For eight weeks each summer, Lakeside has the honor of being a host church for the national
Project Transformation program, also known as PT Arkansas. The mission of PT Arkansas is to transform communities by engaging children, college-aged young adults, and churches in purposeful relationships.
For eight weeks each summer, Lakeside has the honor of being a host church for the national
Project Transformation program, also known as PT Arkansas. The mission of PT Arkansas is to transform communities by engaging children, college-aged young adults, and churches in purposeful relationships.
Children who are completing K-5th grades this spring are invited to participate in Project Transformation’s summer camps. This year, Project Transformation will be hosting camps at St. Luke UMC (32 School St.) and Lakeside UMC (1500 S Olive St.) in Pine Bluff. Camp begins June 4th and goes to July 25th. Cost of camp is $20. Priority is given to families expressing financial need and children struggling with reading. Cost is $20 for all eight weeks. Please register at the link below.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Or capture the QR Code below with your phone camera.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Or capture the QR Code below with your phone camera.
The Church
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Located near downtown Pine Bluff, Lakeside was chosen as a host church because of its location in the heart of an under-resourced community and because of Lakeside’s heart for ministry. Through the program, Lakeside has made new connections and formed meaningful relationships with families in our neighborhood and a local elementary school with which we also partner. PT Arkansas is officially recognized as a ministry initiative of the Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church.
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The Children
Each summer, we welcome up to 45 children to Lakeside Monday through Thursday to participate in the PT program designed to enrich their bodies, minds, and spirits through an emphasis on healthy food, literacy and social-emotional learning. The children are paired daily with a volunteer to read one-to-one, and they learn about their feelings, celebrate differences and build confidence through their relationships with the young adult interns. This program has proven to be successful in helping the children maintain and even improve their reading competency over the summer as well as improve their social-emotional health.
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The Interns
2024 PT Arkansas Interns
Lakeside UMC 
Lakeside also welcomes and encourages up to ten college-aged interns each summer as part of PT Arkansas. By leading the summer programming for the children, the young adults receive authentic, hands-on experience leading high quality programming for children and youth as well as learn from the children. The program provides them with leadership development and ministry exploration opportunities as they oversee and run the PT Arkansas program at Lakeside. Each Friday during the program, the young adults visit area nonprofits and ministries as they explore God’s call on their lives. |