Monday, October 26, 2009

Dr. Tony Bennett to Visit MC3



UPDATE....

Had a great turn out on Tuesday with not only Dr. Bennett visiting MC3 but Superintendent Kapsa, Principal Buysee of Madison School and several members of the media. Amy Kring, our amazing After-school Coordinator did an outstanding job.

Here is the link to the South Bend Tribune article. We also had great coverage on the local ABC affiliate.

Please join us if you are in the area on Tuesday afternoon. We have invited the news media to learn more from Dr. Bennett, Superintendent Kapsa, Principal Buysee and Coordinator Amy Kring on how we are going to impact the lives of 55 kids from the Monroe Circle neighborhood.

Media Alert

Dr. Tony Bennett, State Superintendent of Public Schools to recognize new partnership between Monroe Circle and South Bend Community School Corporation to provide after-school remediation program.

WHAT: Monroe Circle Community Center is expanding its after-school program to include Compass Learning (web-based learning) and LEAP remediation by partnering with the South Bend School Corporation.

WHY: 55 grade school children (1st thru 4th grade) have been tested and are presently 6 to 18 months behind grade standards established by state and federal guidelines. 90% of African males and 70% of minorities presently do not graduate from high school with their classmates.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 27, 2009, 5:15 p.m.

WHERE: Monroe Circle Community Center, 526 W. Western Avenue, South Bend, IN 46601

WHO: Monroe Circle Community Center was established by Granger Community Church through its separate not-for-profit organization (“EnterMission, Inc.) to provide individuals and families living in the Monroe Circle area with opportunities to be transformed from a people existing in a low-income, subsidized housing neighborhood to a vibrant community that cares for and dignifies the elderly and disabled as well as edifies, equips and guides people to a point of self sufficiency.

Madison Primary School and the South Bend Community School Corporation will be providing certified teachers, non-certified support staff and curriculum that will better enable students to close their learning gap before it becomes insurmountable.

Additional volunteers will be provided by Granger Community Church, Bethel College as well as residents and parents from the community to provide not only a focused learning environment but one that has a low student to adult/teacher ratio.

Goal: To equip these students so that they move from the lower third of their class to 70% of these students will be testing on or above grade level by May 2010 and 85% achieving this level by January 2011.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Sabado Segundo!


Yesterday afternoon I was visiting with Amy Kring's sister (Emily) who works in Mexico as a missionary to Mexican college students. She was sharing that they were trying to build a deeper and greater community impact and were struggling on how best to accomplish it.

Amy was telling her sister about our 2nd Saturday events and they thought they would give it a try. So last Saturday while the food pantry, cafe and SonCity Kids was going on at MC3 we were also sending teams to the VET Center at the Center for the Homeless, boxing food boxes at Feed the Children, working at Manowe and reaching into the Elkhart community at Washington Gardens.

Simultaneously, 2000 miles away in Mexico City followers of Jesus were playing with children at an orphanage, bring joy to seniors confined to a hospital and telling woman that have resorted to prostitition as their only means of survival that they matter to God. Emily shared that everyone was excited (staff, students and guests) and there was such a "buzz in the air" that they were already planning next month's event. As she retold each event the stories of Jesus came alive again in my mind.

I think when the walls of the church come down and we move from simply telling people who Jesus is to showing them who He is something spiritual almost magical happens and a Kingdom party can't help but break out!

Sustantivo Jesus por Sabado Segundo!




Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Notre Dame Swimmers Get Out of the Pool to Make a Difference!

Saturday, October 10, 2009 - 9:15 AM

What do you do when you are a college student, given the weekend off by your coach, no home football game to attend and its the forecast for South Bend, Indiana is cold, overcast and a chance of rain? A) Sleep in B) Head out of town with your friends to Chicago C) Go home to visit parents D) Wake up early to go build into the lives of 50 inner city kids.

If you are 15 guys from the University of Notre Dame Men's Diving Team you drag yourselves out of your warm bed, head downtown to the Monroe Circle Community Center and go "all in" when asked to befriend 50 inner city grade school kids during SonCity Kids/2nd Saturday. When most volunteers show up for the first time they typically step back and observe. Not these 15 keys - they jumped right in. They played board games, they painted tier own and the kids' faces, they kicked a soccer ball around the Cove parking lot, they shared their donuts with the kids so that the kids would have a little bit extra, they walked the kids back home at the end of the day.

They made a difference in the lives of these kids. They gave them hope for a better tomorrow. they allowed the kids to dream what their lives might be like. These guys brought God's Kingdom from Up There to Down Here.

You could see it in the faces of the kids from Monroe Circle. They wanted to be just like these guys when they grow up. Truth be told - so do I!

Monday, October 12, 2009

Congratulations Greg!


Greg finishes the Ironman World Championships in 13:52.05!!!

Last Saturday morning Greg ran into the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean to fulfill his dream of competing in the Ironman World Championship race held in Kona, Hawaii. A little less than 14 hours later he crossed the finish line after swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and then running a full marathon.

He competed for the families of Monroe Circle and the Monroe Circle Community Center. He wore a jersey with the MC3 logo to help bring awareness to the community center and our common goal to provide families an opportunity to move to a place of self-sufficiency.

Greg and his wife Heather are headed back from Hawaii today. In the next few weeks he will be speaking at The Gathering (Tuesday night 6:30 PM) as well as to the SonCity Kids and the adults working on their GED program.

Congratulations Greg! You are an inspiration to all of us!!!