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GRANITE QUARRY — The youth at Shiloh United Methodist Church started work on the basement at their church a week ago.
And right there with them, as he has been for almost 35 years, was Chuck Barringer, the church’s coordinator of youth ministries.
Barringer said no other group was using the two rooms and he got permission from church leaders to let the youth group renovate the space.
They plan to use one room for meetings and turn the other into a game room, hoping to attract more youth in the community. They don’t need to be Methodist, Barringer said.
Barringer, 68, retired in December 1998, after working 42 years with F&M Bank. But that doesn’t mean he’s slowing down.
He’s served as an adult leader with Boy Scout Troop 379 in Granite Quarry for about 45 years and worked with Shiloh youth group for 35 years, except for a small break of 1 1/2 years.
“This is just one of those things that I see this time and day — young people need to have some guidance and direction. I want to help them and do what I can, whether it’s Scouts or youth at the church,” he said this week.
“There are a lot of good kids out there who don’t have an opportunity to do things.”
Right now, Shiloh’s Methodist Youth Fellowship has 16 youth on the role, and 12 to 14 who are active, Barringer said.
Annie Marie Seaford, who chairs the church’s family ministry committee, said people in larger churches have complimented Shiloh on the work of its youth and the number involved.
She credits Barringer and two other adult volunteers, Shelia Lentz and Tracy Kluttz.
Barringer also credits his wife, Martha, for supporting him in all his activities.
The Barringers have two sons, Keith and Michael.
Keith Barringer, 40, lives in London, England, with his wife, Julie, and their three children, sons Alex and Jack and daughter Grayson. Keith Barringer works for Accenture, a new consulting company.
Michael Barringer is a full-time artist who lives in Atlanta with his wife, Mindy, and their son, Ben.
Barringer said the youth at Shiloh United Methodist welcome any young people to their activities. And he says the key to keeping them interested “is to keep them involved.”
“I’ve had a couple of youth come in who were shy and timid, and you give them responsibility and a project or a job to do. You get them jump started, and they turn out to be as good as any you’ve ever worked with,” he said.
Right now, besides renovating the basement, the youth group is preparing for the annual Relay for Life May 3 at the county fairgrounds.
Daniel Trivette, president of the youth group and a senior at East Rowan High School, said members have been energized by mission trips to the mountains, where they worked with Carolina Cross Connections to help people with everything from yard work to new roofs and wheelchair ramps.
“Sometimes you’d just sit on the porch, drink lemonade and talk to a person who doesn’t ever get visitors,” said Trivette, who hasn’t made a trip himself but has heard from his sister and other youth who did.
Once they get the basement finished, the youth will have a place to store their hammers, saws and other equipment — until the next mission trip.
“We’re using the basement as a close-to-home mission project,” Trivette said. “Right now we don’t have a place to call ours. We’ve met in various rooms of the church. If we have a place to call ours, it will be more appealing. We have music, and I think more kids will say, ‘Hey, I’ll come join.’ ”
Trivette, 17, said Barringer is a “super” adviser. In a day when many larger churches have paid youth ministers, Barringer has always volunteered his time.
“It’s like one of those relationships you can go and talk to him,” said Trivette, who’s also worked with Barringer in Scouts. “I’ve got two or three letters of recommendation from him. One of our (youth) members lives next door to him. He knows our families and that strengthens the relationship. ...
“The basement project was something he had thought of, and I brought it up again and we went to the church board together. He was the main factor in getting it done. ... When we have ideas, he works with us to get it done.”
Said Seaford, Shiloh’s family ministry chairwoman: “Perhaps our youth group can be an inspiration to other youth groups in small churches. And, yes, adult groups too.”
Contact Frank DeLoache at 704-797-4245 or fdeloache@salisburypost.com
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