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October 1999
The Lutheran Church of The Covenant, Maple Heights
New Mission Partner Opportunity
Our Northeastern Ohio Synod churches have varied outreach
programs. One of the most unique is found at The Lutheran Church of the
Covenant, Maple Heights, where the congregation is led by Pastor Joseph
Rinderknecht.
The program's mission statement is "To reach out in the name
of Jesus with care and concern to teens and pre-teens whose life circumstances
are preventing them from receiving the education they need to succeed in life
and to invite them and their families into Covenant's supportive Christian
community."
The ministry is a partnership with Community Re-Entry Program
of Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries and the Maple Heights Schools. The Mayor's
Court of Maple Heights recognizes Covenant's effort as a diversion program.
The congregation is located in an area which has a growing
African-American population. Many young persons in this program are from
single-parent households where underemployment makes parenting very difficult.
Households in the Maple Heights area with children led by single females is 28%
higher than the national average. So this program is aimed at youth who have
begun a self-destructive pattern of behavior by failing to attend school. Young
black students and their parents are sometimes confronted with cultural
differences as they encounter faculties and administrations which are largely
white. Parents need help in challenging their children to succeed in school.
What has happened so far in Covenant's program? In the first
year of operation two part-time staff members selected by Community Re-Entry's
director, have been working 18 hours weekly. They have established trusting,
working relationships with the assistant principals and truancy personnel at
Maple Heights High School. Confidence levels have permitted the passing of
personal information from the schools to the Covenant project. A total of 51
students have been referred. Currently, there are 23 students in the program. It
was discovered that the problems faced by the students were serious and varied.
When parents are contacted, it is usually between the school and the court.
Church representatives have testified in court to support the youth and this has
provided a bond with the parents.
Covenant's tutoring center, with an average of six tutors and
10-15 students, meets from 6-7:30 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday.
Early in the first year a new relationship was established
with the Mayor's Court of Maple Heights. The daytime curfew law results in
truant youth who are picked up by the police and are required to appear with
their parents before the Mayor's Court. Covenant's efforts have been recognized
by Maple Heights as an accepted diversionary program and used as an alternative
to the justice system. Instead of appearing before the Mayor's Court, ten truant
youth were referred to the diversionary program B two were returned to the court
for failure to comply but the other eight remain in the program. Covenant has
asked the schools to refer potential problem youth earlier so that the program
might become more preventive.
Pastor Rinderknecht hopes that this caring and loving program
will result in new families participating in the life of the congregation. Some
second year goals for the program include:
| Increase staff working hours to meet the needs
of youth and their parents.
Eliminate truancy among 10% of youth served.
Establish youth support group.
Add ten congregational volunteers
Expand the Tutoring Center to middle and
elementary schools.
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In most instances the program is serving the unchurched. The
congregation is reaching out with service and love and they believe that God
will create faith and call some to community with them.
To meet some of their financial needs for this program,
Covenant has completed a special stewardship drive seeking three year pledges
over and above regular giving. They project that at the end of the three years,
the costs for their program will be part of the regular budget of the
congregation.
Meanwhile, NEOS outreach funds have been supportive but
inadequate for their needs. For the year 2000 the program's request is $15,000.
The Outreach Committee hopes to be able to fund $10,000 of the request. The
balance of $5,000 is required so that this worthwhile program will continue to
be effective. There is no better investment than youth as we look to their
future as good citizens and prospective Lutherans.
Won't your congregation consider Covenant as a Mission
Partner with your financial support? Please contact this writer and/or Pastor
Ron Zoesch at the synod office (330) 253-1500.
COMPUTER FREEBEE
Please contact the writer if you are a church seeking a
computer and a monitor. There is a Compaq Presario 600 Series computer and a
Compaq SVGA Color Monitor available. They are in good condition and would
suffice for most church purposes.
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Please give us the opportunity to spread the
good news by sending your Mission Partner stories to: Bob Ogden, Mission Partner
Coordinator, 1057 Mifflin Ave, Ashland, OH 44805, rjoleo@msn.com. |
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