Sign up to #mentor @ South Knoxville Elementary this fall: 1 hour, 1 child, 1 day. @fbcknox

Kids hope mentors 2011 from First Baptist Church, Knoxville on Vimeo.

Read first hand about the power of this ministry from Ryan Plemmons. Ryan is interning with us this summer:

Kids Hope USA Anniversary

On Tuesday, May 24, 2011, ministers and volunteers gathered at South Knoxville Elementary to celebrate yet another anniversary of the Kids Hope USA program. The program, which began at First Baptist Church five years ago, involves tutors from FBC working with students who have poor marks in reading. While there, tutors often form incredible bonds with their student that transcends the reading material. Kids and tutors often do out-of-class activities and have fun outside the classroom, allowing tutors to show the kids the love and compassion of their Lord. As the school year came to a close, kids and their parents were treated to hot dogs, chips and cookies. Kids could lso be seen playing on inflatable toys and generally enjoying the end of a hard year of school.

While not a tutor, I was fortunate enough to meet and chat with Trevor, a fourth grader at the school. He was extremely talkative and funny, and his favorite hobbies involve reading joke books and lifting weights. While he seems to enjoy school, there is plenty of hardship in this home. His mother is unemployed, and he as been forced to mow lawns in order to make ends meet for his mother and sisters. Having met him, I realized that all of the blessings that have populated my life and the lives of many inside the Church are not available to all. Poverty can at times seem so distant and removed from our lives, but Trevor lives only minutes away from our church and from our comfortable lifestyles. This is a challenging reality to deal with. Thankfully, programs like Kids Hope keep children like Trevor interested and engaged in school, and provide them with an opportunity to escape their tough situation through education. Programs like these are vital to improving our community, and I would like to take this opportunity to commend all the people who tutor or volunteer with the young ones at South Knoxville Elementary. Your work is certainly not easy, but the difference you make in the lives of these children is both tangible and eternal. The love of Christ you exhibit to these kids is incredible, and the impact you are making in the school is amazing. Keep up the good work!

Higher Math

Let's do the math. 1+1=2. Except in relationships. How many people does it take to befriend a church person? If you walk into the room knowing the drill of church but new to our shop, probably 8 unique contacts from people. If you're a complete stranger and have never been to church before, we need a different formula entirely.

In the old days (did I just call myself old), we had all kinds of gimmicky lines, "Each one, reach one," "Bring a friend Sunday," presuming of course that one person knew everything to say about life, faith, and yes, the ultimate example of your walk with Christ, church attendance.

But what if we had a higher form of math? What if it wasn't an equation? What if we could mix the skills, personalities, and even opinions of people to introduce them to the whole life of Christ? Since no one person has a corner on the market of answers, or the life of Jesus, we need more people talking and engaging one person, rather than one person focusing on a stranger.

Consider the math of our mentoring program called Circles of Concern. This is part of the Knox County 10-year plan to end Homelessness. Here 5 First Baptist folks share life with one person. No one hands out money. They help navigate the waters of utilities, housing, jobs, healthcare. You name it. These friends support. They provide relationships, prayer, and most of all wisdom. No individual can help someone into sustainable living. Five people with a passion can use their networks to invite others into the cause. Instead of 1:1, 1 person helping someone in need, 5 or more help 1 person. It's a 5:1 ratio.

Could you do the math in other areas? Sunday School classes doing life with 1 new member in the church. Parents adopting college students to show them the ropes along the way. Lives touching lives, not 1:1, but as many as needed to spread the load tap the best gifts and skills that people need. That's an equation worth celebrating.

KidsHope USA in Knoxville

Mentoring Works

Mentor Gene Hale and his "Little Brother" Tyler.


Every hour in Tennessee, a child is abused or neglected. Every 35 minutes, a child is born into poverty. Tennessee ranks 36th in the nation for children living at or below the poverty level with 45% enrolled in the Free and Reduced-Price Lunch Programs. In Knox County alone, 365 students are homeless, living in shelters, in cars, or on the streets. Among Tennessee fourth graders, 74% read below grade level, and 76% score below grade level in math. Only 60% of high school students in Tennessee graduate.

In one month, the faces behind these statistics will converge in our schools.
Pundits and preachers blame these alarming numbers on everything from poverty and race to families, sin, and God.

Beyond the sound bytes and applause lines, however, one solution changes children’s lives. By offering the gift of time, volunteer mentors make a difference one child at a time. Through mentoring, caring adults establish long-term one-on-one relationships with children who do not have nurturing family support. Mentors cross the barriers of race, economics, and literacy. Through the common kinship of the heart, they provide help when a child or teenager needs love the most. And the results are impressive: Studies indicate that children in a mentoring relationship are 46% less likely to use drugs (minorities 70% less likely), 27% less likely to use alcohol, and 33% less likely to hit someone. School attendance of mentored children increases 50%, resulting in improved grades.

This fall, I am calling on East Tennesseans of faith to mentor at-risk students. Many congregations already serve as volunteer mentors in their neighborhood schools throughout the school year. I am convinced that more East Tennessee churches can mobilize volunteers to mentor in elementary, middle, and high schools. As people of faith, we have been trained in the great commission. Now it’s time to live out the great commandment. By setting aside the desire to proselyte and by respecting the boundaries of church and state, we can meet the needs of deserving children. We can demonstrate love in action.

My church has done just that through KidsHope USA, Buckner International, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Knoxville at First Baptist’s neighborhood school, South Knoxville Elementary. We do not visit campus to sell our brand of faith. Instead, we go with open hearts, listening and providing hope to children. Our philosophy is to follow the school’s rules and to read, tutor, assist, play….to do whatever dedicated educators and social workers ask of us. I am proud to have worked with South Knoxville Elementary’s faculty and administrators. Principal Roy Smith who retired this year acknowledges the difference between the grades of at-risk students who were mentored and those who did not have that privilege.

Imagine the possibilities if every local elementary, middle, and high school principal had mentors available to devote time to children. What could happen if every at-risk child in Knoxville had a friend who cared not just about his grades but about his life? Not only would more children avoid being left behind, but the lives of the mentors would be enhanced. In working with my “little brother” at South Knox, I have received the greatest benefit from the relationship. My life has been enriched because I served a child whose father is in prison and saw this little boy’s face light up each day I met with him.

Perhaps at the end of your life you would like to say, “I made a difference with one person beyond my immediate family.” Three weeks from now, you can begin working toward that goal. On October 7, I’ll be hosting a group at First Baptist downtown to challenge more people of faith to become faithful mentors, and everyone is welcome to come and learn how your congregation can serve. Together we can change statistics into solutions.