Cathy called the pastor that evening and said, “I’ve been bothered all day.  We’ve got to empower Jared to have his lemonade stand, so he grows up knowing that one person, even a child, can make a difference.  My husband has offered to build a lemonade stand.  Can we have it at church?  And also, I know you have contacts, Pastor.  Can we ask other churches to have their children do a lemonade stand to raise money for abused children?”

 The pastor hung up the phone and caught the vision.  Cathy received a call early Sunday morning from the pastor, who said, “Let’s do it on Mother’s Day.  Let’s name it ‘Children Taking a Stand.’  I’ll call people who have contact information for all the churches in the area.”

  I’m sketching a design now for the lemonade stand,” Cathy replied.

Three hours later, it was a painting and she brought it to church with her.  At story time, children gathered on the steps at the front of the sanctuary.  Riley and Annabelle were the dolls in attendance.  The children peered, wide-eyed, at Ms. Cathy’s painting.  Bright multi-colored letters across the top of the canvas declared “Children Taking a Stand.”  Underneath was an image of a child holding up his hand beside a stop sign which read, “Stop Child Abuse.”

The children looked at the painting and heard about the plans for a lemonade stand in their church on Mother’s Day.  They heard about the plans to donate that money to help abused children.  They heard about the plans to have other children in many other churches do the same thing that day.

     The children heard all of that, and they smiled.

 If you want to be part of empowering children to “take a stand” against child abuse, would you please talk to the children in your church about this story, and ask them to set up a lemonade stand on Mother’s Day, May 11, 2008 (or another spring Sunday of your choice)?

The Council of Churches of the Ozarks will accept these donations and put them to work through Ambassadors for Children, an operating agency of the Council of Churches that supports Foster children and children who are victims of child abuse and neglect.

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