Helping Others Rise Against Hunger

Our Mission Highlight for November is hunger awareness.

Yesterday, our church family joined forces for good with our neighbors from West End Islamic Center to pack 40,000 meals to be sent across the globe. Since the beginning of our partnership with the non-profit group Rise Against Hunger (formerly Stop Hunger Now) Christ Church has purchased and packed...147,290 meals!  Yup, you read that right.  We've help send 147,290 meals to impoverished places all over the world, filling bellies with nutritious food and filling hearts with hope.

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOSTREAM

Thanks, too, to everyone who donated to our Food Drive for The Sophie House. Thanks to your generosity, we gathered more food than was needed to put together Thanksgiving Baskets for our community partner just down the street. That means that in addition to providing Thanksgiving Baskets for single mothers and their children, we will be able to add to The Sophie House pantry and provide food throughout the season.

Thank you for helping us Be the Church!

Faithful in the little things

A SERMON BY THE REV. SHIRLEY SMITH GRAHAM
October 22, 2017

Being faithful with the little things makes it possible for us to be faithful with the big things.

Now, this isn’t the way we often think about life.

We tend to focus on the big moments, and our culture celebrates these big moments in such a way that we may be tempted to think it’s realistic to jump from one big moment to another, in a never-ending succession of achievement … from birth, to graduation, to job promotions, to big adventures. But that’s not real-life. That’s a story about real-life, a myth.

What’s real is that most of our lives are small moments, seemingly unremarkable events when we do our part, make decisions as best we can, and, to the greatest extent possible, act in ways that are consistent with our values, values that we tune to God’s purposes.

Small moments are the routine of life. In fact, how we will act in the big moments, whether with honor or disgrace, is influenced by how we act in the small moments. Every small moment of our lives is a training ground for building the muscles that we’ll need in the big moments.

And how we will act -- how we will use our lives – is what we call stewardship. How I, as a steward of all God has given me, use what has given me. Because nothing I own is mine. Nothing you own is yours. It all belongs to God. And, when we look at it this way, when we look through the eyes of the Bible at the world, when we look at it through the eyes of Jesus, we right-size ourselves and realize, we are taken care of God’s things, taking care of God’s world.

Faithfulness in the little things enables us to be faithful with the big things. Jesus’s whole life demonstrated this, but it’s actually recorded in The Gospel of Luke, chapter 16, verse 10: “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much.”

For me, this is summed up by a boy named Martin Cobb.

Marty was little, small in stature, just 8 years old. He had been born prematurely, survived an early heart operation, and he stayed small. Mary went to school at Elizabeth Redd Elementary School, just across the river. Three years ago, Marty was outside, playing with his sister, when a 16 year old attacked his sister in an attempted sexual assault. Little Marty decided to intervene, to protect his sister. It could have been such a little thing. “Hey, back off!” “Stop that.” “Don’t bother her.”

Such a small thing: to insist that a person should be treated with dignity, that she should be able to play outside without being assaulted. Such a small thing on an ordinary day.

What Marty didn’t think of, but many of us would have, was, if I speak up, will I become the target? If I “make a big deal” when I don’t have to, will I get in trouble?

But Marty didn’t think of the trouble he might be redirecting on himself. He just did what his mom had taught him, as a matter of routine: take care of your sister.

And his sister’s attacker killed him for it, killed Marty for being the little man who had the heart of a lion.

Now, Marty wasn’t able to be a hero magically on the day when life demanded heroism. Anyone who has been in the business of public safety or medical care or the armed forces knows, you drill as a matter of routine so that, in the day of disaster, you automatically do the right thing.

If we’re faithful in the little things, then we’re ready to be faithful in the big things.

That’s one reason why church is so important. Church is the training ground of little things, so that, when life gets big, we have the stuff to deal with it.

Little things – like going to a playground at Elizabeth Redd Elementary School, to brush sealant on outdoor furniture and rake leaves and spread mulch. Little things, like tidying up and landscaping, so that kids who may not feel safe playing at home can, at least, feel safe when they’re playing at school.

That’s how we connected with Little Marty Cobb, who have his life for his sister. It didn’t sound heroic or adventurous or big to sign up for a service project. You’d be hard-pressed to get 100 likes on Facebook for “hey, let’s go make someone’s school better!” But, if you can’t be faithful in the small things, you won’t be faithful in the big ones. 14 volunteers, on a pretty day, helping to keep the playground dedicated to Marty Cobb, a place of dignity.

