Changing hearts: CCDA Conference 2011

When your heart is to serve the lost and broken of the world, as Jesus has called us to do at Mission Adelante, it is easy to begin to believe that no one could really understand how challenging it can be. I am someone that is so motivated by encouragement and the blessing of being surrounded by people that do understand what we go through each day. I was so excited when Jarrett announced that our entire staff would be attending the 2011 Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) conference. It not only gave us a chance to bond as a staff, I was so inspired to be around three thousand other people with like-minded hearts that also served in an urban ministry context. We worshiped together, learned together, prayed for each other, and encouraged each other in the knowledge that we were not alone in the adventure that God had called to.

One of the most potent moments of the conference for me was when one of the pastors shared his thoughts on the state of our public schools. He said, “The public schools are failing our kids but WE are failing our schools!” This statement affected me so deeply because as I look around at our children and how they struggle in our environment in KCK, one of their greatest needs is a strong education. This conference inspired me to dream a bit bigger about how I can actively help and support what our teachers are doing. We have begun to do this within our after school tutoring program (Leaders in Training) with coaches that are in communication with the schools and teachers of the children that they work with. Our goal is to help support the teachers with what they are already doing in the classroom. However, after seeing how much our children and schools need our prayers and action, I am committed to making this a priority as we move forward. Would you commit to praying with me for the children that we serve and specifically, their schools?