Dear St. Lukers,
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It’s my favorite time of year: back to school!! New pencils, desks with name tags, a chance to meet new friends and learn new things! I just returned from a college tour with my youngest, who starts his senior year of high school in just a week. This is my last “back to school” with a kid at home! It’s hard to believe how time flies. Just this week my middle child started teaching kindergarten in the Atlanta Public School System. This has been their dream since they were in kindergarten, to teach “littles” and follow in the footsteps of John’s side of the family, which is full of school teachers.
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Being part of a family of educators for the last 27 years has given me a special place of admiration and respect for all teachers, administrators, and staff, as they give of themselves to help young people thrive! It is also in our DNA as Methodists to support the education of children, as this was one of the many acts of justice started by the Wesleys during a time when children were seen only as cheap labor. Teaching children to read, write, and understand their value and worth as children of God is a part of our Methodist heritage. This is why St. Luke’s has been so invested in Orange County Public Schools through Educational IMPACT and volunteerism since this church began.
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After one of our performances of Oliver! last weekend, I had a retired elementary school teacher come up to me with tears in their eyes, thanking us for telling the story of children in poverty. She said that...
