A Building Block to Transforming a Community
Our vision for the children in the Bay Area is that all are given the opportunity to develop a biblical foundation for their moral and spiritual development in a Kids Club and to be mentored in their faith through middle school. Jesus said, “Let the little children come unto me.”
When Kids Club started at Anderson Elementary School, it was the lowest performing school of the 239 elementary schools in Santa Clara County. It is located in a low income community having 73% Hispanic students with 50% English learners. That was three strikes against this school ever being able to meet state and federal mandated performance levels. "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).
Raising a new generation of students who passionately follow Christ
Compassion Bridges 400 N. Winchester Blvd. Santa Clara, CA 95050 Ph. 408.261.0600 Fax 408.261.0613
Copyright ©2009 Compassion Bridges. All Rights Reserved.
There is no limit to what can be accomplished if we don't care who gets "the credit!"
R. Reagan
R. Reagan
After the start of Kids Club the state API scores for this school went up 35 points the second year, followed by an additional 36 points the next year and a whopping 136 points the next year. Very few Public Schools in California’s history have had such a dramatic increase in API scores in such a short time span! Anderson now exceeds state and federal mandated performance levels, and educators attribute their success in part to the impact of Kids Clubs on the students.
“Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).
“Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).
East Palo Alto (EPA) is an under-resourced community in San Mateo County in which a large number of students do not graduate from high school. When we realized that Anderson Elementary was an EPA type of school, our hearts went out to the children in East Palo Alto. We asked God to help us start Kids Clubs in this community.
We began the slow process of building relationships with school administrators and the “Community of Faith” in EPA. We learned about their needs and discovered ways that we could partner with existing ministries to establish life-changing Kids Clubs. By October of 2008, we were given permission to start an after school Kids Club at Brentwood Academy under the leadership of Abundant Live Christian Fellowship.
Compassion Bridges is currently working with CityServe, an association of 60+ churches in the Fremont Tri-City Area. This urban area is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse in the Bay Area. There are 50,000 students in the 4-14 Window in the Fremont Tri-City schools.
Compassion Bridges partnering with Harbor Light Church started the first Kids Club in Fremont at Hirsch Elementary during the 2008/2009 school year. This last year CB partnered with Young Life to start a WyldLife Club at Horner Junior High. Four youth from Horner were already helping in the Kids Club at Hirsch Elementary. The new club will provide a spiritual bridge for kids graduating from the Hirsch Kids Club.
This summer CB implemented a SAM CAMP (Science, Art & Math) for a week in EPA utilizing Menlo Park Presbyterian Church high school students as mentors for the kids. It was a big success!
Compassion Bridges is entering a new paradigm in the Lord’s mission on public school campuses. Imagine a city where the Christian faith community partners with public schools to raise a new generation of young people with moral and spiritual values based upon God’s Word. We believe that this new ministry thrust can really happen in under-resourced communities, but not without your help. Compassion Bridges needs prayer, local missionaries and funding to make it happen!
Compassion Bridges is entering a new paradigm in the Lord’s mission on public school campuses. Imagine a city where the Christian faith community partners with public schools to raise a new generation of young people with moral and spiritual values based upon God’s Word. We believe that this new ministry thrust can really happen in under-resourced communities, but not without your help. Compassion Bridges needs prayer, local missionaries and funding to make it happen!
A public school ministry model in this community would focus on one of the five School Areas. Each School Area consists of one high school, one junior high, and 4 or 6 elementary schools. The Irvington School Area is where CB has established clubs on Horner Junior High and Hirsch Elementary School.
It is a good thing when you can empower one church to partner with a local elementary school in doing a Kids Club. Imagine mobilizing many churches within a city to adopt the whole school system for the Lord. A unified church is a powerful force in the hands of a Holy God able to raise a new generation of Christ followers in the public schools of their city.
It is a good thing when you can empower one church to partner with a local elementary school in doing a Kids Club. Imagine mobilizing many churches within a city to adopt the whole school system for the Lord. A unified church is a powerful force in the hands of a Holy God able to raise a new generation of Christ followers in the public schools of their city.
Transforming a Community using Public School Ministry
An Under-Resourced Community Model - East Palo Alto
A Multicultural Model - Fremont Tri-City