Each month at a local coffee shop in Buford, people at St. Mary and St. Martha of Bethany Episcopal Church meet to talk about Christian moral ethics in the news and world. Then they act.

On Saturday, Sept 6, the church will host a free Sensory Fair for families with children five and under. From 10 am to noon, children can explore learning stations, and parents can find home activities to get kids ready for kindergarten.

The need is large and urgent: In surrounding Gwinnett County, more than half of kindergarteners are unprepared socially, developmentally, and cognitively, according to event partner Building Babies Brains. Gwinnett is the second most populous county in Georgia.

“This missional effort has good lay leadership and lots of enthusiasm because it came from the people in an organic way, blending who we are as St. Mary and St. Martha, a ‘House of Prayer and Service,’” said The Rev. Laura J. Masterson, rector. “The Sensory Fair is a great example of parishioners coming together to brainstorm around passions, resources, and community need.”

“Cup of Conversation”

Literacy was one topic at the church’s Saturday “Cup of Conversation” gathering at a local coffee shop.

“Literacy was suddenly on everyone’s mind and lips that day,” Masterson recalled. “It was truly a Holy Spirit led moment.”

From that meeting, the parish partnered with Building Babies Brains “and made relationships with the residential trailer community near us,” she added. “We visit with them in the summer to read, play, and develop language skills.”

Literacy efforts can be a powerful way to demonstrate the diocesan mission to love like Jesus, said Dr. Karen Talley, a community ambassador for Building Babies Brains.

“I think that churches are key to hosting events like these to reinforce our role within our communities at large, not just within our own congregations,” Talley said. “We are commissioned to love our neighbor, and this is a great way to demonstrate that love.

Episcopalians readers should know that the key to addressing not just autism but developmental delays in general is early intervention. The earlier we intervene, the better the outcomes.”

Parents and grandparents who suspect that a child may be falling behind developmentally can contact Babies Can’t Wait through the Georgia Department of Public Health for a free evaluation as well as early intervention for children up to age 3, Talley said.  For children three and over, parents can contact their local county Early Childhood Program for a developmental evaluation and potentially early intervention services free of charge.

“There is so much we can do before age 5, when the brain is already 90 percent developed, to prepare kids for school,” Talley said.