“The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.” –Matthew 10:24

Since the first day I arrived in Gainesboro I have found this to be a church that longs to minister to the youth in our community. And that is no small feat. There are over 1000 kids attending the four different schools in Jackson County. How can we as a congregation affect the lives of all these kids? When evaluating the needs of the community and the potential for impact, it has always been abundantly clear that we as a church will never have near the influence in the lives of these children as that of their teachers. It is highly unlikely that anyone outside of a child’s family will have more impact on their life than their teachers. These are the people that spend the most amount of time with the kids. This has led us to the thought that while we cannot minister to all of the kids in the community in an impactful way, perhaps we could support the teachers in their work.

To this end, last year we arranged for every member of the staff at the high school, teachers and support staff alike, to receive a letter of support from the church, a gift card for a free lunch, and a personal card of encouragement and thanks from a member of the congregation. As this new school year begins, I am asking that we do this again. Would you consider buying some cards of encouragement and thanks, writing a personalized note in the card, signing it, and bringing it by the church office? Then I will combine the other ingredients and deliver them to the school.

How many cards will you buy? We will need at least 45 for the high school. Last year, we barely got to that number. Can we do it again? Or could we give more and include another school? Our educators are on the front lines of every battle we are facing in America today from the pandemic to politics as they lead the next generation. They need our support. Will you stand with me during this time in supporting them? Bring your cards to any Sunday service, by the church office, or mail them to us in a larger envelope. Join me in showing our teachers that they are not alone in this battle.