Welcome to morganton.com. Skip directly to: our Keyword Search, Section Navigation, Content.

Morganton.com - Morganton - The News Herald

HomeNewsEntertainmentSportsLifestylesOpinionCommunityWeather Online Tools Jobs | Real Estate | Shopping | Classified

Life before cell phones

Pleasant Hill youth will learn what it was like

Pleasant Hill Baptist Church youth group prepares for a weekend without cell phones, computers, TV and iPods.

By Tracy Farnham | The News Herald

Published: March 26, 2009

MORGANTON - In a couple of weeks, young people from Pleasant Hill Baptist Church will go without the luxury of using any media-related equipment.
As youth pastor of Pleasant Hill, Van Buchanan is challenging the middle and high school youth to a media fast from Thursday through Sunday.
"We are participating in Sound Off for Poverty. We are raising money for the poor and needy," Buchanan said. "We are turning off all electronic devices like televisions, computers, music players and cell phones for three days while raising money. We have adults who are sponsoring the youth for three days."
The group Love INC (In the Name of Christ) sent a flyer to the church, proposing the event as a way to raise awareness of poverty in the United States. Buchanan took the idea to the youth council. They decided it would be a good activity.
After registering for the challenge, the young people received student journals, collection envelopes for sponsorships and bracelets.
The event originally was set for this weekend, but was moved to April 2-5. Buchanan said this will allow his group more time to prepare while getting more sponsors.
Also, there's time for other youth groups to become involved.
Sponsors pledge money to the youth for every day that they abstain from using their technology during the event. These funds will go to Love INC, which meets the needs of food and clothing for the poor.
The Pleasant Hill Baptist group will gather on Thursday evening before the event begins and turn off all cell phones.
Buchanan said the phones will all be put away in a safe place. "The youth council has thrown around several ideas, from putting them in a bank vault to a waterproof case to being left on the bottom of a pool," he said.
One of the young people, Scarlet Crawley, said, "I think it's going to be a really great thing to do because teenagers now focus more on TV, music and their phone. We will be setting those things aside and not worrying about talking to someone and that will help us focus on other people."
As a participant in the media fast, Crawley said she would miss texting the most.
She said, "I'm a texter. I do it all the time."
To enjoy the time away from technology, the youth will participate in various group activities.
"Some of the fun things we will be doing, since we don't have technology, are having a game board tournament, and ... some work projects. I really hope to paint a house," Crawley said.
Buchanan admits what he is asking his group seems impossible for teens today. Even he uses technology to keep in touch with his youth or to share encouragement.
"Sometimes I will send them a text message. Or several of the youth have a Facebook and that's a good way to send a note of encouragement or Bible verse," he said.
"The hard part is giving up the cell phone," Buchanan said, "Some are reluctant to do this, but I am hopeful we will have a good turnout."
"Last year during the 30-hour famine, we also took up cell phones and asked them which was tougher to give up — the phone or food — and they all agreed the phone."
Except for attending school on Thursday and Friday, the group will remain together throughout the weekend "in order to be accountable to each other," Buchanan said.
On Saturday there will be service projects around the community. Host families signed up to monitor groups overnight. And a concert featuring Matt Buckland and the Promise is planned for the square at 7 p.m. April 4.
Buckland, a youth council member, said, "So many focus on social networking instead of people who need help."
He is already letting friends know he won't be texting on the weekend of the event, and also letting them know about Saturday's performance.
"We will play about nine songs. Folks can come for youth-oriented, Christian rock music," he said.
Crawley is excited about the events.
"Matt's band is really good and, hopefully, people will come out on Saturday so that we can tell them what we are doing for God and share our experiences with them," she said.
Other youth groups that would like to participate can contact Van Buchanan 437-4082 for more information or log on to www.soundoffforpoverty.org.