School started on this past Monday here in Memphis City Schools and when school is in, so are we. Every staff member is required to be in a "visible environent" in the community and we do that by serving in the schools here. Soup has really done a great job helping us to understand what it means to really SERVE. When we say that we are going to serve in the school, that means that we don't go there with our own agenda of what we are going to do, or not going to do...we are supposed to humble ourselves and serve wherever the need may be in the school. So that means if they need hall monitors, or a classroom tutor, or someone to clean tables after lunch, that is what we will do. The Lord has given the Eikon staff here alot of favor with the public schools through serving.
So, guess where I will be serving this year? I will be at Brewster Elementary! It is a new school in our neighborhood, named after a minister that used to live here hood. The principle is a believer and is excited about us coming in and doing whatever we can to help them serve the kids in the community. You can viist the school website at http://www.mcsk12.net/schools/brewster.es/.
For those of you that know me pretty well, this may be quite a surprise to you...I mean, I've always prefered to be around teenagers and young adults. But the great opportunity that I have as I minister to these elementary students is a longer time to establish and equip them before they become adults. See, we have a strategy to walk with these kids all the way through until they graduate from high school. So when I walk into the elementary school each day, I will do so with the end in mind...that they would be conformed to the likeness, or eikon (greek word for likeness found in Romans 8:29), of Christ!
Please pray for me as I am preparing to plan for a large group activity to host afterschool in order to meet kids at Brewster. A large group activity can be anything like coaching basketball, dance team, cheerleading, tutoring, or school newspaper. We do this to get some relational time with the kids and introduce Christ through small devotionals. Then prayerfully, a few individuals would emerge that be interested in knowing more about Christ. These would be the kids that I would meet with in a small group evangelistic bible study. From that group, hopefully the Lord will cause some kids to respond in faith to the gospel and I would meet with them in discipleship to begin helping them to know God and make Him known for a lifetime! I am exctied, but I need much prayer as I am trusting God for wisdom for how to do ministry with these kids.
I'll keep you updated...I promise!
