Necessity is Still the Mother of Invention

The fiscal situation in many of our states is bad and certainly seems to be getting worse. In Chicago, where our office is located, the public school system has just eliminated a significant portion of their spring sports programs for high schools as they grapple with a $475 million budget shortfall. The second largest school district in the State of Illinois, Elgin District U46, just announced it may eliminate more than 1,100 jobs in an effort to address a $60 million anticipated deficit for the next school year. Making matters worse is the fact that the State of Illinois is delaying payment of funds that were already committed to our public school districts. What a mess.

One of the few good things that can be said about situations such as these is that they force people to come up with inventive solutions they might not otherwise consider. Among the emerging creative solutions for our public schools are collaborations with faith-based institutions in their neighborhoods. Wheat Ridge Ministries is helping seed one such venture in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In recent years, McClintock Middle School has been an underperforming school. Many students are not achieving to their potential and most come from low-income families. A few years ago, a new school principal arrived. She decided that new ways of serving these students and their families were necessary and began to seek help from outside the school district. At the same time, the leaders at Christ Lutheran Church in Charlotte were looking for new ways to make an impact in their community. Long story short, the McClintock Partners in Education Program (McPIE) now exists. It’s a wonderful example of how a public school and a Christian church can work together for the good of children and families.

On two different occasions I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to observe the main focus of this collaboration, the Tuesday “Family Night” at the middle school. Over 150 students and family members typically attend an evening of food, fellowship, tutoring and special interest classes staffed by volunteers from Christ Lutheran with the full cooperation and encouragement of the school’s faculty and staff. In addition to tutoring, classes are offered and range from martial arts to sewing to robotics. Parenting and ESL classes are among classes offered for parents. Vans travel throughout the area for anyone who needs transportation.

Out of this effort has grown a significant summer enrichment program offered on Christ Lutheran’s campus. The “Freedom School” uses a model developed by the Children’s Defense Fund. The program served 30 students last year and will grow to 50 this summer. It provides children and teens with an opportunity to enjoy a safe environment while keeping their minds sharp during the summer vacation.


As always, partnerships such as this one require inspired and creative leaders. At Christ Lutheran these leaders include Senior Pastor Scott Suskovic and Program Director Amy Daniels. Through their dedicated efforts, over 400 people from Christ Lutheran serve as volunteers for McPIE, doing everything from teaching to serving meals to driving the Tuesday night van.

Not all of our congregations have the capacity or the right set of circumstances to develop an effort on this scale. But McPIE sure gets me excited about the many ways that congregations can use their unique assets and connections to bring health, hope and healing to people in need in their neighborhood. There is a lot of necessity out there these days … let’s get inventive!

Have a blessed Easter celebration!