A new school year is stressful for administrators, staff, teachers, and students.

There are class schedules to organize, education plans to fulfill, students to direct, expenses, and a dozen other concerns. Students face the rigors of education and the issues related to peer interactions. Their families face school-related expenses and scheduling changes, among other things.

A Texas Nazarene church hopes to ease some of those daily concerns through sharing the love of Christ.

The First Church of the Nazarene in Odessa, Texas, adopted Ireland Elementary School as part of a program with One Accord, an organization that encourages Christians to have spiritual interaction with local schools.

The interdenominational program asks churches to adopt a school within the Odessa school district for the purpose of having districtwide unified prayer for teachers, students, and families.

Tom Reed, administrative pastor at Odessa First, met with the school principal to discuss the adoption program. Ireland Elementary is near the church, which made it a logical choice for the congregation.  

Reed said the principal was “enthusiastic” about the idea, and a week before school began, he met with teachers and gave them a brief explanation about the church’s adoption plans.

Knowing they had out-of-pocket expenses, like many school teachers and staff in the U.S. face, he then handed out gift cards to every Ireland Elementary employee.

They were ecstatic, Reed said.

A few days before school began, Brenda Reed, the pastor’s wife, planned and organized a luncheon at the church for school employees. The luncheon was a welcomed break from the stress of in-service preparation, she said.

The church will continue to pray for the school and encourage employees throughout the year with various projects. And the church instituted this program within its own congregation.

On the Sunday before school began, Terry Pierce, senior pastor, had a special time of prayer for teachers who attend the church and presented them with gift cards to help with their school expenses.

What has been done so far has been a tremendous encouragement to Ireland Elementary and to the church, Reed said. The church has received many thank you notes from school employees, saying the church is a tremendous blessing to them and that they appreciate not only the monetary support but especially the prayer support.

 “Oh you wouldn’t believe it! Everybody is so excited! They just can’t wait,” one employee wrote. “Some of the kids are coming to school, in and out and – you know, registration and all.  Anyway, the teachers are telling the kids that we have been adopted! And everything is going to be so much better this year because this church is praying for each of us. It is just great!”
--Odessa First Church of the Nazarene via NCN News submissions