Church is where we practice faithfulness … to God, to each other, to our promises to believe in a reality we cannot see but would die for, a reality in which God is working his purpose out, a reality in which justice roll down like waters, and right-acting like a never-ending stream (Amos 5:24).

That was the point Jesus was making in today’s Gospel reading, from Matthew, chapter 22. Everything in the world belongs to God. It’s all God’s. Sure, the emperor of the Roman Empire thinks the world is his, but it really belongs to God. So, Jesus says, be faithful in the little things: pay your taxes to Caesar. But be faithful also in the big things: give back everything you have to God -- your life, your labor, your time, talent and treasure.

So, where does the church fit into this equation?

Not taxes, certainly. The church is not transactional. We are not a fee-for-service organization.

The church is a miracle-enterprise. We operate according to the rules of the world just enough to get by, but the authority we’re really accountable to is God. The church has a footprint in the “real world” but operates on the principle that the real real-world is what God is doing through us for the purpose of healing the world. Nothing more, nothing less. The church doesn’t function except through the wondrous things God does through ordinary people like you and me.

The church is miracle-enterprise because we gather in God’s name to remember who we are, who we truly are, not people with social security numbers but people with souls. And our primary function is to worship God in the beauty of holiness and to allow God’s spirit to make us a holy people, not to build our own status, but simply to reflect the goodness of who God is. All the rest, the Christian education, the works of mercy, the advocacy to right wrongs, the pastoral care – all of that is meant to serve one purposes, to help us become what we are – made in the image of God. And our training ground for this grand enterprise is made possible by the little things: preparing Sunday School lessons, making lunches for homeless guests, setting the altar, rehearsing a song, calling someone who needs care, spreading mulch on a playground, filling out your pledge card.

We do these small, faithful things, not to serve ourselves, and not to pay the church’s bills. Rather we do these small things because we believe and see and know that, in these small things, God is preparing us to be faithful stewards of the big things.

Investing time, talent, and treasure in others

A WITNESS BY GARY RATLIFF

I have a confession. As I sat down to write this article, I thought to myself, “what exactly is the definition of ‘stewardship’?”

Coming from someone who is a member of Christ Church’s Stewardship Committee, that seems like an odd question, right? After all, the entire committee is committed to work with everyone in our church to find ways to do God’s work with the gifts he has given us. How do I not know what the definition of “stewardship” is?

Well, fortunately in our age of instant connectivity I was able to pull up the “official” Merriam-Webster definition:

the conducting, supervising, or managing of something; especially: the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care stewardship of natural resources (source)

As I read that definition and thought about it, it struck me as rather impersonal and vague. Frankly, it’s hard to get excited about being on a committee that “manages something.”

It occurred to me that the question I really should be asking is, what does stewardship mean to me? This “personal definition” is more important than Merrian-Webster’s definition.

I grew up in the southwestern part of this state where mountains and valleys stretch as far as the eye can see. It is an area of real natural beauty, and I consider myself fortunate to have spent my youth there. Another, more important, part of my youth was the church that I attended as a child. We had a long drive to get there each Sunday morning, but it was during Sunday School and by listening to the message where I first learned about Jesus and God’s plan for us.

I learned about Jonah and the whale. I learned about Jesus feeding the multitudes. I learned about men and women whose faith was so strong that they were willing to give their life for what they believed. Most importantly, I learned that God has a plan for all of us, if we just open our hearts and believe. I might not have learned any of these things had the members of my church not invested their time, talents and treasure for me and others in our faith community.

I’m older now, but those lessons have stayed with me. Now that I have young children, I want them to have the same experience – to learn the same lessons that I did, with the hope that they will remember them, as I do, when they are older.

My “personal definition” of stewardship is to make sure that our faith community has
the resources to be able to teach our children about God’s plan for them, just like the members of my childhood church did for me.

You may have a different “personal definition” of stewardship than I do. As a member of our faith community, I hope the gift of time, talents and treasure that my family gives help to support your definition of stewardship in some way.

October is the month when Christ Church’s Annual Giving Appeal takes place. You should have received a letter and a pledge card from the church. As you are prayerfully considering what you may be able to pledge, please take a moment to reflect on how our faith community has impacted you. From experience, I can tell you that your time, talents and treasure do impact our faith community. Thank you for all you do! - Gary Ratliff

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http://www.christchurchrichmond.com/give

A Community of Hope

A WITNESS BY STEVE ROGERS, PASTORAL CAREGIVER

"All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it." -1 Corinthians 12:27 (NLT)

In 1 Corinthians, Chapter 12, the Apostle Paul provides a discussion of how we each possess unique gifts, skills, and abilities. He further explains that it is these individual gifts, skills and abilities, working together, that enable us, as a community, to become the Body of Christ.

