By The Rev. Dr. Mark Anschutz

For the past two years, Saint Mary’s Church in Barnstable, MA, has been holding a very special Eucharist each month.  This celebration, called the Joy Mass, is designed specifically for children and allows them to experience the Eucharist in a comfortable environment.  The Joy Mass encourages biblical literacy and spiritual maturity.  Elements of the service are explained so that children and adults alike will better understand the liturgy, and each one of these special celebrations ends in a rousing song.

During each Joy Mass, I speak to the children about malaria and those in Africa who contract malaria because they do not have a mosquito net to protect them.  An actual net is always hung next to the altar and at every service, a new lesson is taught about how helpful the nets are in preventing other children from suffering and dying.  Using the net, the I explain to the children that they can help those at risk to be disease free by sending them nets through NetsforLife^®. 

A little over a year ago, two children in Saint Mary’s congregation took this call very seriously.  During the Joy Mass, as some of the children brought forward the bread and wine and others assisted with setting the altar; two young sisters came tentatively forward.  In their hands, they held coins and dollar bills and after setting their offering down on the altar; they quickly retreated to their seat.  When gently prodded to explain such a large quantity of coins and bills, the sisters said that these were proceeds from a recent lemonade stand and that they wanted everything to go towards malaria nets, and the NetsforLife^® Inspiration Fund. 

These two girls, Deirdre and Brenna, have ignited among virtually every child in the parish a fresh approach and new energy for childhood industry.  Hundreds of dollars are being generated, set in the hands of the children, and have found their way to that small altar.

One family sold flowers for Easter, and during a parish car wash, the children of Saint Mary’s set up a lemonade stand and raised $60 for NetsforLife^®.  Others among the congregation have established their own lemonade stands, always giving what they make to the fight against malaria!

The adults, seeing the enthusiasm of the children, are getting involved as well. The Episcopal Church Women of Saint Mary’s awarded a grant to NetsforLife^®  to show their support for the work of these small but industrious leaders. 

The children of Saint Mary’s have given over 150 nets to their friends in sub-Saharan Africa, and they continuously work to send even more.

Words cannot describe the light in the eyes of these children and the sense of joy and satisfaction they take in making these gifts.  As well, in the small parish of Saint Mary’s Church they have become a splendid icon to all, old and young alike, of what it means to simply live out the Christian faith.  For this, we are deeply indebted to Deidra and Brenna for their resourcefulness and simple goodness, and for teaching all that, “A child shall lead them.”