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From Hopeless to Honor Roll- Churches who adopt public schools
By Daniel Arellano
I have been meeting with local school councilors about the opportunities that exist for Adopt-a-School project in our local schools. I am posting this resource as a case-study for review.
by Candi Cushman
What happens when Christians come alongside struggling students.If you had met Michael Barnes three years ago, he would have told you he was a hopeless student. “I was ready to quit school and give up on everything,” the 17-year-old says. “I had lost so much.”
At the time, he and his mom had just survived Hurricane Katrina and arrived in Duncanville, Texas, with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Michael also struggled with grief and anger over the fact that he’d never met his father. At Duncanville High School, his grades fell and he isolated himself from everyone.
Am I in trouble?But that started to change the day his school counselor introduced him to Mr. Moses, a mentor from a local church. “I thought he was a lawyer because of his clothes,” Michael remembers. “I thought I was in trouble.” Instead, the man hugged him. That shocked Michael but also strangely reassured him.
“I guess I was just waiting for somebody to show they cared.”
Michael began meeting regularly with Mr. Moses and other mentors. The results were dramatic: His grades rose from low D’s to high B’s and A’s, and he started making friends. The high point came when first lady Laura Bush visited the Dallas area last year and invited Michael to introduce her.
In a relatively short time, he has gone from looking like a potential dropout to a high-achieving, well-respected senior. “It feels good,” he says. “It’s like winning a championship.”
Stories like his are not uncommon if you talk to the teachers and counselors at Duncanville High School. Their school is one of more than 60 public schools in the Dallas/Fort Worth area that have been “adopted” by Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church (OCBFC).
God and good worksThe church’s school project started 15 years ago when a school around the corner was experiencing major truancy, violence and pregnancy problems, explains senior pastor Tony Evans. After the church sent volunteer mentors to the school, the problems decreased and many students’ grades rose. Requests for help from other schools came pouring in.
Tony recalls one school that requested help combating gangs. “We walked over there with 25 men. They brought all the boys in the auditorium, and we talked about what it meant to be a man. Then the men met with the boys in smaller groups. Gang problems ceased. They simply needed a male presence.”
In addition to mentoring programs, OCBFC provides other social services for schools, such as tutoring, computer training and access to food and clothing for impoverished families.
Complaints about separation of church and state haven’t been a problem because “we don’t come in the school preaching,” says Moses Chism, the man who mentors Michael and coordinates nearly 400 other mentors for the school system. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t be a good example. There is no separation between God and good works. We are the good works.”
Hundreds with vision
Now the idea is catching on nationally through OCBFC’s Adopt-a-School Initiative. So far, at least 500 church leaders nationwide have been trained to replicate the model.
One of those is Rodney Maiden, pastor of Providence Baptist Church in Cleveland. “We looked on the map and located all the city public schools, then we said, ‘OK, what church is near this school?’” Rodney explains. “Then we contacted those pastors. Now, the majority of schools have been adopted.”
Cleveland parishioners do everything from monitoring school playgrounds to repainting graffiti-covered lockers. Even smaller churches make an impact. “It doesn’t always take money; sometimes it just takes time,” Rodney says. Volunteers can read to children or take time off during lunch to monitor school cafeterias.
As the founder of the initiative, Tony hopes more churches will catch the vision. His goal is for all of the nation’s urban-area schools to be adopted within 10 years. Meanwhile, media outlets are decrying the fact that many inner-city schools have become dropout factories, some not even graduating half of their students.
Some say more money is the answer. But Tony believes churches have a more powerful antidote — the practical demonstration of Christ’s love. “We are providing social services that are needed,” he says. “Teachers are not able to be social workers and academicians at the same time. We’ve never had one school turn down a church’s offer to help.”
This article first appeared in the September, 2008 issue of Focus on the Family magazine. Copyright © 2008 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved.
Candi Cushman is the education analyst for Focus on the Family’s Government and Public Policy division.The article here as appeared on Focus on the family
Related Post
+Why churches should adopt public schools
Adopt A School- Why should churches adopt public schools?
Recently been thinking of ways to continue to engage local children and youth holistically, that will empower them to succeed: academically, emotionally and spiritually. As a result, Operation Back To School was designed to get get kids back to school with the right tools for the job. Which was a great success.
But there is still more to be done and I am looking into a few models of how to begin an adopt a school project in our community. I have already been in discussion with educators and individuals who have eyes to see the vision for schools.
As a result- This morning I received a call from a local school councilor of a school we have visited in that past and he is asking for help.
with the following:
+ Male Volunteers for Boys
+Gang Prevention Presentations
+Mentors for students
+ Fitness and Extra curricular activities outside the local school.
+ Character Development Resources
So, I will begin a quest to adopt and live out the following principles that I borrowed from some friends in NY and begin to invite others on this journey.
Expect a call.
“Much of how we view our public schools comes out of a negative lens. We see them as our enemies and not as potential partners. The fact is, our kids spend at least thirty hours a week in schools as appose to six hours a week in our churches (if we’re lucky). Schools can become a place of discipleship for our kids if we are willing to take the time and engage the schools and its vision.”
1- Pray for a redefined view of our schools. Much of how we view our public schools comes out of a negative lens. We see them as our enemies and not as potential partners. The fact is, our kids spend at least thirty hours a week in schools as appose to six hours a week in our churches (if we’re lucky). Schools can become a place of discipleship for our kids if we are willing to take the time and engage the schools and its vision. I believe our prayer should be “God open my eyes to see our schools as a missionary field in which I can sow seeds of love and mercy rather then division and contention.”
2- Pray for those who are in schools (principles, teachers, faculty, students, etc.) Many of our congregants work in schools as principles, administrators, teachers, staff, and some are even students. What would happen if they were empowered to view themselves as ministers rather than just being there because it was a job? Or because, by law, they had to attend? I believe we would see a different school system.
3- Pray that churches would engage schools for the purpose of holistic change. For some this might be a challenging due to fact most Christians believe in order to preach we MUST speak. I believe before any church would be given the right to share the gospel we must earn the right through our service to the schools. This is Luke 10:1-12 paints a wonderful picture of how a believer earns the right to share “The kingdom of God is near…” This is what we would call building a “Resume of Trust”. If we can begin to affect our schools through our service rather then our protest we would have gained much ground in reaching the kids whom we are called to serve.