One of the pillars of the Christ Church Vision is to “BE THE HEART AND HANDS OF JESUS”. Said another way, this part of our Vision asks us to fulfill Paul’s framework for Christian Community.

More specifically, our Vision asks us to do three things:

• GO out into the world.
• BE agents of change.
• ACT on his behalf.

One way Christ Church can fulfill this call is to provide loving and compassionate Pastoral Care to our fellow church members. That is why, about a year ago, the clergy and vestry decided to update our Pastoral Care Ministry, utilizing a program created by Community of Hope International.

One of the intensive training sessions.

This refreshed ministry is blessed with 18 members who, over seven months of training, have studied Benedictine Spirituality, attended 14 classroom sessions, and made practice Pastoral Care visits. Following the completion of training in July, they have started to provide pastoral care services and the group will be publicly commissioned at our worship services during the weekend of September 23 and 24.

A common question asked is, “What exactly is Pastoral Care?” The answer could take several pages of explanation. However, at its core, Pastoral Care is a ministry of trained caregivers providing support to people in times of need. These could result from, among other things, illness, loneliness, loss, grief, addiction, or the stresses and problems of day to day life.

The Pastoral Care Ministry at Christ Church is designed to provide those facing challenges with a caregiver who will listen, be fully present without judging, and honor confidentiality. It is not meant to replace the clergy or stand in between a church member and the clergy at times when care it is needed. Rather, it is intended to supplement the clergy’s role and provide a different type of care as we support and love each other and those in our surrounding community.

Our Pastoral Caregivers are trained in a wide range of topics, including family systems, coping with loss, care for seniors, prayer, confidentiality, and the theology of Pastoral Care. We have identified our spiritual gifts and our pastoral identities. Most importantly, we were trained in and practiced listening skills.

A group brainstorm on "Pastoral Care"

"Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion for the world is to look out; yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good; and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now." - Saint Teresa of Avila

Family is a Verb

A witness by Jenny Fairchild, Communications Manager

There is a term I heard awhile back called “familying.” Coined by a past executive director of Vibrant Faith, it is now used as a core principle at that leading faith formation resource center. Essentially, “‘familying’ is the relational process that the Spirit uses to form faith.” It’s all about the way we grow together and support each other as “families” through faith. If our vision here at Christ Church calls us to “be” the church, then familying might be how we be the church, together; how we do life together as a faith community.

Although the term was new to me, the concept is very familiar. The sense of community I get from church life is so soul-satisfying that I’ve made church a big part of my life for, well, forever. So, as your church staff is preparing to launch the new online community, Realm, I’m excited for the ways that this software will enable familying here at Christ Church.

Realm is an online ministry tool designed for real-time connection. It helps our church connect with you and you connect with us. If you consider yourself part of this church family, you’ll love it. This online space is where you can go to sign up for events, find inspiration, access the directory, send prayer requests to your friends, and even click to say “I’ll bring hot dogs to my small group cookout!”

You will all be invited to join Realm in the next few weeks and you’ll hear more details about how to use it. And if technology isn’t your thing, fear not: we are all committed to helping you stay connected online and off. We are so glad you are part of the CCE “family” and we can’t wait to connect and grow with you (more!) in Realm.

Our Backyard

Our mid-high youth recently embarked on a special mission trip, right here in our own backyard! Read below for some personal reflections from our mid-high youth missionaries.

"My experiences were heartwarming and joyful. I was happy to serve the people of Richmond as we dug through weeds and fresh mulch. At moments we were dehydrated and the people would give us water meanwhile while peoples gardens were infected with weeds we cleared them out to plant new seeds into the rich, fertile soil. Later we got to help even more people as we painted over the worn walls of a school. Meanwhile we received praise and mercy from the principle. I will never forget the smiles on the peoples faces as we continue doing the work of God."
-Evan Graham

"My experiences were very fun. I was very happy when I was working with the kids at Greenleigh. We met some new kids and they were very kind and funny. We got to do games to know more about the kids at Greenleigh. If you did not know, the kids were all girls! There group was called Girls Can. We did skits to act out words like honesty, loyalty, ex. We got snack time after that. Then we went outside for free play like soccer or swings. When we had to go, the kids were so sad that we had to leave. I will never forget the sight of all the kids' smiles when we left to keep working for God."
-Taylor Wigner

(Greenleigh Learning Cottage is a special classroom that doubles as a community center for academic assistance to elementary and middle school students living in the Greenleigh Mobile Home Park off Jefferson Davis Highway in Chester.)

