There are several reasons. First, many of our schools need help,
especially in urban areas. Test scores and attendance are poor, violence is
pervasive, teacher morale is understandably low and funding is not what it
ought to be. The need is great, it is real and it is just down the street. Buildings are in disrepair and books and supplies are outdated and
inadequate. As a School Church Partner, you won’t be able to correct all these
problems, but you can make a significant impact on the school with whom you
partner. For example, we have a tutoring program here at Westminster every
Wednesday and Thursday after school for 32 students. Our goal is to assist
students who have come close to passing the Ohio Proficiency Test but who have
not quite succeeded. Often, the extra help throughout the school year by a
caring tutor can make a huge difference. As a church partner, you can also work
with the school to offer incentives to improve student attendance. Several of
our study and fellowship groups here at the church help with monthly pizza parties and/or prizes
to those students having improved their attendance. We also send in volunteers
to supplement the social worker’s efforts to teach conflict resolution. We try
to boost teacher morale by sending volunteers to assist teachers. Volunteers
pitch in to monitor classrooms, give makeup tests, read to students, run off
worksheets, chaperone field trips, etc. You can make a tremendous difference by
helping one school.
A lack of
education is associated with most every economic, social, health and civic
problem in our cities. A direct correlation exists between education and the
majority of needs in our country.
Partnering also provides an avenue for your church members to put their faith
into action!
As Christians, we are to show our faith by our works (James
2:18). A School Church Partnership affords your congregation the opportunity to
do something positive for our youth and to be witnesses for Christ. No, you
should not impose your Christian values on others, but you can model Christ in a
school while sharing Christ at church.
Pray. Then ask if your church has a heart for the community. Do
you have parishioners who care for children? Do you have some retired folk who
could volunteer at the school or church once a week or perhaps even once a
month? If the Lord leads you and your church to reach out to a public school,
then make an appointment with the principal to discuss forming an educational
partnership. Find out the needs of the school and discuss whether or not your
church can help meet those needs. Most principals express a desire for some kind
of tutoring. Some schools are understaffed and could use volunteers in the
attendance office or in the main office to help answer the phone or to stuff
envelopes. Other schools might need assistance with the procurement of books and
supplies. See SCP Ideas for a list of activities in which you could participate.
One of the most appreciated acts is assisting a classroom teacher. Too often,
she (or he) simply lacks ability to spend time one-on-one with a student, but a
volunteer coming into the room one or more times a week could make a tremendous
difference. Even running off some worksheets would save the teacher
valuable time. If your church is small and has only one person who does one
thing for the school, at least you have started a partnership, and with prayer
and perseverance, it will eventually grow.
The principal should assign a teacher/staff member to be the
liaison between the school and your church. You will need a church member to
"take the bull by the horns" and work with the school’s liaison. Communicate
regularly. Begin small. We tell churches, " don’t bite off more than you can chew."
Not necessarily a dime. Many of the activities listed under
SCP
Ideas would be at no or little cost to the church. For example, toward the end
of each summer, we ask folks to drop off school supplies (specific items
recommended by the school such as pencils, loose-leaf paper, erasers, glue
sticks, rulers, folders, etc.) at the church. Many people find “back to school
bargains” at discount stores and donate them as part of their church offering.
Prior to the first day of school, we take the supplies over to the teachers, and
they are just thrilled that their students will have supplies as they come on
the first day.
In the spring, we hold a book fair in which we take
approximately 1,000 books to the children at the school. Again, we ask members
of the congregation to drop off new or gently used books at the church so we can
sort them by grade level. When the children pick out their books, they are so
proud to have something they can take home and call their own. They hug us and
thank us for the books.
As your partnership expands, you will no doubt begin to allocate
money from your budget to this worthy project.
We ask every church relational group to commit to doing one
activity for our school partner. For example, our Christian Education committee
collects hats and mittens at Christmas; one of our women's Circles simply writes
a check once per year; a Fellowship Group member helps prepare snacks for Thursday
afternoon tutoring; the Personnel Committee will send a teacher to school or to
a workshop; Session members will take turns in attending school board meetings;
a Small Group donates money for instrument repair at the school. One of the most important commitments
can simply be prayer for the children, their families, the teachers and the
program in general.
You might consider appealing to the retired members of your
congregation. Here at Westminster we have a number of former educators who now
assist with our after-school tutoring on Wednesdays and Thursdays. It is not
difficult to ask people to donate one hour a week out of their time.
.
You can E-mail us at
info@schoolchurchpartners.org and we will
be glad to help you with ideas to get you up and running. Or simply give us a
call at 1-937-223-7285. You can also write us at:
Westminster Presbyterian
Church
Attention: Jim Henry
125 North Wilkinson Street
Dayton, OH 45402-1464
Please click
HERE for a list of churches currently participating
in the School Church partnership program.
