One of the things we have always said about LifeSpring is that we want to be a church that is #ForSmithfield.
#ForSmithfield is not just a hashtag. It’s a reminder of a core conviction that we have, which is this: The community we exist in should become better as a result of our existence. We should make such an impact in our community that- if we were to ever shut our doors- the community would mourn our loss.
We’ve done a lot of good things over the past three years. However- earlier this year- myself, Pastor Mark and Pastor David began asking this question:
What would it look like for us to focus all of our effort and resources on one area of our community?
We started asking this question because- to be honest- we were not all that sure that we had moved the ball forward in a tangible way in our community. That doesn’t mean what we’ve done hasn’t made an impact- it has. We just weren’t convinced that we were having the type of long-term, culture-changing impact that we believe God has called us to make through #ForSmithfield.
So, after months of prayer, discussion, and meetings, we have landed on the area God is leading us to focus our #ForSmithfield efforts towards: South Smithfield Elementary School (SSES).
How did we land on SSES?
First off: Schools are a place most of the community has to filter through at some point. In fact, almost immediately into the discussion, we concluded that a school was going to be where we directed our attention.
Second: It just so happens that the principal at SSES, Laura Makey, attends LifeSpring. That’s not a coincidence! (I would note here that if you want to discover what God wants you to do with your life, look at the connections He already has in your life!).
That natural connection has paved the way for us to be heavily involved in the SSES community moving forward- and I could not be more excited!
As we launch into our efforts at SSES this coming fall, here’s a snapshot of some of the things we’ll be doing- and how you can begin to get involved. While most of the details are not finalized yet, if any of these interest you, email the person who is heading each area up and they will make sure they contact you and keep you in the loop for these things moving forward.
- Mentoring a student – This is a top priority for us. If you work in the Smithfield area and can spare 30 minutes off a lunch hour to just spend time with a student, that would be huge. Email me for more info.
- Beautification Days- We are planning on going over to SSES multiple times throughout the year to help beautify the campus. If you love yard-work type things, this is a great “in” for you. Contact our Lead Servants, Jonah and Cherie Johnson, for more info.
- Student Led Conferences- Some students come from homes where parents are either unable to attend and view their children’s work…or they just don’t care. One of the things we’ll be doing is putting together a team of people to encourage students that don’t have anyone to view their work. This will happen three times during the school year. Email Colleen Jaeger to get involved.
- Mowing lawns- Everyone with a yard needs it cut. If you feel led to serve a teacher, staff member, or family who needs their lawn mowed or other outdoor work done, contact Joe Preston.
- Adopt a Teacher/ Student/ Family/ Class- This would be a great activity for a LifeGroup to do together- to pick out a teacher, family, or classroom to serve throughout the entire year. You can contact Beth Armstrong to get involved.
There’s so much more else that we’ll be doing as well. Last year we started “Teacher of the Month” at SSES, which we will continue, along with “Staff Member of the Quarter.” Plans are in place to bring breakfast a few times a year, serve at various events, collect school supplies, adopt families at Christmas, and so much more. It is not an exaggeration to say this is THE thing I am most excited about right now in the life of our church!
To kick things off, mark your calendars for the week of August 18-24. We are going to launch into the SSES community with several different things that week, and I want each of us to be a part of it!
Now think about this: What sort of impact could we have if we do this over the course of several years? A decade? Think of the lives we will touch and the tangible impact we could have in the SSES community!
And more than that- think of the people whose lives will be changed because they saw the Gospel in action and thought “I need to go check this out!”…and they hear the Gospel and come to know Jesus.
THAT is why we do this- and I can’t wait to get started!