Jesus heard that Lazarus was gravely ill...yet he waited. Days passed before He went to the home of his friend and by that time Lazarus had died. Why the wait? Sometimes we learn something in the space between need and the answer to our prayers. Sometimes, the wait makes the problem so pressing that providing help becomes a demand on our hearts—a demand to which we must respond. No more waiting. Jesus responded and Lazarus was indeed raised.
But we can do that too. Together, we too can show up and step up to raise our dead and dying neighborhoods back to life again. I believe the powerful churches of Central Indiana and others of good will are feeling this demand on their collective hearts and are starting to respond to the struggle faced by our inner-city institutions.
These inner-city churches and ministries work miracles with little or no money and few if any volunteers. Their neighbors turn to them for food, money for rent and utilities, and help when a family member dies or other tragedies occur. They stand between their neighbors and hardship on a constant basis.
Inner-city schools are overburdened as well. Many of the children come from single-parent homes, tutors are needed and the teachers need not only supplies, but support that is warm, responsive, and comes without strings attached.
One church that has fully answered that call is Connection Pointe Christian Church in Brownsburg, Indiana.
Clarence Farrington School No. 61 stands in the shadow of the Indianapolis 500 Speedway, and by most standards its staff was dispirited and its students were underperforming. When Connection Pointe's Outreach Pastor Buddy Faulkner visited the school he'd attended in 2nd grade, he witnessed the decline that had occurred since his days there as a child. He felt a need that demanded a response.
In conjunction with the school's principal, Carole Wilson Frye, a partnership has developed that over the six years since Buddy's first visit has sparked a thriving atmosphere in which student scores have improved and teachers flourish. (Watch this video for their story.) It is so successful that the school has experienced considerable growth as parents outside the area choose School 61 over closer schools so their children can take part in its success story.
The partnership is further attacking neighborhood issues by forming Clarence Farrington University. This after-school family and community program will provide GED training for parents, English classes, and an environment for family play on school property.
Check out the video for the inspiring interview with Carol and Buddy and contact UNITE INDY to learn more about how your organization can attach to a school or inner-city church and make real change happen. The wait is over!
—Nancy
