Kingwood Church hosts 3rd annual Eggstra Special Egg Hunt

Published 10:00 am Tuesday, March 26, 2024

By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

ALABASTER – The front lawn of Kingwood Church in Alabaster was filled with smiles as participants reached for eggs and enjoyed snacks during the church’s annual Eggstra Special Easter Egg Hunt.

Kingwood Church in Alabaster hosted its third annual special needs Easter egg hunt on Saturday, March 23 and provided a chance for the local community to enjoy a variety of snacks and entertainment.

“Being around special needs kids—it doesn’t matter the environment—they always put a smile on your face because they are so enthusiastic about life,” said Jayson Heath, who coordinates children’s outreach at Kingwood Church. “It’s fun seeing kids experiencing joy.”

Children were also able to enjoy taking photos with the Easter Bunny and had the chance to meet a festive Easter chicken.

The program was held for kids with special needs but also allowed siblings to participate with them. In addition to an Easter egg hunt, the event also featured several other activities, including face painting, outdoors games, popcorn and a clogging performance. Parasol Treats attended the event and donated free ice cream for attendees to enjoy.

The annual program was the brainchild of Nicki McAbee who works in special needs for Shelby County Schools. At the time, the church had a few kids in its children’s ministry that had special needs and McAbee felt like it was something she could do for them.

“We started ministering to all of our kids who have special needs,” Heath said. “It’s hard for those family members to go to church because they have to care for their kid 24/7 and so we thought, ‘If we can provide some sort of respite for them so they can have the opportunity to go to church (then we will).’”

Afterward, the program expanded to encompass the surrounding community and the church invited others to participate.

“At Kingwood, our mission that we’ve defined for ourselves is to be a movement of hope to Shelby County and also around the world,” Heath said. “We look at all of our events through the lenses of hope, to be able to provide an opportunity of hope for people.”