The Christian Leader asked USMB churches about their connection with local schools for the purpose of service, ministry or outreach. Twenty-one churches responded to our March survey, reporting they have either a formal or informal relationship with a local school(s).
Informal connections
Churches listed a variety of ways in which they informally connect with and serve local schools.
- Pastors, youth pastors and ministry staff
- work part-time as school bus drivers, coaches and substitute teachers,
- volunteer at athletic events,
- greet students every morning in the hallway,
- speak at FCA or Y4C clubs and at school events,
- attend home athletic games,
- and host a Moms in Prayer group.
- Volunteers attend recess at the local elementary school.
- Congregations
- provide gift cards for teachers,
- regularly serve a meal or snacks to teachers,
- organize school supply drives,
- host baccalaureate services for two nearby high schools,
- allow local schools to use their gym for sports practices,
- adopt teachers and administrators for prayer and encouragement,
- helped to distribute food boxes to families facing hardships during COVID,
- and provide Christmas presents to low-income families in local school
- School teachers who are part of the church share needs of the school/families.
- School administrators and teachers that attend the local MB church provide an official and unofficial presence at local schools.
Dustin Mulkey, North Oak Community Church, Hays, Kansas, youth pastor, describes how his church takes advantage of its proximity to two schools.
“North Oak is situated across the street from a middle school and down the block from an elementary school,” he writes. “A good chunk of Wednesday evening children and youth ministry is populated by these two schools as we have activities from 3:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. We provide transportation from the local elementary schools to the church for those attending children’s ministry on Wednesday.”
Formal relationships
Two-thirds of the churches that responded to the survey describe their relationship with the local school as “formal.”
Churches
- serve as a safe pick-up space for parents if an evacuation need arises at the nearby middle school,
- sponsor a “Good News Club” or after-school Bible club at local public elementary schools,
- support the local Christian school financially and have a member on their board,
- are involved with Christian clubs on school campuses,
- help with or host school events,
- rent school facilities for worship services
- and helped to establish a Christian school in the community.
Partnership leads to non-profit
Neighborhood Church in Visalia, California, has an 18-year partnership with an elementary school and the surrounding neighborhood that Pastor Forrest Jenan writes has evolved over the years and today creates stability for families. The congregation offers mentoring programs, college prep, sports and family support.
“We recently turned that partnership into a nonprofit and we (broke) ground April 5 on a Community Center next to the school,” writes Stephanie Benthin.
Supporting local Christian school outreach
Lincoln Glen Church, San Jose, California, officially partners with one of the city’s Christian high schools that has an excellent reputation and attracts students from non-Christian families.
Pastor Tyler Cole estimates that 70 percent of the student body is unchurched. “The leadership of the schools is trying to partner with churches to get their students plugged into churches and come to know Jesus,” writes Cole.
Cole lists three ways in which the congregation partners with the Christian school.
- He joins school officials and other pastors from the area for prayer.
- The school advertises events held by its partner churches, including Lincoln Glen.
- Volunteering at a local church is one way students can meet the school’s service opportunity requirement.
“On a typical Sunday we have two to eight students from the school help in some way – run slides, run sound, greet, etc.—and are there for the service and hear about Jesus,” Cole writes. “Over the past three years, we’ve had over 200 different students join us. These service hours help us a lot, but we also build a relationship with the students and pray that they may come to know Jesus.”
Connie Faber joined the magazine staff in 1994 and assumed the duties of editor in 2004. She has won awards from the Evangelical Press Association for her writing and editing. Faber is the co-author of Family Matters: Discovering the Mennonite Brethren. She and her husband, David, have two daughters, one son, one daughter-in-law, one son-in-law and three grandchildren. They are members of Ebenfeld MB Church in Hillsboro, Kansas.
