Wally Oliver spends his Sunday mornings with 5-year-olds. Every week, he teaches the young children at Cedar Creek Church by preparing games and simple, engaging lessons centered on Jesus. His goal is for each sunny-faced child to embark for home with at least one tidbit they learned about the gospel that day.
“Our first job is to learn about Jesus and whatever the lesson is that day,” he says. “But we’re going to fit some fun in there with it as well.”
Oliver has volunteered with Cedar Creek for 20 years. It’s an endeavor that has meant a great deal to him personally. He says the joy of teaching has far outweighed the time he has given through the years.
“I just get a lot of joy out of it,” Oliver says. “It’s such a fun age. Everything’s so magical. I always walk away on Sundays with a good feeling like I’m doing what I was made to do. I would hope to plant a seed that grows with them as they do.”
Oliver’s wife and daughter volunteer with Cedar Creek as well. His daughter shepherds middle school-aged children at the church; a demographic she connects with readily. The Olivers are one of many families and individuals who are making a grateful impact on the congregation.
Pastor Mike McKee says it takes more than 100 volunteers to keep Cedar Creek operating weekly. These kind souls welcome guests, teach children, lead worship and support the many fine details that make Sunday worship possible. With an attendance of 1,100 people on Sundays, it is a big undertaking.
“You get the chance to really experience the hands and feet of Jesus when you walk in here,” he says.
That sweet spirit of giving extends throughout the week. McKee says church members can often be found working with local schools, helping to build ramps for older residents and volunteering with other community organizations. Within the congregation itself, small groups care for people facing loss and other difficult seasons. When one member’s wife died, McKee says, that member’s small group arranged meals for their family within hours.
“There’s just a really incredible group of people here that care about and take care of each other well,” he says.
McKee is especially grateful for Cedar Creek’s growing special needs ministry. As the father of a child with a rare condition, he understands how much it means for families to find a place where their children are welcomed and supported. The church plans to host a Tim Tebow Foundation Night to Shine event in February, another opportunity to bring those families together.
The church’s work with local schools is another source of gratitude for McKee. He says Cedar Creek has increased its involvement with students and teachers because its members believe in investing in the next generation. It is a commitment that pairs the pastor’s hopes for the community with the work that Oliver does each Sunday. That is meeting children where they are and impressing on them that they are of great worth.
“We believe in the next generation,” McKee says.
For Oliver, his volunteer efforts have oftentimes come full circle. Years after teaching one boy in Sunday school, he met him again as a server in a restaurant in downtown Aiken, where the young man recognized him as his childhood teacher. Moments like this are a gentle reminder that a lesson shared with an elementary-aged child may stay with them much longer.
Oliver personally knows the effect a Sunday school teacher can have. He remembers one who made an impression on him when he was young, and he hopes to offer that same encouragement to the children in his class.
“I remember when I was a kid, not really having a good role model who was a Christian man,” Oliver says. “Then I ended up going to church with a kid from school.”
McKee is thankful that Oliver is one of many people willing to give of their time.
“I’m grateful for the commitment that the people of Cedar Creek Church have to this local church,” he says. “They’re dedicated to serving, and to loving one another and the community.”
Each Sunday, Oliver returns to his classroom with a lesson and a few games up his sleeve. In his humble consistency, McKee sees the generosity that makes Cedar Creek a church home for those children and many local families.
“You get the chance to really experience the hands and feet of Jesus when you walk in here,” he says.