Partnering with Parents

Yesterday churches all around the United States took part in what is known as ‘See You At The Pole’, in which students gather around their schools flag pole (before school starts) and pray for the students and faculty at their school as well as anything else they may feel called to lift up to God. Here at Redeemer UMC a breakfast is hosted each year for any 5th – 12th graders that want to come and eat in a time of fellowship with others and prepare their hearts and minds to head to the schools and stand up for what they believe. This event can be very intimidating to many of the students, as the flagpoles are generally located in a high traffic area of the school. Buses and parents are dropping off tons of students as they stand in prayer, and many students become very nervous about others seeing them participate in this event. We as youth workers assure them that we have received zero negative reports from students in all the years we’ve prayed at their schools, but nonetheless, the reservations for the students are still very much present. This is where it is essential for us to partner with the parents of the students to reassure them that praying in public is a wonderful and powerful thing. It is our hope that we can partner with them to reassure the students that standing up for what they believe in, whether it be in the form of praying around their flagpole, or otherwise, is a very good thing and is nothing to be ashamed of. We have been told recounts of students being questioned by others who were curious as to what they were doing at the flagpole, which gives the opportunity for a great discussion to follow. Numerous parents (and even one set of grandparents, how cool is that) joined in transporting students to the schools, and praying with them. We are fully aware that parents have more of an influence on the opinions of their children than we do and it is our hope that we can work along with them to build these students confidence level so they are not afraid to make a stand for God in the public eye. The success of this event, as well as other events hosted by the Student Ministries of Redeemer UMC depend a lot on working and coordinating with parents, and their role is more important than many of them may know. We would like to extend a sincere ‘Thank You’ for allowing us into the lives of the children. They are truly a blessing to work with! I am very proud to state that there were 23 students around the flagpole (in the rain) at the 5th & 6th grade school, 35 at the junior high, and greater than 60 at the high school. The students of the DeWitt community made such a powerful statement that morning! May God continue to bless them and keep them in His loving arms.

Justin Bowman
Director of Middle School & Junior High Ministries
Redeemer Church

Celebrating Redeemer

We wanted to share and celebrate with the Redeemer congregation the following letter from Church World Services that was received regarding our Blankets+ Weekend Ministry in February. Thank You for your support and for making a difference.

September 1, 2011
Dear Friends in Christ,
At Church World Service when we talk to churches about the Blankets+ Program we tell them that they are the PLUS in Blankets+. Redeemer United Methodist Church is a shining example of what PLUS really means when it comes to the CWS Blankets+ Program. There were 59 churches in the U.S. in calendar year 2010 that raised $3,000 or more for Blankets+ and Redeemer United Methodist Church was #37 in that elite group, raising $3,677.08.
Hurricane Irene has certainly been in the forefront of the news this past week. The generous contributions from Redeemer UMC and the many other churches in Michigan and across the U.S. made it possible for CWS to have material aid prepositioned in strategic locations along the East Coast to ensure that we could dispense blankets and kits as soon as they were needed. In addition to responding to the numerous needs in the U.S. you can see from the enclosed Hotline the many ways the Blankets+ funds are used to help those in need throughout the world.
Thank you for your continued support of CWS and our many programs. And most of all - Thank You! for being the PLUS in Blankets+. Together we can make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate.
In peace and hope,
Michigan Church World Service