"Yesterday I went to Oak Grove Elementary School. We were the first group to go there. When we got there our group (A.K.A. Arthur Ashe) split up into two classrooms. My group went to a class for rising fourth grade glass. The other group went to a rising first grade class. When we first got to our class we sat in the back and watched them play a name game. Then the class asked us to sing the power scholars song. Then we played a game to show how we all have something in common. Then it was time for some learning. We got paired with two kids to help them do a writing prompt. Now it was time for lunch. I thought it was so cute when almost every girl in the class wanted to hold my hand. I had three girls on one arm and three on the other. After their lunch they went back to the classroom while we went to eat our lunch. When we were looking for a place to eat we found a beautiful butterfly garden to eat in. while we were eating the rising pre-k went out there and played with bubbles. It was so cute! So how the summer school schedule works is that the students learn in the morning and have fun in the afternoon. This afternoon they had rotations. Our group started at a soccer clinic with the Richmond Kickers (it was so fun). Then we moved to art where we made super heroes. How you make them is you color a popsicle and put a cape on it. Finally we had to say goodbye. It was so cute when a girl asked me to live with her so we could be best friends. I never had so many hugs at one time.
- Ellie McNally

Do Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly

For many years, Christ Church has been in a special partnership with George Mason Elementary School in the downtown neighborhood of Church Hill. Through Richmond Hill’s Micah Initiative, we support GMES by tutoring students, providing support to teachers, and through a one-on-one reading program. A highlight for volunteers and students alike is the annual ice cream party and book fair that we sponsor to celebrate the end of the school year. Fourteen-year-old Cameron Steenrod has volunteered at this event for many years with her father, Rick. Cameron reflected on this experience and shares her witness below:

"Hi! My name is Cameron Steenrod. As some of you may know, I have been going to the Ice Cream Social and Book Fair at George Mason Elementary for four or five years. I can't remember a year not doing it. Now, I am not a busy person, nor am I very social. However connecting with these kids, seeing the smile on their face when they receive books, is an amazing experience. I find myself talking to them and being more social than I am normally, while helping others. I mean, yeah, of course it's nice to skip school, but it's way more than that to me. Helping these kids is something I look forward to every year. As soon as the week rolls around, I am always sure to talk to my teachers so I can be ready to go. It helps remind me how fortunate I am and that kids in our area really do have different lives. I am always grateful to be part of this awesome event. I would encourage anyone who has the opportunity to go because this experience is unlike any other." - Cameron Steenrod

Why George Mason Elementary School?

The Richmond Public Schools serve the most distressed portion of our area’s young people. Many of these children come from families with low income, low literacy levels, and a high degree of emotional and situational stress. These schools often have less resources to meet these challenges. The children at GMES need the steady and concerted support of the entire community to succeed in school and in life.  This is why as disciples of Christ we answer the call to serve. It takes a village to raise a child. All of metro Richmond is our village!

- Learn more about the Micah Initiative and get involved through Christ Church. 

Love Your Neighbor

The Wednesday Women’s Bible Study did a two-week study of Islam and wanted to get the perspective of the women from the West End Islamic Center. We invited them to join us on Wednesday morning. They were very gracious in answering our many questions and furthering our understanding. For some of us, it meant challenging some of our preconceived notions. During the past few months, the Muslim women have made an extraordinary effort to reach out to us in community and friendship. It’s safe to say that we were all enriched by the experience and hope to develop some genuine friendships. Yes, the Holy Spirit was right with us in the room. There was also much laughter, too.

- Rebecca Maguire

 

All Together Now! The Power of Intergenerational Service

Sharing life experience is an important part of developing relationships. When we share our lives -- and particularly our faith journeys -- with those who are different ages and in different life stages, we can form deep relationships that play an invaluable role in lifelong discipleship.

At Christ Church we believe it’s important to provide opportunities for people of all ages and in all stages of life to gather together in worship, service, spiritual formation, and fellowship. Right now there are some special opportunities for you to serve with our younger generations. We encourage you to invest in each other and in the lives of our children and youth.

