and 11:30 a.m., Wilson will demonstrate how to put together a fall-themed layout for a scrapbook and make a Frankenstein Halloween card. Partici-pants can bring their own materials or purchase a kit for $4.
Wilson’s craft classes will be ongoing with future projects focusing on holiday gift ideas.
• Scrapbook Crop: Need room to spread out and do your scrapbooking? Looking for a little social interaction at the same time? Beth Keplar has the answer. She is organizing crops for the second Saturday of every other month, starting with Nov. 8. The hours are 5 p.m. to midnight. Tables are free, but registration is required. All levels of scrapbookers are welcome.
After-School Activities
“Our summer program was so successful that we wanted to offer more than open gym for the kids this winter,” Tomlinson said of the center’s new craft time, which will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays for kindergarteners through fifth-graders.
The craft time will start in early November. Also at that time, tutoring sessions will resume on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2 to 4 p.m. A new addition will be a homework table at 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
“On Thursdays, we hope to add programs sponsored by the 4-H Office. We’re also considering art classes and movies,” Tomlinson said.
The director noted that more than 130 children took part in the summer program, resulting in over 900 individual visits.
Continuing Programs
The Community Center has just started its fifth bible/book study session. This time around, the group is discussing “How to Pray After You’ve Kicked the Dog” by Terry Tekyl. Robin Moots is the group leader; sessions are held from 9 to 10 a.m. on Tuesdays.
“The last group specifically wanted to do a study on prayer, and this is the book they chose,” Tomlinson said.
The center also is hosting a 12-week parenting class again. The new session of “The Incredible Years” began Oct. 13. It is geared toward families with children who are 2 to 10 years old. Participants share a meal at 6 p.m. and the class starts at 6:30. While the parents are in class, staff members babysit the children.
Sharon Bailey continues to run a sewing class for youths 17 years old and younger on Tuesdays from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Carol Swigley leads a beginning knitting class for all ages at the same time.
“We are always open to more ideas for programs, and we can always use volunteers,” Tomlinson said.
For more information and a full schedule of Mount Sterling Community Center programs, call 740-869-2453.
