Blog

This year there have been lots of changes in the Shine Ministry. We have new core team members and some have stepped back.

There have been new families stepping up to serve together, as well as new community groups.

There have been significant staff changes at the school, including a new principal, counselor and office staff.

But God. The one constant is God. He never changes. And His purpose for us serving at A. Montoya is still the same – to be the visible hands and feet of Jesus. To “shine” His light in a world that desperately needs Him. To participate in mutually transformative relationships, creating real and lasting change.

As I was reflecting on all the ways God has been at work in the ministry this year, I see so many ways His plans were better than ours.

We saw barriers and problems, but God provided answers and ways that far exceeded our ideas. The Lord opened paths and relationships that had been difficult in a most gracious manner.

There is a huge tutoring need at the school and at the beginning of the year it seemed like an enormous hurdle to get it up and running. But God provided a way and our tutoring coordinator stepped right in and organized not only our volunteers, but another organization’s volunteers as well.

I was overwhelmed by the amount of work and food needed to provide over 3,400 meals to families over the winter break – but God provided the biggest turnout of volunteers we’ve ever had. Families were blessed through that endeavor – the families receiving food, and just as much the MCC folks that served together.

I was asked just last week when I was at the school, “Why are you here helping? You don’t even have kids at this school.” And I was able to share about how we care about the school and the community there.

It may seem like a small thing to bake cookies, or shelf library books, or show up on a landscaping day, but God uses it for His glory. To show a hurting world that He loves them and cares about them.

We’d love to have you join us in this ministry. Talk to me or anyone else on the Shine Core Team. You’ll get to experience firsthand all the ways the Lord is using our church in our community school to transform lives, including maybe just yours.