“The obstacle that hinders increasing engagement is the attitude of both the parent and church.”
The weekend of July 26-27 was National Parent’s day, so the PSFEC held its Education Summit and Worship services on Saturday at Positive Impact Ministries, host Pastors Jay and Kara’lynn Brubaker and on Sunday at Faith Memorial Missionary Baptist Church, host Pastor, Rev. Dr. Bragg L. Turner.
Sun.,, July 27, the official National Parent’s Day, the speaker delivered a message entitled: “Turning the Hearts of Parents and Children to Each Other.” The speaker made two thought provoking statements based on two passages of scripture: Proverbs 31:8-9 and James 1:27.
- “Any parent and Church that does not provide for or insure the education of their children is an oppressor and has doomed children to poverty, prison and or death! Parent and church, do you have time to save your children from poverty, prison and or death?”
- “The obstacle that hinders increasing engagement is the attitude of the both the parent and the church!”
The speaker further noted two facts from the Florida Department of Education:
- The following struggling elementary schools are failing at grade level three reading ranging from 77-82 percent per school: Melrose, Campbell Park, Fairmount Park, Lakewood and Maximo.
- One of the schools received an investment of 3.5 million dollars over three or four years. However, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Sat., June 14, 2014 issue in an article called “Tampa Bay turnaround schools need more work after poor FCAT results,” the school showed only a 5 percent increase.
The missing elements were 90 percent of the 600 parents and 17 churches and the community.
Parents, the community and the schools must come together! We can do it better together! Much lip service has been given to the problem of increasing family and community engagement for many years.
Suggested Action:
- Parent and church do an introspection based on Psalm 139:23-24
- Parents, the community and the schools participate in a series of listening community forums led by the churches. Listening by the schools, and not blaming by parents, churches and community, but sharing concerns and strategies that will lead to increasing engagement by 100 percent in the aforementioned schools.
Additional action strategies would be developed under the leadership of the churches community (including the PSFEC and other community based parent-focused organizations.)
If you are disturbed and challenged by Holy Spirit after reading Ps 139:23-24; Proverbs 31:8-9 and James 1:27, email The Weekly Challenger at editor@theweeklychallenger.com. You can also reach me at 727- 420- 1326 or mrainey390@verizon.net. Give your name, cell and email address.
Pastor Rainey
