Saturday, March 18, 2017

Fowlerville Nazarene Church offering Outlife Club as community outreach 
    Fowlerville Nazarene Church is offering a community outreach program designed to provide various outdoors activities for families and area youth.
   “We’re trying to reach youth in this area who might not be interested in joining a football or baseball or basketball team, but would like to do an individual recreational activity,” explained Rene Michele, the church member who heads the program.
   This outdoors-based ministry will be known as Outlife Club which is an acronym for “our door learning in family experiences.”
   “Our mission statement is: Outlife connects people of all ages with the outdoor world by inviting them to participate in mentored, faith-based experiences in a safe, fun and ecologically-sound environment,” Michele noted. “We want people to turn off their computers and put down their phones for a few hours and experience.”
   Among the planned activities include learning how to shoot a bow and arrow, fishing, bicycling on off-road trails, and learning how to kayak or canoe.
   “These are activities that kids can do under our supervision in a group setting or that mom and dad can join in,” said Michele. He added that the church wants to offer these outings at little or no cost to the participants and members have already donated to the Outlife Club.
   The first event will be a four-week Introduction to Archery Class, starting Saturday, March 25, and held the next three Saturdays (April 1, 8 and 15) at the Family Impact Wellness Center gym on West Grand River. The class is designed for young people ages sixth grade and older as well as adults who have never shot a bow and arrow and would like to learn. There is no charge for the class and equipment will be provided.
   To register, please apply at the church at 8040 Country Corner Drive (off of South Fowlerville Road, just south of the I-96 freeway) between the hours of 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 22, and Thursday, March 23. The class is limited to 24 openings.
   A second activity, planned either in April or May once the weather warms, is bicycle trip on the Lakeland Trail near Hamburg.
    Michele noted that the idea for forming the Outlife Club came last June when a trip was taken to Kensington Metro Park during the Free Fishing Weekend. “I’m a member of the Metro West Steelheaders and we rented a LETS bus and took eight adults and 22 kids for the outing,” he said. “We plan to do this again as a club activity and will provide use of a fishing pole to any kids who want to fish that day. We’ll do it on the Free Fishing Weekend so no one has to worry about getting a license.”
    Michele said the goal is to sponsor one or two events a month. “These will be family-type activities that also offer values and where we’ll also talk about God,” he added.
   To check the planned events, go to the website: www.fowlervillenazarene.org and click on outdoor ministry.

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