TyronePA.com

Church attendance can strengthen society

A recent study has shown that church attendance can improve one’s marriage, strengthen bonds between fathers and children, lower divorce and out-of-wedlock birth rates, and enhance social stability. Those are some of the conclusions from a recent report issued by the Center for Marriage and Families.
The report was written by W. Bradford Wilcox, author of the book, “Soft Patriarchs, New Men: How Christianity Shapes Fathers and Husbands.” While his faith-based views will likely prompt some to throw stones at his conclusions, critics will have a hard time explaining away his analysis of three national surveys that didn’t originate with the Church.
Societal benefits
“The societal benefits of stable marriage can’t be overstated. Bradford notes in his report there is an increasing void between fathers and their children, with more and more men living apart from their offspring.
In addition to spiritual leaders, the resulting problems have prompted concern among scholars, policy makers and civic leaders. This is where the Church comes in to play.
“Notwithstanding recent reports to the contrary, religious Americans enjoy happier and more stable marriages than their peers who are secular or only nominally affiliated with a religious tradition,” Wilcox says.”
Numerous positive indicators
Among his findings based on the national surveys:
• Married couples 18 to 55 who attend services several times a month or more have happier marriages—70 percent of the men and 59 percent of the women, compared to 59 percent of men and 57 percent of women who rarely or never attend church.
• Fathers who attend church regularly are more involved with their children and are more affectionate toward them than their secular peers. Dads in church are more likely to devote at least two hours a week in youth activities (such as Boy Scouts or coaching sports) and are more likely to engage in one-on-one activities with their school-age children.
• From 1988-93, Americans who attended religious services regularly were approximately 35 percent less likely to divorce than those who do not. Wilcox notes that many news media and commentators picked up on George Barna’s 2004 finding that born-again Christians were as likely to have divorced as non-church goers. However, Wilcox says that research failed to distinguish between nominal and church-going believers.
• Consistent church attendance is linked to lower levels of non-marital childbearing. Thirty-four percent of mothers who attended church once a month or less had a child outside of wedlock, compared to 25 percent of mothers who attend church at least once a week (not a real great statistic, but another message.)
Wilcox attributes the family-oriented effects of religion on family men to a variety of factors, such as preaching and rituals that instill sacred character, social networks that sustain marriage, and helping men deal constructively with life’s stresses.
“Men and women who are fortunate enough to live in families centered around high-quality, stable marriages enjoy a range of benefits: better health, greater wealth, and more happiness than their peers,” he says.
The whole report can be found on the Internet at: http://www.center.americanvalues.org.
Our actions matter
While society often buys into the myths of individual expression and responsibility-free relationships, God made us for family and community where our actions do matter to those around us. Nowhere can people learn how to traverse this sticky wicket called life than the places where God’s Word is proclaimed.
Stay focused on the king, Bill

Area Farmers Markets are in full swing this time of year, and there is still time to visit one near you! The Farmers Market in Tyrone is held on Wednesdays, where there is a variety of items to choose from. (The Daily Herald/Nick Cushion)

The kids from the Park Avenue Playground Program welcomed special guests recently. On August 14, Officers Franks and Lutz made a guest appearance. They brought the police dog Vilo with them as well. They talked to the kids about bike safety and told them how to register their bikes at the police office. Also, this is the last week of the playground program, so kids should be sure to check it out! (Courtesy photo)

As summer winds down, and school is set to begin, committee members for the annual Tyrone Community Labor Day picnic are in full swing getting things ready for another great day at Reservoir Park.
The picnic is scheduled to be held Monday, September 1 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Every year, hundreds of people from the community come out to the park to enjoy a day full of food, games and entertainment for all ages, but long before the actual picnic begins, a lot of preparation goes into making it such a success.
Currently, committee members are accepting donated prizes from area businesses and organizations for adult prize bingo. The Tyrone Elks Club holds the bingo every year during the picnic.
Many area businesses should have already received a flyer about the Community Labor Day picnic listing the various opportunities to donate a prize to be handed out during the day. Anyone who has a donation for adult prize bingo can drop it off at The Daily Herald office on Pennsylvania Avenue or at the Tyrone Area Chamber of Commerce office on Logan Avenue.
Once prizes start coming in, they will be displayed in the front window of the Herald office as well.
Besides items for the adult prize bingo, cash donations and a 50/50 raffle are held to award cash prizes to area children who participate in all-day organized games on land and in the community pool.
Picnic committee chairperson Rose Black said the Community Labor Day picnic offers “a full day spent close to home with family and friends.”
Also, the day acts as a fundraiser for non-profit organizations who are able to sell great food items all day long at the park. Those organizations are able to keep all profits at no cost to them.
So far, the Rotary Club of Tyrone has scheduled a chicken barbecue dinner, the Women’s Club of Tyrone will sell their famous rib dinners, Boy Scout Troops will have sloppy joes, hot dogs, barbecue ham, sodas and funnel cakes, and the Tyrone Shriners will sell hot sausage sandwiches, ice tea, lemonade and nachos.
If any other non-profit group would like to participate in the picnic, contact Black.
Besides great food, kids’ games and adult prize bingo, WTRN provides live broadcasting all day long, and Kip Woodring will provide entertainment.
The Community Labor Day picnic has been a long-time tradition in Tyrone, and this year’s picnic is being planned by committee members: Rose Black, Connie Geraci, Deb Garner and Rhonda Whalen.
In anticipation for the picnic, The Daily Herald will print updates as they come. This year, a great prize sure to surprise everyone has already been donated for adult prize bingo, and a photo of it will appear in a future edition of the paper. Once everyone sees this prize, they won’t want to miss their chance to get it!
For more information about the picnic, contact the Tyrone Area Chamber of Commerce at 684-0736 or email Black at rose@tyronechamber.com.

Tyrone Hospital officials have announced that the annual Tyrone Hospital Corporation meeting will be held on Monday, August 25 at 7 p.m. in the LGI room at Tyrone Elementary School. There is a handicap accessible entrance to the LGI room.
Individuals who are members of the Tyrone Hospital Corporation are encouraged to attend. Hospital leaders will provide corporate members with an overview of the hospital’s performance over the past year and individuals will be nominated and elected to fill positions on the hospital’s Board of Directors.
There are four vacancies for the Board of Directors. Individuals who are eligible for re-election to the Tyrone Hospital Board of Directors are Mrs. Vicky Shaw, RN and Mr. Greg Murray, RN. Mr. William Kirkpatrick and Mr. Todd Lewis have also been nominated.
Members of the Tyrone Hospital Board of Director’s Nominating Committee and members of the Vision Committee, a group of corporate members and community members working to help Tyrone Hospital fulfill its mission, worked together to identify and nominate the candidates for the Board of Directors.
Corporate members are urged to attend the annual meeting and may cast their ballot at that time. Proxies have been mailed to corporation members and may be used by members who are unable to attend the meeting.