According to lifelong Springfield Church of God member Thomas Walters, the church itself was forged from humble beginnings, dating back to his great-grandmother Elsie Williams’ home in the late 1940’s. Since that time, the Laurel Hill-based church has grown its membership to more than 200 members, and has adopted various youth-oriented causes as a primary mission over the years.

That mission formed the inspiration behind the churches’ annual charity golf tournament, which was started four years ago. And as Walters sees it, the ability to reach modern youth is absolutely vital to not just the surrounding communities, but to the world as a whole.

“I feel like the world we live in continues to grow tougher and tougher, and I think that’s a tragedy,” said Walters, who has organized the charity golf event since its’ formation. “Many kids these days are raised having no grasp of what they need to be doing in life, and our goal is to show them the truth about God because it can change their life. Our calling is to help these kids.”

Beginning this Saturday Nov. 17 at 10 a.m., the fourth annual Springfield Church of God golf tournament will be held at the Deercroft Country Club in Wagram and encourages golfers of all skill levels to participate. Accommodating up to 36 teams (or 144 players), the tournament will also offer lunch and dinner for guests, door prizes donated by local businesses and trophies for the top three teams. Awards will also be given for “Longest Drive” and “Closest to Pin” competitions as well.

All proceeds raised by the tournament will be utilized for the Springfield Church of God’s ‘Youth Ministries’ program, which seeks to create and implement new ways to reach Scotland County youth and beyond. One such program the church has organized is the ‘Bus Ministry’ initiative, which sees church volunteers charter vans around Scotland County and bring their message directly to local youth. The program currently includes nearly 60 kids, and Walters hopes it can continue to expand with the help of the golf tournament and other fund-raising endeavors.

“We feed the kids, spend time with them and encourage them to learn about gospel and love,” Walters said. With some of the money raised by last year’s tournament, the church was able to purchase a sound system for a youth-oriented ministry in Africa as well.

“So many kids are unchurched (sic) these days, and we want to build a foundation with them so they can pass it down themselves. I can only imagine how many more kids we can reach with another van, for example.”

Those interested in participating in the fourth-annual Springfield Church of God golf tournament are encouraged to contact Walters at 910-315-3360 in order to pre-reigster. Walk-ons will be welcomed and single entries will be accepted and placed on teams. The entrance fee is $50 per person.