When Fayetteville resident Ruth Anne Johnson spent 10 days

nursing her mother-in-law back to health after cataract surgery

three years ago, the seed of a new ministry was planted. Then when

her church's librarian became ill with cancer, the seed was watered.

This year, Johnson expects the new ministry to take root and

flourish, being a blessing to all it reaches.

This is the year Fayetteville First Baptist Church is kicking off

its new Homebound Library Ministry. Volunteers have been

gathering books on tape and radio programs, and

are ready to begin delivering them to members who cannot

access the books in the church's regular library.

"One lady cannot see to drive,"

Johnson said. "Another with Parkinson's shakes too

much to read a book."

And until her mother-in-law, "an avid reader," regained full

use of her eyes, she sent her daughter-in-law out daily to check out

as many books on tape as the local libraries would allow.

"It inspired the ministry," Johnson

said. "I saw a need there, but wasn't in a position to

do anything about it."

When Margaret Lester, the church librarian, was homebound, Johnson

started taking books to her and "looking forward to doing that." A

second librarian also became ill, and "by default," Johnson has been

serving as the church's librarian since last January.

She had also served as a school librarian in Arkansas by

default before moving to Atlanta. She was a classroom teacher, but

attended night school to learn how to be a librarian. "You sort of had to

grow your own library there," she kids.

So for the past year, Johnson and the six members of

First Baptist's library committee have been spending nights at their

dining room tables processing 1,000 new library books and picking

up where the other librarians had left off. The church library has

more than 5,000 books, mostly donated including fiction,

nonfiction, religious books and biographies and no computer. All the

processing is being done by hand.

Finally, all is in order and they can focus on the homebound

ministry.

Johnson estimates they now have close to 100 books on

tape, including titles by Mary Higgins Clark and Grace Livingston

Hill, and 40 audio tapes of radio programs like Jack Benny and

Dragnet. "The older people grew up listening to them," she said.

There is also a small collection of informational videos on topics

like Alzheimer's and diabetes. The homebound members already

receive audio copies of the sermons.

The church's homebound members have been surveyed by

the regular homebound committee to see who would be interested

in receiving the books on tape and what types of things they

would like to listen to. The homebound library ministry also plans to

provide tape players or other equipment a participant may need.

"Another area we could expand into is homebound

caretakers," Johnson said.

But for now, she and the committee are just concentrating

on increasing their books on tape selection. They are seeking

donations of any kind of books on tape, or regular books and videos

appropriate for a church library. "Not that many books on tape are

suitable," she said.

Johnson added the local bookstores have been very

helpful. Sonrise Christian Bookstore gave her a copy of their inventory

so she can see what she needs, and Books Talking has offered

the ministry a credit for new books on tape when she trades in old ones

or those not suitable for the ministry.

She said memorials or honorariums are also a nice way to

help out. Anyone with donations of money, books, their time "or

whatever they have" can reach Johnson at the church on Sundays

and Mondays, 770-461-8378.

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