Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. – Hebrews 10: 23-25

Most Wednesday evenings over the past summer we came together for “Stir” during which we would eat and hang out together, play games and bonding activities, sing fun songs and worship songs and listen to a message. We wanted our kids and adults to have an opportunity to get together in an environment that would build community and draw us together spiritually.

How did you get involved with The Children’s Home?
Darrin, Cody Graham, Ross and I have known each other a long time. They knew Ross’s and my heart for kids and invited us to help out with Stir, the Wednesday evening service they had at The Children’s Home this summer. We knew it was a great group of people, worth investing our time and presence in, and we said yes.

What did you expect from the experience?
We thought it would be fun to see the kids, to get to know them, and we wanted to see the gospel presented to them. Plus Ross likes playing guitar. The first night we were there, the kids were asking, “Do you work here now?” “No.” “So why are you here?” “Because I love you.” It was a chance to invest in kids’ lives…. to just live life with them. It was fun. So. Much. Fun. I miss it already.

How were you involved?
On the Wednesday nights that we had Stir, all of the kids would come over to the auditorium to eat dinner together beforehand. Ross would go in and get everything set up, and I would bounce around the dinner tables and get caught up with the kids. Then, when the service started, Ross played the guitar and sang for worship and I did games and hung out with the kids and made them feel loved.

I heard a story about a cupcake… tell me about it.
One of the girls had a birthday coming up, and we were talking about it. I asked her if there was anything she could have for her birthday, what would it be. She said, “A cupcake.” I thought, “How simple!” So on her birthday, I ran by one of the cupcake places, got her a cupcake and took it to her at her house. It’s pretty easy to make a kid feel good with a cupcake.

Stir has been incredibly impactful on campus, creating an unparalleled sense of family. This mindset has been reflected beautifully in the supportive relationships that have developed among Family Teaching staff who have begun bringing each other cokes, mowing each others’ lawns, running errands and even baking for one another. What beautiful examples they are!