webmaster posted on March 09, 2010 16:05
It began innocently enough. Six years ago one of our members came to me asking what I thought about our church helping with a local elementary school’s Fall Carnival. Her son was a member of the PTA and her grandchildren were students at the school. After some prayer and conversation we agreed and co-sponsored the school’s Fall Carnival with the PTA. We provided games, game stations, prizes, candy and people to work the carnival. This allowed parents, who normally would have to work such a carnival, the freedom to be with their children and families and enjoy the carnival. That was the beginning of our relationship.
Why Roosevelt? Well, obviously, it started because of an existing relationship. But after that first carnival we began to think, pray, discern what other ways we could be of help to the school’s families, faculty and staff. Within that process we discovered that the school had a high percentage of single parent households as well as a good sized population of children living near and/or below the poverty line. What if we could redefine our church’s Children’s Ministry model, which was inward focused, to be more missional and include this school?
Then the ministry took off. Within the year we had groups of people who were acting as Reading Buddies, Lunch Buddies, Teacher Assistance, office help, etc. By the beginning of the next school year, more people began signing up to help. For the past five years we have continued to have teams of people involved in the life of the school. We have collected school supplies each summer before the beginning of school as the school has faced shrinking budgets. We have helped some of their families who have huge needs, providing clothes as well as food and gifts for the Christmas season. Additionally, the last two years we have had people become an integral part of the school’s Passport program which meets once a month for 2-3 hours, working with the children on their knowledge of World Geography. We have had teams as small as 6 and as large as 20 working at the school at some capacity at least once a week. In addition, we continue to co-sponsor the school’s Fall and Spring Festivals/Carnivals where anywhere from 18 to 45 folks from the congregation help put on games, food, etc., for the school and its families.
This year, starting in January, I will be using our church van to transport children to their homes after an after-school program. Again, this will be children who live near or under the poverty line and would have no way of getting home from such a school program. In addition, are in discussion with the school administration about starting a homework club at the school which would be staffed by church members. We are also in dialogue about putting on some type of Parenting Class that would initially meet once a quarter and would provide a meal and a separate program for children and parents. The school is receptive to this idea, but it will take some time to work out the potential kinks and make sure we are all on the same page. We are excited about the possibilities that God continues to open up for us at the school.
Make no mistake, God is present. I’ve been told by staff that there is a different spirit at the school that just happens to coincide with our becoming more involved at the school. The biggest challenge is reminding ourselves that we are there to be of help to the school and its families. We are not pushing an agenda. We are not there as a way of getting folks into our church. We are not running a bait and switch ministry. We are there to be the hands and feet of Christ; to build relationships and see what God does in the midst of it all. We have had good conversations with folks, changed some perspectives about what followers of Christ are like and about, and built relationships with some great kids who need another avenue of love, support and encouragement. It’s amazing what God does when we force ourselves to expand our focus beyond the walls of our local communities of faith and integrate ourselves into the fabric of the communities we live in. Praise be to God!
Rev. Mark Rambo
Associate Pastor
Olympia First Baptist Church