5/9/2022
Last week was National Teacher Appreciation week. I had the privilege of delivering breakfast to the teachers and staff at four of our partner schools: Northside High School, Read Mountain Middle School, Cloverdale Elementary School, and Blue Ridge Autism and Achievement Center. The teachers and staff were beyond grateful! They were so excited and felt truly appreciated by our church.
As I was leaving Read Mountain Middle School, one teacher thanked me for the breakfast, and I said, “Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! Please know that Journey Church appreciates all you do.” The teacher replied, “Oh YES! We know all about Journey Church. Thank you guys for always remembering us and taking care of us.”
You may be wondering why in times of economic struggle when finances are tighter than usual Journey Church chooses to spend money in this way. It’s a nice gesture, but really, shouldn’t we be saving our money? If the last two years have taught us anything, isn’t it that we don’t know what’s coming around the corner?
Journey Church is committed to being the active love of God in our community. Journey takes seriously Jesus’ words to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, when you [cared for] one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it [for] me!” (Matthew 25:40).
Teachers are vital to our community. COVID has quite clearly illustrated that point. And yet, I believe that teachers remain under appreciated, underpaid, and undervalued. As a part of Journey’s witness to our community, I think it’s so very appropriate that our church care for our community’s educators.
In a world that’s quick to criticize teachers, can you imagine the difference it makes in our partner schools’ educators’ lives that they know Journey Church is praying for them, appreciates them, and showers them with gifts throughout the year? I imagine it makes quite a difference indeed. I think Jesus would agree.
So, thank you. Thank you for continuing to financially support Journey Church when gas prices, food prices, and the cost of living continue to rise. Thank you for prioritizing God’s commands to care for others and to generously give to His church over personal comfort and luxury.
Thank you for understanding how your giving positively affects the community around us and for continuing to give to ensure Journey Church is able to continue to be the active love of God and a force for His Kingdom in our community. Thank you for not just talking the talk but walking the walk – even when it hits your purse strings and wallets.
Without your faithful and generous giving our community would be darker—the love and hope of God a bit dimmer. So, thank you! And please, keep the faith, keep giving when it’s hard. Let’s continue to carry out God’s work (which does take money) and further God’s kingdom on Earth.
Thank you. Truly, truly, you make a difference. If you don’t believe me, take it from some of the teachers who personally reached out to Journey Church to thank you for your generosity:
- “Thank you so much for the wonderful breakfast provided this morning for the staff of NHS to celebrate teacher appreciation week! It providd a reat start to the day for everyone. We are so blessed and thankful for the constant support you provide…”
- “On behalf of our school, please thank your church for their generosity…”
- “Thank you so much for the lovely breakfast today for NHS staff. It was so delicious and very much appreciated! …”
- “Could you please tell everyone at Journey Church that we are most grateful …”
Journey Church has a reputation for caring for others, for loving others, for being a church that goes OUT in the community and not one that stays inside the church walls. We are known for being the church. That, my friends, is all because of you. So thank you for being the church and thank you for being an inspiration to others.
In God’s Peace,
Jackie Taylor