Blessed to Serve

Middle Schoolers busily assembling Welcome Packages

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace,” 1 Peter 4:10. This Bible verse is the 2015-16 school year theme for Zion Lutheran School in Harvester, MO. We are Blessed to Serve, and a few junior high students who came to tour the Peace Center and Christian Friends of New Americans witnessed just how that extends into the local Lutheran community.

Our project began in October as part of our service learning with a walkathon by which Zion students raised money to support CFNA’s scholarship program. For our Christmas Service Project, students donated socks and stuffed animals, packing them with toiletries and goodies purchased from other walkathon funds. We were able to supply CFNA with 180 Welcome Packs that they may use in their ministry to new immigrants in the St. Louis Area. More than 90 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders wrote encouraging messages with Bible verses to go in the packs they made. Then six volunteer students and two teachers went to the Peace Center one evening to deliver the packs and see what CFNA is all about.

Zion Middle Schoolers with Rev. Stanish Stanley, and two After School Tutoring students - Abel and Ammanuel

On our visit, Zion students met kids from Sierra Leone, Eritrea, and Nepal and a grandma from Liberia. They saw loving volunteers who take their time to tutor and visit with children, giving them the gift of time and friendship. One mom made an impact on our young people as she shared her story of volunteering with her 10-year-old and eight-year-old children every week to worship, tutor, and play with Peace Center kids. What an amazing way to show God’s love! Zion is excited to be a small part of such a wonderful ministry with our donation so that CFNA can continue to touch the lives of many more families and open the door to hear the love of Christ.

By Susan Riemenschneider 6th grade teacher Zion Lutheran School, Harvester, MO