Throughout February, PRiSM 56 was in a series called DO SOMETHING. This series was designed to help students listen, learn, and lead in response to injustices in our communities.
Rather than just talking about what we could do, we challenged students to create a plan of action and do something about the injustices they see.
James 2:15-17 says, “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
Instead of traditional small group discussions, students have been working together in groups based on the injustice they were most passionate about helping with. They have been researching, discussing, and creating plans to fight injustice.
Want to know what 5th and 6th grade students at Pulpit Rock care about?
Bullying
Abuse
Foster care
Homelessness
Littering
How people are treated
Mental illness
Physical illness
Injustice can be a difficult subject to talk about. Some students have suffered injustice. Other students may have different opinions regarding the best way to help solve injustice. Ultimately, we are all part of the body of Christ, and together we can use our gifts and passions to love others well and make a difference!
You can support our students in the weeks to come! There will be lemonade stands and bake sales popping up in the Gathering Place, summer clothing drives for foster kids, park clean up days, and more.
-Heather Gudahl
On Sunday, I had the privilege of sitting in on this DO SOMETHING series.
I got to observe students working together in their groups, putting together detailed plans and proposals for how they will help fight the injustice they’re passionate about. This upcoming Sunday, they will be able to share those proposals with the rest of 56!
Some groups were working out logistics and brainstorming, a few were starting to make posters for their fundraising events, and Yvaine had already started selling cupcakes.
When I asked Peter, a student working towards fighting homelessness, about why he chose that injustice, he shared that he saw a homeless man when he was driving to the store with his mom – and he wanted to DO SOMETHING about it!
For Peter’s group, doing something looks like partnering with and raising money for a homeless shelter, as well as donating clothing items.
Another project was centered on bullying.
I got to see these kids wrestle with the challenging question, “What would it look like to put a stop to bullying?” Does it look like stepping in when they see someone being bullied? Creating a preventative club at their school? Inviting someone to church who needs a friend?
A group working on foster care explained how they wanted to give foster parents a break by watching their kiddos for a night.
They were strategizing how to make this happen by either partnering with Hope and Home or Pulpit Rock, and working out the logistics.
Doing something can take on different forms.
It might look like having a bake sale to raise money or donating items, but it also might look like starting a club, babysitting, serving, or changing the way you act to be a good example for others.
I’m excited to see all of the ideas these amazing students come up with!
Thank you, 56 students, for inspiring us all to actually do something!
-Hannah Unger
Be on the lookout for ways you can support these students in the weeks to come!
