“Our mission is to share Christ and build hope. This congregation is all about serving others. We truly can be the epicenter of hope in the community!” – Lisa Bowdish, Immanuel, Richton Park staff
Five years ago, Immanuel, Richton Park saw a need in their community and the Lord revealed an opportunity for their congregation to meet the need. As the summer comes to a close each year, hundreds of students gather at the church for the annual Back-2-School Bash. They receive brand new, fully stocked backpacks, but most importantly, they spend time in community and receive a blessing before the start of the school year. This year, as the event came to a close, a young girl accentuated the event’s impact on her own life as she exclaimed to an organizer of the event, who had just raced her on the obstacle course, “I hope you’re here again next year!”
How They Got Started
After many years of hosting an event called Immanuel Fest but seeing that their community was not responding to it anymore, the leadership at Immanuel chose to no longer host the event. They still had room in the budget for some type of event and Lisa Bowdish, a staff member with great experience working with youth, began praying over the opportunity. After seeing the needs of many families in their communities, the Lord placed the idea for the Back-2-School Bash on her heart. The Back-2-School Bash is an event with fun activities at which children receive backpacks filled with supplies to equip them well for the school year. What’s more, they receive a blessing from Pastor Bryan Reeves. The first year, 97 students received backpacks; 67 at the event and 30 one week later when the congregation eagerly filled more backpacks for students who arrived after all of the backpacks had been distributed. The next year, while Bowdish prayed over the event, asking the Lord how many backpacks they should collect, she was confident the Lord was telling her 250. This made her nervous, but “because of who God is, we got [and distributed] 252.” This year, they distributed 377.
What It Looks Like
Over the past five years, the team at Immanuel has continued to refine the processes of their Back-2-School Bash, an event which serves over 700 people. Families are able to pre-register on-line, and then, on the day of the event, backpacks are distributed to families on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no need for families to wait in a long line, however; when they arrive at the event, they check-in and receive a solid color wristband with a time slot written upon it. This time-slot signifies their turn to go inside and choose their backpack(s). As long as both parent and child are present during their allotted time, they are guaranteed a backpack. In the meantime, all are welcome and invited to celebrate family and education at the volunteer run activities outside. From five large inflatables which vary from year to year and an active basketball court to music and meals which are provided and served by another local church, there is something for everyone at the Bash.
When families go inside to choose their backpack(s), they find rows of donated backpacks, organized by grade level, and a room full of volunteers eager to meet them. At a packing party prior to the event, each backpack is filled with donated supplies to equip each child to start the school year well.
After students choose their backpack and, depending upon grade level, favorite color of pencil box or binder, they enter the sanctuary where Pastor Bryan Reeves leads every backpack recipient, parent, teacher, and community member who enters through a brief Backpack Blessing service.
Although the Back-2-School Bash only lasts a few hours, the impact carries well into the year, not only through the supplies the students receive, but through the connections which are made with families as well as with the social workers at the schools in the area.
Ms. Bowdish saves 20 backpacks from each Back-2-School Bash. Then, on the first day of school, she travels to each of the local schools delivering five backpacks to the school’s social worker to give to any child who may arrive at school without a backpack. Ms. Bowdish builds relationships with the social workers. In November, she contacts them asking if they know any students who are in need of a coat for the winter. Then, with generous donations, each Black Friday Ms. Bowdish takes a list of the size of every student in the community in need of a coat and purchases them their very own, brand-new coat.
How They Are In This Together
Lisa Bowdish says, “when I first came to Immanuel, it was so clear: this congregation is all about the community.” On mission to “share Christ and build hope,” Immanuel, Richton Park, a congregation comprised of three recently-merged congregations, has quickly melded to be a fellowship in pursuit to be seen as “the epicenter of hope in the community.” In the ways they eagerly serve, not just at the Back-2-School Bash but in day-to-day care, the congregation of Immanuel, Richton Park partners with their community as the body of Christ.
Where You Can Learn More
For more information about Immanuel’s Back-2-School Bash and to watch a video with clips from Back-2-School Bash 2017 visit: http://www.immanuelrp.com/b2s.html.
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