Fellowship Nashville began the Adopt a Teacher initiative four years ago as a way to show support and appreciation for Waverly Belmont’s staff. When Calvary United Methodist Church became a partner at the school two years ago, they joined in on the program too! Families, singles, small groups, and friend groups are matched with a teacher and then reach out to the teacher once per month.

Each year, a support staff from Fellowship Nashville emails the principal at Waverly Belmont with a form link to send to all of the classroom teachers at the school.  The principal asks for those who are interested to complete the form.

Meanwhile, the support staff member asks for volunteers from the church to make themselves known if they want to adopt a teacher for the year. Once the teacher forms are in and the volunteers are recruited, the staff member pairs them up.

We ask that the volunteers provide some sort of “blessing” for the teacher once per month.  This could be a note of encouragement, some school supplies, a small gift or gift-card, or an opportunity to volunteer in the classroom in someway. They also create a fact sheet to give to each volunteer to learn more about their teacher. The sheet includes the teacher’s likes, dislikes, requests, and needs for their classroom.

It is a great way for church members to encourage and bless the school, especially for those who aren’t able to volunteer at the school during the week as most of the prep can be done at home or during each group’s meeting time. It also helps to build community within the church!

Email Janelle with questions and to share your events and stories so we can continue to share resources across our United4Hope network.