Clergy and Laity gathered Friday night to be trained on how to implement a Watch D.O.G.S. program in a local school near their church. Watch D.O.G.S. is a parent involvement program which encourages fathers and father-figures to volunteer at their child’s school at least one day per year. The program is aligned with one of the major focus areas for the conference’s Congregations For Children (C4C) initiative – to increase parental involvement. Watch D.O.G.S. provides a great opportunity for men to participate in outreach to their community through C4C. Lay person Murrie Lee of Trinity UMC in Wilmington was recognized for his outstanding service as a Watch D.O.G. For more info go to fathers.com.
The purpose of the program is to increase the interaction of students with positive adult male role models. Studies show that schools with Watch D.O.G.S. programs benefit from decreased negative behavioral issues in the classroom as well as a reduction in the number of bullying incidents. May God pour blessings on the churches as they seek to love their neighborhood schools.