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Helpful hints for building a school partnership
Churches across the Great Plains Conference are exploring new dimensions of partnerships as a result of the Public Education Partnership resolution adopted at Annual Conference in June. A late spring survey indicated that more than 10 percent of churches were already engaged in work with a nearby public school and that others were considering such partnerships and just didn’t know how to move forward. Many more churches are now pursuing partnerships after receiving resources at one of the stops on the Great Big Hairy Audacious Public Education Caravan.
Helpful hints for building a school partnership
9/26/2014
Churches across the Great Plains Conference are exploring new dimensions of partnerships as a result of the Public Education Partnership resolution adopted at Annual Conference in June. A late spring survey indicated that more than 10 percent of churches were already engaged in work with a nearby public school and that others were considering such partnerships and just didn’t know how to move forward. Many more churches are now pursuing partnerships after receiving resources at one of the stops on the Great Big Hairy Audacious Public Education Caravan. Here are some things they have learned:
- Ask what the school needs and listen deeply to the response. One western Kansas church reported that their leaders visited with school administrators the week after the Garden City event. “They were surprised and pleased that we asked what they needed,” said a member of the church. It is best not to assume that you already know what is needed. A Wichita area school principal recently remarked that, while he appreciated the donations of school supplies, the school actually receives more supplies than it can use.
- Start small and grow the partnership. Churches like Reading, Kansas and Hoxie, Kansas didn’t start out with the goal of providing school supplies to every child in school. They started with gathering a few spiral notebooks, pencils and crayons. Over time, the project became larger and more organized. Now every elementary student in those two communities has school supplies provided by the United Methodist Church.
- Look for a niche your church can fill. A member of the Elm Creek, Nebraska congregation was concerned about teenage drivers who were driving without the benefit of driver’s education. The cost was prohibitive for many families in the community. Now the church raises funds and provides scholarships for driver’s education.
- Find people with a passion for the ministry who can champion the partnership. Longstanding partnerships like the ones between Lenexa UMC and Sunflower Elementary or Topeka First and State Street Elementary have been driven by the vision and commitment of volunteers like Bernie McNichols (Lenexa) and Dorothy Illiff (Topeka First). Their enthusiasm is contagious, and they take the time to build ongoing relationships with the school.
- Don’t overlook middle and high school students. It’s easy to love a five-year-old. Seventh and eighth graders and older teens tend to get overlooked, yet lives are changed by programs like the Teen Center, sponsored by St. Luke UMC in Omaha. The weekly lunch provided to high school students by Cimarron UMC and their ecumenical partners nurtures both body and soul.
For more ideas and resources to help your congregation build a school partnership, go to www.greatplainsumc.org/education.
Partnerships Are the Future
In this video segment, the Rev. Kent Rogers, pastor of First UMC Wichita, explains why he believes partnerships are the key to the future for our congregations. Whether it is through ecumenical partnerships with other churches or through partnering with other community organizations, congregations can use this strategy to expand their outreach and mission.
Partnerships in Minneapolis, Kansas
by Rev. April Wegehaupt
Partnerships between church and community can bring forth transformation and growth, but sometimes not in ways that the church has come to see and measure growth. I had the opportunity in 2009 to embark on a mission with a small group of members from the Minneapolis FUMC to try and ‘transform’ the community; this was through the educational opportunity ‘Faith and Leadership Transforming Communities’. After the initial training my church group went back to Minneapolis unsure of how to move forward. After much discussion the group decided to open up a community wide conversation geared toward what the community saw were the deepest needs. We were in for a surprise.
Partnerships in Minneapolis, Kansas
9/26/2014
by Rev. April Wegehaupt
Partnerships between church and community can bring forth transformation and growth, but sometimes not in ways that the church has come to see and measure growth. I had the opportunity in 2009 to embark on a mission with a small group of members from the Minneapolis FUMC to try and ‘transform’ the community; this was through the educational opportunity ‘Faith and Leadership Transforming Communities’. After the initial training, my church group went back to Minneapolis unsure of how to move forward. After much discussion the group decided to open up a community wide conversation geared toward what the community saw were the deepest needs. We were in for a surprise.
The night of the open forum, we had around 50 community members present. That was a surprise in itself, but what really caught our attention was the outcry of the community geared around the need for tougher drug control. At the close of that day we had the Minneapolis Drug Coalition formed. Over the next 6 months, informational meetings were held at the court house where the community was invited to attend. During these meetings, we learned about the current drug trends of that day - bath salts and potpourri.
These meetings were composed of many different kinds of people. At times we had several different denominations represented - doctors, teachers, policemen, clergy, farmers, unemployed people, and stay at home moms were among some of this community partnership that was formed. The coalition even caught the attention of our state’s senators and accomplished what it set out to do. The law enforcement tightened surveillance around the community and harsher penalties came about for those caught taking drugs in school.
For Minneapolis FUMC to partnership with the community in this way was scary, and at times I felt that the Church lost all control of the partnership, but that is where I had to step back and ask, "is the task at hand being accomplished?" and, "is the community growing closer together?" The answer to both questions is "yes." Then I knew it was a success.
RethinkHome
Each month, through video, blogs, stories and links to helpful resources, we’ll explore a different topic related to your mission in your local mission field. Please share your response with us at rethinkhome@greatplainsumc.org
Here’s the lineup for the coming months:
October – Let The Children Come, November – Conflict. If you have other suggestions, send them along. The conversation is only beginning.
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