Serving Our Neighbors at Sequoyah Middle School

Earlier this week, Terry Beckwith (Outreach Chair) and I had the opportunity to meet with leaders from Sequoyah Middle School, our neighbors just across the street, to listen and learn how First Christian Church Broken Arrow can better serve students and families in our community.

One number we heard stopped us in our tracks:

515 students in Broken Arrow Public Schools are currently experiencing homelessness.

That reality alone calls us to prayer—and to action. It is only part of the story. Many students also face food insecurity, including some who return to school on Mondays after not having eaten since Friday lunch.

And yet, there is hope.

Sequoyah Middle School is home to Beyond the Bell, a federally funded after-school program that provides:

• academic enrichment

• life skills support

• mental health resources

• snacks and care for students

• meaningful engagement for families

  
  

Programs like this are making a real difference every day, and we are grateful for the opportunity to begin building a partnership with the people leading this important work.

We also learned about ways FCCBA can serve families through the 1-1-1 Project’s CarePortal, which connects churches with opportunities to help meet immediate needs such as food, housing support, and essential household items for families in crisis.

This is exactly the kind of ministry we believe God is calling us into in this season.

Church isn’t just something that happens inside a building on Sundays.

Church is what happens when we show up for our neighbors.

Church is what happens when we care for children and families in our community.

Church is what happens when we work together for the good of Broken Arrow.

In the coming weeks, we will begin sharing opportunities for members and friends of FCCBA to participate in this growing partnership. We hope you’ll join us as we continue listening, learning, and serving alongside our neighbors at Sequoyah Middle School.

Photo (left to right): Matthew Crowe (Pastor, FCC-BA), Dillon Griffin-Woodard (21st CCLC Program Director), Sara Brown (21st CCLC Family Liaison), Terry Beckwith (Outreach Chair, FCC-BA), and Valeri Radford (Broken Arrow Schools Homeless Liaison).