The Annual Soup Tasting hosted by the Altar Society and Arts and Craft will be held Saturday, Nov. 2, in the Immaculate Conception Parish Center in North Little Rock. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m., and the event will end at 1:30 p.m. A variety of soups will be available to sample. Guests can purchase an endless bowl for $6. Baked goods also will be available for sale.
For some reason that Larry Witherspoon, a member of the Knights of Columbus and parishioner at St. John the Baptist Church in Cabot, can’t explain, he’s found himself drawn to the idea of uniquely evangelizing — through billboard campaigns across the state.
“Is it a calling? Is it a ministry? I don’t know,” he says with a shrug. “I just know I need to do this.”
Witherspoon is contacting parishes all across the state, asking if their parish would like to sponsor a billboard with a “Keep Christ in Christmas” theme.
Witherspoon got the idea after talking with fellow men’s club members. Earlier this year, Witherspoon and several friends came up with the idea to display billboards during June, which is the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus — although secular society has emphasized celebrating same-sex Pride month during June.
“Their attitude has been to put Christ in the background and with that month being about the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we were wondering, what can we do to counterbalance that?” Witherspoon said. “And we started thinking that we could put up billboards, letting people know that June is the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We kept it simple with a picture of Jesus and a few words — something that people could easily understand since you only get to look at it for a few seconds.”
Soon, the Sacred Heart of Jesus billboard was put up on Highway 67/167 outside Jacksonville, past the Kiehl Avenue exit.
Another Sacred Heart of Jesus billboard, near the first exit in Cabot on Highway 5, has been up since June.
“The initial cost of this is the primary expense,” Witherspoon said. “… Once the vinyl is paid for, after it comes down, the billboard managers save the vinyl if you want to do it again. You don’t have to pay for the vinyl again, you just have to rent the board. The board rate we went with was $100 a week for seven weeks.”
With one billboard campaign under his belt, Witherspoon is ready to do something even bigger for Christmas. As a Knight of Columbus, he decided on a Keep Christ in Christmas billboard campaign.
The Knights have a Keep Christ in Christmas campaign, which consists of promoting the authentic spirit of Christmas in homes, schools, parishes and communities.
With the holiday season around the corner, many advertisers are preparing now for Christmas, and Witherspoon is, too.
“In the advertising world, it is time to get ready for Christmas,” he said. “The goal is that every Catholic parish will have a Keep Christ in Christmas billboard and that parishioners would donate enough for their parish’s billboard. … We have to order the vinyl and reserve the billboard space as soon as possible. This needs to be accomplished by or before Sept. 31.”
Witherspoon said parishes have multiple price options for participating in the billboard campaign, thanks to special pricing provided by Lamar Outdoor advertising company.
A 14-foot by 48-foot billboard run for seven weeks from Nov. 18 through Dec. 31 would cost $2,000 per billboard. A 10.6-foot by 36-foot billboard run for seven weeks from Nov. 18 through Dec. 31 would cost $1,450 per billboard. Many areas have digital billboards that are more affordable since it is not necessary to print the vinyl.
“For digital, it will cost us a hundred dollars for the week, per week,” Witherspoon said. “The advertisement shows 1,600 times a day, for eight seconds each time,” totaling 3 hours and 30 minutes of display time a day.
Witherspoon said billing and payment will go directly through Lamar Outdoor, and that each parish will be billed separately.
Witherspoon has also been working with Doug Vernon, a fellow Knight of Columbus and parishioner of St. Edward Church in Little Rock, who has been promoting the campaign on the radio stations 94.1 FM The Wolf and 103.7 FM The Buzz for several years.
Witherspoon has already informed many organizations and parishes, who weighed in on the importance of such a campaign.
Father Balaraju Desam, pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in North Little Rock, said it’s important not to lose focus on the Holy Family during a season that has become synonymous with materialism.
“The ‘Keep Christ in Christmas’ billboard campaign reminds everyone that the heart of Christmas is Jesus, who brings hope and joy to the world,” he said. “May this season inspire us to reflect his love and share his light with those around us.”
Shawn Stane, a Knight of Columbus, member of the Men’s Club at Immaculate Conception and board member of Ark of Heaven Media Group, said he is enthusiastic about Witherspoon’s idea.
“I was really impressed with how passionate Larry was about it,” Stane said. “We had a small Men’s Club meeting, and he presented the idea with mini billboard models. It was the mission that he focused on more than anything — we pass these billboards all the time and we see ads and companies and everything else, but just to pass by and see the simple phrase ‘Keep Christ in Christmas,’ it’s just a nice reminder.
“It’s a nice reminder that in our secular society, with all the stuff that we’re bombarded with, that billboard is not trying to sell us something. What it’s trying to sell us has already been paid for by the guy we’re keeping in Christmas.”
For more information about the Keep Christ in Christmas billboard campaign, contact Larry Witherspoon at (501) 681-1097.
John Tobin, 18, has worked in the afterschool care program at Our Lady of the Holy Souls School in Little Rock for the past two years, plus the summer care program.
A parishioner at Immaculate Conception Church in North Little Rock and recent graduate of Catholic High School in Little Rock, Tobin spent his high school years involved in Search and the Youth Advisory Council for the Diocese of Little Rock.
“I really enjoyed being on YAC, and it really helped me grow in my faith and make some friends,” Tobin said. “My roommate for college was actually on YAC too.”
Tobin’s involvement with four Search retreats and YAC not only deepened his faith but made him more patient and kind — good traits to have when working with summer care and afterschool care students.
“I work with kids going into first grade. They’re a pretty rowdy bunch,” Tobin said with a laugh. “It’s fun. There’s never a dull moment.”
By working with youth, Tobin discovered his love for teaching. He enrolled in the University of Central Arkansas this fall, double majoring in English and education, with a possible minor in history.
“I’d like to teach in a high school, preferably Catholic High,” Tobin said. “But otherwise, I’d be perfectly happy teaching elementary and middle schoolers.”
As Tobin prepared for college, he said it’s important to surround yourself with good friends to grow in your faith.
“I was blessed to have friends that really pushed me in my faith,” Tobin said. “Learn to love your faith.”
“I realized it at C2SI when I really had my eyes opened to the immigration and refugee issues. One of the speakers, Abdullah … hearing him talk really opened my eyes to what’s going on in the world with refugees and people immigrating into the country, even legally, and how much of a struggle that is for them to get into the U.S.”
Immaculate Conception Church in North Little Rock is showing “The Chosen” Season 3 on Thursdays at 4 p.m. in Immaculata Hall. The series will begin Sept. 5 and end Oct. 24. For more information, contact Ramona Bourdo at raw4084@att.net.