I want to share and celebrate a couple ways that the Church has been following Jesus by serving in and alongside our local schools. In 2014-15 the Church in East Madison, led by Anna Bolha and other faithful servers, initiated the Monona Giving Project (MGP), a partnership of local organizations, including Winnequah School and Joining Forces for Families. The MGP raised funds to support the success of children, youth, and families in their homes, schools, and communities by providing utility and rent payment assistance as well as holiday meal packages for families in need.

For several years now, the Church in Verona and some Fitchburg teammates have served with the Badger Prairie Needs Network (BPNN; formerly the Verona Area Needs Network), which provides much-needed food and meals to local families, including a majority population from Fitchburg (as part of the Verona Area School District). So many children who attend school in Verona have received food from the BPNN, which couldn’t run without volunteer support like that provided by the Church and other local organizations and businesses.

Most recently, two lifeGroups from the Church at Christ Memorial (our Fitchburg site) came together to prepare and serve a meal for about 100 people at Leopold Elementary School during a classroom parent conference night in March. Church members also served with other local churches and community members during Read Your Heart Out week at Leopold, reading to several classrooms and helping in the school library. There are ongoing opportunities to partner with Leopold — ask me how you can get involved!

Thank you, church, for responding to God’s call to serve!  If you’d like to serve with a local school but don’t know where to start, get in touch with m

e and I’ll connect you.