First Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church will host their annual Gospel on the Greens event. In years prior, First Tabernacle would host an in-house back to school event at their church, where they would give away a few hundred bookbags.

Seeing the greater need in the community, the event would evolve a few years later into Gospel on the Greens.

“We were seeking a way that we could help students overall in a greater way as they prepare to go back to school,” said First Tabernacle Pastor Andre Osborne. “Three years ago, we were able to put together an effort to give away 1,000 bookbags and to do it in an environment that would be fun, safe and encouraging so that our students could go back to school not only equipped to learn, but empowered and encouraged to enter the learning environment to do their best. There is certainly the component where we’re giving them the school supplies, but there’s also the component where we hope to let them know that there is a larger community that supports what they are trying to do, so that they go to school empowered to learn.”

This year’s Gospel on the Greens will be a fun evening as Savannah’s iconic Forsyth Park complete with live entertainment, games and more.

“We’re going to have a pre-show by Magic Mark. … We have some amazing local artists, one by the name of Calvin J. Ford and another by the name of Faith. And of course, we are going to have, live in concert, Jekalyn Carr. And she is a national recording artist,” said Osborne.

Additionally, families can enjoy kids’ play zones with bounce houses and games, face painting, food trucks and sponsor tables along with giveaways of more than 1,000 book bags. This year the event is expected to draw in anywhere from 500 to 1,000 attendees.

Osborne encourages families to come out and enjoy this free celebration before the start of the school year.

“Our event is usually the weekend before school starts, so this is usually the last effort for kids and families to have a good time before you get back into the school rhythm,” said Osborne. “We’ll position our kids and families so that they are equipped and empowered to enter the school year in a great way. This is the last benchmark before school starts. So if you want to have a good time, here’s that last effort and it’s completely free.”

“Gospel on the Greens” is one special way in which First Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church addresses need in the community.

This article appears in Connect Savannah I July 2024.