Students who are planning to attend Emereau:Bladen Charter School this fall will have the opportunity to participate in Bladen County Released Time, according to State Director for School Ministries Rev. Jason Williams. Parents or legal guardians can now begin the process of enrolling their child in the Released Time program through August. Parents or Guardians can also chose to enroll their child for the Released Time program later in the academic year.
Rev. Williams said currently, there are just under 1,000 students enrolled in Bladen County Released Time. He said parents or guardians can contact the Bladen County Released Time Director Jessica Williams by email at bladenreleasedtime@yahoo.com or NC State School Ministries Director Rev. Jason Williams by phone at 910-549-0661 for questions or to enroll your child.
Rev. Williams said students at Emereau:Bladen will be picked up and transported once per month to Open Door Ministries — a church located near the school. While there, they will learn about the Bible and hear the word of God in a fun, friendly environment.
The Rev. Williams said, “The program for the students is completely voluntary and no government funds or means is used to ensure the program’s operation. As a matter of fact, Bladen County Released Time has its own 501c3, owns its own buses, and provides all of the volunteers.”
Bladen County Released Time is an affiliate of the national group called School Ministries, Inc. Jason Williams, Pastor of Foundation Bible Church, has served for a few years as the State Director for School Ministries to expand the work in NC and has helped to add 4 new schools outside of Bladen County. “I have been apart of Released Time in some fashion for 16 years either as a teacher, bus driver, or even a state director because I see the difference it is making in the lives of the students and even the families at times,” said Rev. Williams.
For more information on Released Time in general you can visit: https://www.releasedtime.org.
To help Released Time continue to make a difference in the lives of these children as the program continues to expand, help is needed. Released Time has a detailed process volunteers must go through to be involved, but there are people all across the county (56 volunteers to be exact) involved from local churches, retired school teachers, Youth Pastors, Children Pastors and more, but in order to continue to expand more help is required, said Jessica Williams, Program Director.
The program needs volunteers to help teach, drive a bus, monitor students and more. If you would like to learn more about this awesome opportunity to give back to the community and families represented here in Bladen County-either your time, prayer, service, or financial resources, please contact the Bladen County Released Time program director, Jessica Williams by: Email: Bladencountyreleasedtime@yahoo.com or NC State School Ministries Director, Rev. Jason Williams by phone at 910-549-0661.
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