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Aaron and Haley Parker along with their children, Maci, six, and Jenna, one, pose for an Easter Sunday photo April 4 at Hilldale Baptist Church. Image Courtesy of Haley Parker
Tennessee Six-Year-Old Inspires Church with Annie Offering Gift BY BRANDON ELROD
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astor Larry Robertson of Hilldale Baptist Church in Clarksville, Tennessee, saw the young Maci Parker out of the corner of his eye, respectfully waiting to address her pastor. “I excused myself from my conversation and kneeled down to say, ‘hey’ to her,” Robertson said. “She held up a little change holder, and I asked what she was giving to me. She simply said, ‘Annie Armstrong.’” Maci, six, was the first child in the church’s Mission Friends class to return the change holders
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each child had put together to raise money for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American missions. She raised $54 for the Annie offering. North American Mission Board (NAMB) President Kevin Ezell noticed Maci’s story after Robertson shared it on social media. “So many pastors and churches have shared their stories about the Annie Offering this year,” Ezell said. “But stories like Maci’s have an extra impact because you see that even the youngest among us can make a difference on the mission field.”