The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

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October 31, 2009

Centershot

New ministry has kids aiming at faith in God

By Bev Davis

A new archery program has kids taking aim at Christian values.

Centershot, an interdenominational ministry similar to the Upward program, opened this fall as a ministry of the United Methodist Temple in Beckley.

“We are the first church in the area to get this program, and we had a tremendous response for our first group,” said music minister and certified Centershot trainer Daniel Spurgeon.

The program offers archery training for all ages and brings families together once a week for practice, devotionals and snacks.

The three components operate simultaneously, with one group having snacks while another group engages in a devotional time and the third group is on the range.

“That way, we can involve more people, and there’s not a lot of waiting in line,” Spurgeon said.

With headquarters in Ohio, Centershot offers churches a unique way to involve families in a time of spiritual enrichment while learning archery skills from five certified basic archery trainers — Spurgeon, Jeff Johnson, Bill Eans, Steve Kelly and Todd Cushman.

“It’s a great, great program. We already have people wanting to take the next class we will offer in the spring,” Spurgeon said. “Archery is very popular in West Virginia. There is a lot of interest.”

The main emphasis of Centershot is the spiritual component, Spurgeon said.

“Each participant has a workbook with a Bible lesson each week. There is space for them to answer questions. It’s not just a fill-in-the-blank type thing. They have the opportunity to write out what a Scripture means to them or to apply a principle to their lives. It’s really interesting to read their responses. Most of the kids have taken this very seriously,” Spurgeon said.

For a fee of $45 per person, each participant receives the Bible workbook, a shirt, pin and other items identifying them as part of the program. Bows, arrows and targets are furnished by the church.

Classes, which are open to both genders, meet Monday evenings at The Place. Each class runs for eight weeks.

“One of our trainers in Ohio told us they have one group where a 72-year-old woman is shooting right next to a 5-year-old kid. This is something where the whole family can get involved,” he said.

Once participants have signed up for the program, trainers evaluate them and help each one choose the right bow. Trainers continue to instruct participants and work with them throughout the program.

“When you see someone hit the target, and their eyes light up and they smile real big, it’s something else,” Spurgeon said. “It’s a lot of fun, but it’s also an excellent way to provide a different kind of spiritual ministry. We encourage the participants to make Christ the target of their lives.”

As with Upward, the program involves people at all skill levels. “You don’t have to be a jock to do this,” Spurgeon said. “That’s what makes it so neat. People can work at this at their own pace and their own level. They are basically competing with themselves, and they get a lot of satisfaction as they see their skill level increase as they go along.”

The first class will end with a tournament and awards ceremony Dec. 5. For information about signing up for the spring session of Centershot, call 304-252-6213 and ask for Spurgeon.

— E-mail: bdavis@register-herald.com

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