Date: Fri 16-Apr-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Quick Words:

Grace-Christian-Costa-Rica

Full Text:

Grace Christian Fellowship Has A Dinner Theatre With A Mission

(with photo)

They're halfway there.

The youth group of Grace Christian Fellowship, the small church at 174 Mt

Pleasant Road in Newtown, is working to raise the money it needs in order to

travel to Costa Rica this summer. The teenagers are planning to join a

contingency that will total 150 teens going in to the Central American country

during July on a mission of good will.

Teen Mania, a Texas-based ministry, has arranged trips by youth groups around

the world including the one the Newtown group will be taking part in. When the

Grace Christian youth group leaves Newtown on July 6, the participants will

spend two days in Texas with Teen Mania, being trained on the customs of the

country they will be entering.

While in Costa Rica, the youth group will be offering prayers for people who

need help, visiting orphanages, and presenting a short drama production up to

six times each day. It will be during the two-day stay in Texas that the group

will learn the script for what they will be performing. The trip will last

July 6-20.

Last week, the church hosted a jazz benefit concert that raised over $8,000.

Combined with previous efforts by the group, the church has to date raised

just over $12,000. The total cost for each person going on the trip is just

over $1,600, according to Adam Fredericks, the children and youth pastor at

Grace Christian Fellowship. The total amount needed to be raised is $25,000.

In two weeks, the youth group will be presenting a dinner theatre. The event

will be held Friday and Saturday, April 30 and May 1. Tickets are $15 each,

which, according to Mr Fredericks, will just cover the costs of the meals,

renting the china and silverware, and preparing the show.

The youth group will be performing the play Every Little Crook and Nanny , a

comedy by Pat Cook. It is a two-act production about "nice old ladies and a

bank heist," members of the youth group said this week.

Following each performance, a few members of the youth group will take the

opportunity to address the audience concerning what the Costa Rica trip

includes and why they feel it is important to be involved in such an

undertaking. The audience will then be asked to donate what they wish to, with

all proceeds going directly to the youth group's efforts.

The jazz concert on April 9 was set up similarly, with free admission to the

performance itself and a freewill collection taken during the show. It was at

that time Grace Christian reached the halfway mark for its Costa Rica efforts.

The youth group is hoping to at least equal last week's results when Every

Little Crook and Nanny is presented later this month.

For details or reservations, contact Adam Fredericks at Grace Christian

Fellowship, 270-1005 extension 14.