A chill is in the air, leaves are starting to fall, and pumpkins can be found around every corner. This can only mean one thing…it must be October. Along with apple cider and pumpkin spice lattes, October also brings us Pastor Appreciation Month! All throughout the year, our pastors work so hard to care well for their congregations and we are so thankful for all they do!

One of the wonderful pastors we get the joy of partnering with is Rev. Carlisle Jones, Pastor of Missions & Historic Sanctuary at Franklin First United Methodist Church. While she and her congregation partner with us in several ways, one major area of impact is through their partnership with Freedom Middle School through United4Hope. When asked about her experience partnering with United4Hope, Rev. Jones shared the following words:

“In a very divided world, there seems to be one thing we can always agree on: We want to protect and care for our children. We all know this to be important, and as followers of Jesus Christ, we feel a heightened sense of duty to create safe and loving environments for our children to thrive. So I think it goes without saying that if a church was offered an opportunity to begin ministry in their communities they would jump on that chance. Well, that’s exactly what our United4Hope partnership has been for us. We knew we wanted to support our local schools, for the children but also just as much for hardworking teachers and busy parents. But how do you do that? Do schools trust the church to come and serve without the attempt to proselytize? What really is the most helpful way to support a school? Who do I even call? That’s where United4Hope became an answered prayer for us. We had the heart and calling but they had the connections with the schools and perhaps most importantly the trust of the administration. United4Hope got us in the door in our community and gave us point person. Now our Liaison and Church Coordinator meet regularly so the church can say “What do you need and how can we help?”. Because the school trusts U4H, we get honest answers about the most pressing needs. The church then can focus our attention not on what WE want to do but how we have been INVITED to show up. Our partnership has helped us listen better and humbly love and serve the people of Freedom Middle School. We are just getting started, but I am so honored to be trusted by the schools and able to help my church love the students, staff and families well.

“Are you considering working with United4Hope? Do it. You won’t regret it, and I am confident you will see beautiful glimpses of the Body of Christ at work.“