SERVE AS A DISCIPLE WITH THE MID HIGH MISSION TRIP

This summer, our mid-high students seek to be the hands and feet of Jesus by serving in our local community. Spending their nights at St. James Episcopal Church in Downtown Richmond, the mid-high mission team will spend their days working with local mission partners in the greater Richmond Metropolitan area and immersing themselves in various service and educational opportunities. And no youth mission trip would be complete without worship and fun! The mid-high mission team personally invites each of you:

SERVE WITH US at Shalom Farms on Wednesday, June 28, a great opportunity for children, youth and adults of all ages! There are two shifts, 9:00 AM-12:00 PM and 1:00-4:00 PM. All are welcome to come early/stay late and bring a bagged lunch to join us for lunch. Click here to volunteer.

SUPPORT US by providing donations for our meals. We’re growing young people. We eat a lot! All needed items are listed now in CCE Online Available Serving Opportunities. Click here to volunteer.

WORSHIP WITH US. Rev. Shirley will lead us in worship in the St. James sanctuary on Tuesday, June 27 at 7:00 PM. All are welcome to join the youth and adult chaperones for special worship experience. Click here for more info.

"What a joy it was to be around our enthusiastic, kind-hearted youth and what a privilege to see them serve with willing and open hearts! I got to develop relationships with our youth and our other adult leaders. We learned to show God's love by putting aside our own needs and focusing on the needs of others." – Laura McNally after serving with last year’s mid-high mission trip.

SERVE AS A DISCIPLE WITH VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL 

Did you know that the majority of the nearly 200 children who attend Vacation Bible School are non-CCE’ers from our community? What a great opportunity each year to share God’s love! It takes many helping hands to provide this special week of outreach, evangelism, and connection for these children. Youth helper Jackson Schulz, pictured on the right, was such a caring and fun role model for the children!

Volunteers are needed to serve in a variety of roles: crew leaders, floaters, snack suppliers, photographers, station helpers, and more. Click here to volunteer at VBS.

“It was easy to see God working in each heart who came to receive Him. This was most evident in the youth and teen helpers who worked so hard alongside the adults to make sure that each guest had a great VBS. These young people were absolutely on fire! Their enthusiasm shone through in everything we did. Their energy and excitement was contagious and made this year's VBS an experience to be treasured.” – Jane Emrick after serving at last summer’s VBS

SERVE AS A DISCIPLE WITH THE YOUTH MINISTRY

Earlier this year, the Vestry and Youth Ministry Team partnered with Ministry Architects and assembled a Youth Ministry “Renovation Team.” This team is working to make our youth ministry even more sustainable, impactful, and transformational. As a result of this renovation, our youth ministry is recruiting volunteers in a different way this year. They are currently contacting people to personally invite them to with youth opportunities for the next school year. Don't be surprised if someone asks for your help for a 2018 activity -- and don't wait on us! -- contact Adam if you feel called to serve.

There are over 200 open volunteer positions to fill - that is what it takes to support our youth program. We have opportunities that range from helping each week with a small group, coordinating one-time events, to tasks like providing food or acting as a chaperone. 

Please, prayerfully consider saying "yes" and supporting our youth, even if you don't have a student currently participating in the program. (Maybe even especially if you don’t have a student currently participating in a youth program. See the whole “intergenerational” thing in the first paragraph!)

- For more information on serving with our children and youth, please contact Ryan Giorgis, Children's Minister, or Adam Williams, Minister to Students (youth).

Go! Get yourself a win-win!

A WITNESS BY KERRI FLETCHER

If you’ve ever contemplated attending a Christ Church women's retreat, I’m telling you flat out: GO!

No need to ponder, clear your schedule and GO!

At the very least, you will get a break from cooking three meals and get to fill your plate with delicious food, cooked by somebody else. At the very most, something extraordinary may happen!

It’s WIN-WIN!

Here is what happened to me:

I went -- excitedly -- because I was eager to meet some of the cool ladies I’d seen in church, I wanted to force myself to take some time out for my faith, and the idea of shutting off the rest of the world for almost 24 hours seemed heavenly!

As a wife, mother, and kindergarten teacher, my life was full, and I definitely had faith, but I was looking for something more to center me. By attending the retreat, God helped me pull it all together and without sounding corny, my life changed...for the better It did! It really did!

During the retreat, you’ll hear brave, inspiring women share their stories. You will have the privilege of listening to them open up their hearts in an effort to show you how much they have grown in their spiritual journeys. And if you’re lucky, you’ll take away a nugget or two that will help you grow as well. You will connect with someone or some song lyric or a part of someone’s story and think,
“It’s true? I’m NOT the only one?!”

