The Second E. in P.E.A.C.E.
We recently received this thank you note from pastor Dwayne Gibbs, one of our local P.E.A.C.E. partners, having planted a church in St. Paul. His school, The Harvest Academy, uses Five Oaks three days a week to hold classes for their eight students who would otherwise be in high risk environments.
The students meet together in one room, each connected online to Connections Academy, an online service of the Minnesota Public School system. The use of this service requires participation of a learning coach. Jenny Parker, a recent Northwestern Education Graduate is the primary learning coach. She is assisted by Kate Whitby and Mary Gibbs. The students have a school-day schedule with a fixed amount of time for each subject.
Dear Five Oaks,
Thank you for living out Isaiah 58:5-12, and the 'neighbor' mandate in the
love that you're showing us.Our youth have finally stabilized and are doing extremely well. We started
out behind the gun with the registration process and our youth were almost a
month behind. We are now caught up!More importantly the average test scores are in the mid eighties with a few
nineties, and climbing....I am very grateful when I am in contact with believers who are
living out their faith sacrificially - holding nothing in this world - with
love and biblical charity for 'the least of these.'Thank you! Thank you for allow us to come into your space and inconvenience
you!You are a huge blessing to us!
In Christ alone,
Dwayne
That's what the second E. in P.E.A.C.E. is all about. Kevin and Dawn Johnson's small group is heavily involved with this ministry as are other groups in helping Dwayne's church in their youth outreach. Our staff has been great in making this happen. And our congregation's giving to this building makes us all partners in reaching out.