With end of summer break coming to an end…thoughts of a new school take me be back to when I was a child. I grew up on a farm in southwest Nebraska many years ago (this story will age me a bit). During our elementary years, my older brother, sister, and I attended a “two room” schoolhouse (I use that loosely…meaning only two classrooms). One room…Kindergarten through 3rd grade and the other room…3rd through 6th grade. As a kindergartener I recall sitting around a long kid sized table with my four other classmates. The other students received the coveted privilege of their own desk. I couldn’t wait to be a first grader!
I loved school!
Some might say that learning came easy for me and that is why I loved it so much, but I believe that the biggest factor in my joy of school, was because of the love and care I received from my teachers. Learning phonics and how to read seemed like a struggle for me. I lacked confidence in my reading skills, especially when it came to reading aloud.
I found myself bullied in Sunday School and Wednesday night church by two girls because I stuttered when I read aloud. Their hurtful words and laughter cut deep and could have easily changed the directions of my life in many ways.
But there was a teacher…
Valerie Bell in her book Resilient states that “one loving, caring adult engaged in the life of a child can dramatically increase a child’s long-term probability of success”. Mrs. Bryant’s loving care and encouragement helped change the impact those two girls had on my life and my reading skills. God blessed me with a teacher who could see what I could not at the time…my potential. I’m not sure if she or someone else suggested it, but I would spend hours sitting in my bedroom reading aloud to sharpen my reading skills…eventually the words would flow smoothly.
It would take many more years to overcome the fear and anxiety that would come when asked to read aloud, but I am forever grateful for the love and support of a teacher so many years ago.
I share this story as a reminder to myself and to others that one of the most important ways for us to impact the lives of the children of Westbrook, our community and our world is by making them feel loved and accepted. Meeting them where they are. Making them feel like they BELONG. Belonging is making them feel known, loved and cared for by us…their leaders and the church.
As a teacher of preschoolers in a Christian school for many years, I found that taking the time to connect and build loving relationships with the children opened the door to greater learning and opportunities to share the love of Jesus. We want our kids to love Jesus for the rest of their lives. That starts by loving them and making them feel like the church is a place they want to belong.
The attitude of love is the essence of true belonging. John 13:35 (NLT) tells us “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” As the song says, “they will know we are Christians by our love.” Moving our children beyond a familiarity with Jesus to a place of intimacy requires us to be loving and nurturing members of the church. I have fond memories of attending church and Sunday School as a child mostly because of the love shown by my teachers and leaders in the church letting me know “You are a great kid. God loves you and we are glad you are here.”
Let’s be a church that loves our kids into loving Jesus.
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