One such very cool lady spoke about her daily spiritual practice and how she came about doing it, how it had affected her, and then gave us lots of suggestions on how to start our own. At the time, I liked the idea, but wasn’t exactly sure what my plan was going to be. But the idea really spoke to me.

Here’s where the God part comes in- wouldn’t you know, when I got home, I found one of the very books that was recommended ON MY BOOKSHELF! It was a gift that I had never really paid attention to, called Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. It looked very doable- short, daily readings with scripture references. I could do THAT!

However, I was a little hesitant about the reading the Bible part. The Bible was always very intimidating for me because frankly, I just didn’t understand it most of the time. I knew we had a few bibles in the house too, and guess what?! We had a Daily Application study Bible no less- it explains what you read in the Bible! Another gift, just sitting in my house all along. Amazing, right? So I had these 2 tools right under my nose and I began using them. I also used the journal and the pen I got at the women's retreat to write during this time as well. This was STEP ONE of the whole life-changing thing I mentioned earlier. Every morning, I took this time to read, pray, write, and just be still before I started my day and slowly, I felt different... More patient, more understanding, more faithful, more peaceful. Not every minute of every day of course, but I was beginning to be aware of the Presence of God throughout my day.

STEP TWO: I started listening to Christian music in my car. I don’t think I would have been as open to the idea if I hadn’t been influenced by my time spent with Jesus Calling. My husband and I have 5 kids between us and when your sweet little 10 year old is singing along to the music that is all about adult feelings and well, you know, it’s very unnerving to say the least. So I looked for a better station and found WPER 90.5 (much to my kids chagrin). Soon after I took their 30 day challenge of listening solely to Christian music to see how it affects your life. Well, as you may have already guessed, it was awesome and positive and inspiring.

These two important life-changing steps were prompted by a spark that was ignited within me at
the Women’s Retreat.

It will be two years in May that I have been doing my daily “morning spiritual exercise.” That, together with my daily commute where I get a second dose of God in listening to Positive Encouraging Radio, has not only strengthened my spiritual journey, but encouraged me to share it in my daily actions. I am lucky to teach at a Catholic School, so I can bring my faith into my job and teach it to sweet little 5 and 6 year olds. Oh and yes, it helps give me a lot of restraint and hope when dealing with teenagers at home!

And the icing on the cake? I have made some amazing women friends here at Christ Church-- women who make me better and help me keep my heart and time focused on what’s really important through 10:25 small groups, summer bible study, and the women’s ministry team.

So... TO RECAP:

See? Win-win!

- Kerri Fletcher
 

Kerri is married to Mike and together they work hard to help raise 5 teenagers between them! Her second job is a true calling: kindergarten teacher at St. Edward -Epiphany Catholic School. 

In case it wasn't obvious, Kerri really thinks all women should GO to the women's retreat. "Sister Acts: Loving and Encouraging Our Sisters in Christ to Go Forth and BE the Church" will take place Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6. Click here for more info and to register.

Courage to Succeed

A WITNESS BY LAURA-JANE CORKRAN

Laura-Jane with Zachary (24) and Donna (27).

After high school and aging out of county-based services, my son, Zachary floundered at home. Services and acceptance for children on the Autism Spectrum have improved dramatically during Zachary’s short lifetime, but it all seems to disappear at high school graduation. Over time, his hard-won social skills started to fade and he became more and more isolated from the world he wanted a place in. Courage to Succeed changed all of that.

This program is an offshoot of Charterhouse School and designed to give young adults with neurological difficulties, including Austism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the support and services that make college possible. Since enrolling in the program, with the dual element of college classes at Reynolds Community College, Zachary has flourished. His confidence has improved dramatically. He’s doing well in all of his classes and advocating for himself to get what he wants from his future. He reminds us now about his monthly “socials” and has a goal to work on building an actual friendship. He’s not 100% sure he’s on board for “the friend thing,” but he has the confidence to try. He’s out in the community doing volunteer work at Meals on Wheels and Ronald McDonald House. He’s tired and happy and just a little bit stressed, like every other college student. The most important part, is that Zachary’s optimistic about his future. We are, too.

- Laura-Jane Corkran shares her witness knowing that there are a number of families at Christ Church affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder. Courage to Succeed at UMFS’s Charterhouse School will be hosting a free interest luncheon on February 18 from 11:00 – 1:00 PM. The CEO of Commonwealth Autism, John Toscano will be presenting “Asperger’s Syndrome: Optimism and Untapped Potential.” All are welcome!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION