Back to School Outreach

Living Word Christian Center in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota has turned a fall school-year ritual into an outreach to needy children at its partner public school, Crest View Elementary.

It started several years ago when community service director Sonny Fuller sought to help the school children, many of them from lower-income families, who attended Crest View.

Sonny created the Crest View school supplies drive by inviting church members to shop for pencils, notebooks, crayons, backpacks and lunch boxes. During the month of August church families who shop for back to school needs for their children buy extra for the Crest View kids.

“Sometimes the kids wouldn't start school because their parents would want to have supplies first", outreach pastor Phil Winn said. "Now our members look forward to buying supplies for kids who didn't have any."

Because of the relationship built between Living Word and Crest View “when the school has a need they just give us a call because they know we will help."

This back to school outreach is something that any church of any size can do well. It doesn’t take a lot of time or money and makes everyone feel a part of giving to the needs of others.