My mom was a public school teacher. High school French and German. As hard as she tried, and I think, to her dismay, her expertise in French didn’t rub off on my performance in Ms. Hollis’s French class.
Nevertheless, my mom was a public school teacher. I don’t recall a group of people praying for her or blessing her as she embarked on a new school year, and I don’t remember people blessing students either. But what a wonderful thing to do for our kids, teachers, administrators, and staff who do the hard and very important work of education.
This Sunday, you get to be part of a group that blesses all students (Pre-K – college) and all adults who work in the schools. Backpack Blessing, we call it. You’ll get to participate in praying for them as a church community, extending your hands toward them, and speaking a word of blessing over them as they start their school journey this fall. You might even go a step further and pray for our kids at Park on the regular—say, once a week—as you see them scampering around the church on a Sunday morning full of life, energy, and perhaps too much sugar. We’ll also send kids home with a backpack tag to use this year.
So, join us, won’t you? What a beautiful thing it is for our kids to know that Park Avenue Church is a place of belonging for them. What an encouraging thing it is for school teachers, administrators, and staff to know that too. This Sunday, we’ll show up for them to say we love you. Because, you know what? We do.
Much love,
Pastor Gregg
P.S. Remember to explore Places of Belonging this fall. Click the button below to see what’s available and take that next step to learn together or serve together.
