Starting another school year is a significant moment, that brings a mix of emotions. There are the joy and pride of seeing my daughters off to their incredible journeys at Howard and West Point, the excitement of my youngest starting fourth grade, and the bittersweet realization that these moments are fleeting. A poignant combination of beginnings and lasts.
At BPRC, we’re doing outreach at high schools in the Acres Homes and Sunnyside communities. We must be nimble in our ministry given the constant changes in administrators, teachers, and state laws. This means we’re always prepared to build new relationships and share our faith using new methods. A principal at one school asked for our help with a beautification project, specifically washing a two-story wall of windows in their courtyard. At another school, they asked us to join students in games like Jenga and Connect 4 during lunch, since they no longer allow cell phones.
These unique challenges have blessed our ministry. I’ll share how the beautification project went next month. During a game session, I brought a Christian card game called Perspectives to engage students on spiritual topics. It was interesting to hear them describe human nature as broken, which opened the door for me to share God’s solution—the reason his son came to Earth to fix our brokenness.
As Melanie and I navigate the “beginnings and lasts” with our own children—celebrating our college daughters’ new chapters while savoring the final school years with our youngest, our ministry approaches each new school year with a similar spirit. We meet schools in their state of flux, finding agile ways to connect. Whether through a physical act of service or engaging in play, we adapt to their needs, sharing God’s love in a way that resonates with their lives, helping to make them whole.
Sincerely,
Leon Best
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