Did you know that over 60 leaders from 40 churches across Greater Houston have attended a Loving Houston Equipping Session to learn how to serve their local schools? And we're just getting started! It's been encouraging to see that so many churches WANT to serve their communities, but just need a little nudge or a few pointers before taking the next step.

Check out this note of appreciation from Pastor Stillwell of Dayspring Church:

"How do we reach our community?" was a prayer I had been praying. When the invitation to Loving Houston's Equipping Session came, I got excited. God had answered my prayer. The information that was shared helped me to not only know how to approach the school principal, but also how to apply for a matching grant to assist the school in reaching its goal. The grant has been secured and delivered to the school, and we've now been invited to teach a class to equip parents with the tools they need to help their children thrive. Thanks, Loving Houston, for equipping us to reach our community.



11/3/2015 Equipping Session

Would you pray for each of these leaders and the church-school partnerships they represent? What an awesome opportunity for these churches to engage with their communities and to show "real love from a real God" (see Love Does excerpt at right).
  • Pray for wisdom and spiritual protection as they take their next steps of faith to serve their local schools.
  • Pray that potential volunteers will hear the call to love their neighbors and respond!
  • Pray that these churches will commit to walking alongside their partner schools - even when things get messy or don't turn out as expected.
  • Pray for the schools! Pray for the students, staff, and families represented in these schools, and that both churches and schools would be profoundly and positively impacted by the partnerships. (Imagine if EVERY single one of the 1,470 schools in Greater Houston was prayed for on a regular basis!)

Would you also pray for us at Loving Houston?
  • Pray for wisdom to equip churches effectively.
  • Pray for continued favor and open doors among church networks and school districts.
  • Pray for perseverance and wisdom in our goal of seeing EVERY school in Greater Houston with at least 1 church partner!

---
Let us know if you'd like to serve YOUR local school - we'd love to help!
Tips for the Holidays    
The holidays are right around the corner! This means a few things: Christmas displays and Christmas music (even though it's not even Thanksgiving, yet!), slightly cooler weather, and a generous holiday spirit!

Can we make a suggestion? Make the most of that holiday spirit by inviting church members to serve your local school this holiday season. It's a great way to kick off a new partnership or to breathe life into an existing partnership! Check out these ideas:

HOST A STAFF APPRECIATION PARTY. 

Everyone in your church can help with this party! Ask restaurant owners or aspiring chefs in your congregation to provide a meal. Ask children and youth to write encouraging notes to teachers and staff. Ask the church for a budget, or take up donations to buy each staff member a token of appreciation (e.g. a $5 Starbucks gift card). Then decorate a room in the school or church (whichever the school prefers), and make the staff feel like the superheroes they are!

 
HOST CLASS PARTIES.
Ask each small group or Sunday School class to sponsor a class party. Ask each class for a party theme; then provide decorations, snacks, a simple craft, and a game! See if the church has a budget, or encourage groups to get creative (e.g. asking for monetary or in-kind donations from local businesses or business owners in the congregation). To host Gospel-centered parties, check out Christmas Across America or contact MiMi Sellers for more information. (Be sure to work with the school to obtain necessary approvals.)
 
SERVE INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES.
Work with the school's counselors or Communities in Schools staff to find a few families who could use a little extra love over the holidays (e.g. a turkey dinner, a Christmas tree, or something more pressing). Then serve in a way that empowers the parents and maintains their dignity. (See When Helping Hurts or Toxic Charity for more tips on serving with wisdom and without hurting either party.)
 
PARTICIPATE IN SCHOOL DISTRICT PROGRAMS.
Some school districts have specific initiatives that community partners can help with during the holiday season. For example, Klein ISD's Claus Project is looking for coat and clothing donations, and Spring ISD wants to give the gift of reading this holiday season. Check with your school or school district for ideas about how to serve!

ALLOW YOUR CHURCH TO BE SERVED!

We love the idea of church-school PARTNERSHIPS! See if any staff, students, or parents want to work together to implement any of the previous ideas. Or if the school wants to serve the church, receive it! One Houston-area middle school performs an annual Christmas concert for their church partner. What a blessing for church members to hear these precious middle school students singing Christmas carols to thank the church for their work in the school! 


---
Thanks to Patti Ressler, Laura Bushong, Mary Card, Angie Mentz, Khechara Bradford, Melissa Toon, and Brooke Perry for these ideas!

Have another idea? Please let us know! You can also check us out on Twitter or Facebook for daily tips and inspiration!
Book Icon Inspiration


"If you ask a thousand people who don't want anything to do with religion why that is, they'll tell you all the reasons they don't like it, but I doubt they'd be describing the real stuff. They'll describe a guy or a gal on a television show who told them if they gave money, they'd get rich... They'll talk about someone who was religious but broke their hearts or their promise, or lied and got caught or went to jail, or who cried a lot on camera but it looked like they were faking it. Or they'll talk about someone who told them that God hated who they were or how they acted or who they married or couldn't forgive what they'd done. It's a sad situation honestly. The only way they can keep from being head-faked anymore is for somebody to give them a taste of the real thing. And what's great is that we each have a shot at being that person...
 
"More often than I'd like to admit, I find myself saying or doing things, calculating how it will make me sound or look to others. For example, I say that I don't have the time to do something when what I really lack is compassion. Jesus is asking me and the rest of the people in the world to stop faking it. He wants us to fight the temptation to merely have the right wrapper and instead be exactly who He made us to be and who we are right where we are.
 
"None of us want to make God look bad. But in the end, being fake makes God look worse...
 
"Not only that, but when we meet people who have been fed the fake stuff about who God is and what He's about, it's not surprising that they have a little indigestion. So we can either spend our time talking about wrappers or we can show them what God is really made of. We can show them that God is full of love... we get to be the ones to show them real love from a real God."

- Excerpt from Love Does by Bob Goff

---
Click here for more book recommendations to inspire and educate yourselves and your congregations.
 

Your Story

We love hearing about how churches are already serving schools throughout Greater Houston! Is your church serving a local school? Is a local church serving your school? Would you let us know? We'd love to celebrate your story so that others can be inspired to serve as well!

We're also looking for people to help tell these stories. If you're a writer, blogger, graphic designer, or videographer who would like to help us tell these stories, please let us know!

 
Our Staff  Our Staff
PETER FORBES
Executive Chairman

MICHAEL KRAXBERGER
Operations Manager

MARILYN LEE
Communications Manager
Loving Houston Website  LOVINGHOUSTON.NET   Twitter TWITTER.COM/LOVINGHOUSTON    Facebook  FACEBOOK.COM/LOVINGHOUSTON