Reflecting On Our Year of Mission to Children
Last fall, in recognition of the ways the pandemic had impacted children, our Church Council established a one-year missional priority of “Reflecting Christ’s love by caring for the spiritual, emotional, and material health of children at Soapstone UMC, in our community, and throughout the world.” As we look forward to a new missional priority for 2023-2024, may we pause to give God thanks and recognize a few of the ways Soapstone UMC served children over this last year.
Some of these include: tutoring students, providing new programs for children with special needs, strengthening families through special events, caring for teachers, working toward educational justice, and providing in-kind and $16K worth of monetary gifts that benefit children and schools.
Support for Baileywick Elementary: Appointed a new liaison, met with the Social Worker to understand needs, donated school supplies, snack items, hygiene kits, gift cards for students in need, and supported teachers through gift bags, a breakfast and a “snack bar.”
In-Kind Gifts that Benefit Children: Collected materials and assembled hygiene kits for victims of flooding in Kentucky, Easter baskets for kids at Durham Rescue Mission, 2800+ diapers for Diaper Bank of NC, made 160 meals for Family Promise, donated dozens of Christmas gifts for Family Promise (cooperative project with JCC).
Monetary Gifts that Benefit Children: Collected and distributed more than $16K to children-focused causes such as S.Y.S.T.E.M. (Strengthening Youth Through Science Technology Engineering and Math), ZOE Empowerment, Methodist Home for Children, and Giving Tree; developed a scholarship program for our Preschool.
Justice and Safety Advocacy for Children: Held a Prayer Service of Lament in the Wake of Mass Shootings praying for the families of child victims of shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Our Preschool worked with Trustees to offer Active Attacker training for all Preschool teachers and the SUMC community. Pastor Mitzi attended Pastors for Education/Lead with Leandro prayer vigil in support of equitable educational opportunities for children in NC’s public schools.
Programs/Ministries that Benefit Children: Started a “Homework Club” where students could receive help with school assignments. Our Happiness Ministry welcomed almost 45 children to a Sensory Friendly Easter Egg Hunt, a Children’s Carnival, and equipped a sensory room for use by children and families on Sunday mornings. SUMC brought back tweens events for 4th & 5th graders. Kids Rock added a new Melody bell choir to our existing programs so that ages 4-5/Kindergarten can learn to read music in an age appropriate way and with age appropriate instruments.
Enhancements to Preschool Instruction: Invested in playground equipment. Funded a science teacher for the preschool and equipped a set-aside science space. Provided targeted Conscious Discipline training for preschool staff to further educate upon child development, social and emotional skills, and best practices for guiding children on self-regulation and problem-solving. Incorporated sensory-driven materials and “safe spaces” in classrooms to better meet the needs of neurodiverse children. Expanded the preschool day for children to eat lunch together for further development of social skills. Our 4’s and Transitional Kindergarten classes visited the public library and received their first library cards.