Greetings Holy, Healthy and Happy People of God,

As I write this eNote to our faithful and devoted community of radical and contextually conscious followers of Jesus Christ, I’m extremely joyful for our work with our partner school Buena Vista Enhanced Elementary.  Remember several years ago, McKendree partnered with Buena Vista because all students receive 100% free lunch, 30% of the students stay in a homeless shelter and/or an area hotel, and it is at the bottom 5% of schools in the state that are below reading and math levels.  Now we do lunch buddies, reading labs, and reading clinics.

Today McKendree participated in a new initiative called Fatherhood Friday.  It is targeted to children who need a positive male role model in their lives.  As the men entered the library, I sat at the table soon to be greeted by a little girl, a kindergartner, and she quietly took her seat.  Soon thereafter we introduced one another while eating our sausage biscuit.  Then it dawned on me that Jesus desires that we align ourselves with those who are disadvantaged especially the little children.  In the gospel of Matthew 25:40, we hear these words, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Today was a Sabbath moment where I experienced another glory sighting.  Today I was with a precious gift of grace, a little girl who is not privileged with a house, an expensive car, an abundance of food, or a dosage of daily hope.  But rather her radiant smile and the whisper of hearing her repeating the words in our reading together, and pressing her little fingers to the pages where she would answer my questions, that moment proved hopeful to me.

Jesus’s presence was with the Fatherhood Friday gathering this morning and hopefully in the future as we look to offer an alternative view of the possibilities for an abundant life.  McKendree must continue to be incarnational and missional as agents of transformation.

Grateful to be part of a community of kingdom collaborators!  This is our time under God!

Hear the W.O.W., the Words of Wisdom,
“Find time to make a difference!”

Remember to pray The Lord’s Prayer every day at 12 Noon!

As always, remember, God’s will for us is good, we must do the rest!
Pastor Stephen