Ending Well: Celebrating Church-School Connection
For the next few weeks, each Blueprint Schools blog will focus on the theme “Ending Well.” Not just finishing. Not just celebrating. But ending in a way that brings clarity to the work that has been done and highlighting the things that matter most in your ministry. Ryan Kirchoff kicked us off with our first article which was all about creating meaningful closure in our classrooms…and the powerful effect it can have on future learning. You can read it here.
Many faith-based school are supported and even subsidized by congregations. The end of the year is a powerful opportunity to strengthen the connection between school and church, students and members.
Why Is Closure Important?
In our work at Blueprint Schools, many faith-based schools share their challenges of building strong connection with their supporting congregations. The goal is to have a beautiful partnership: a body-of-Christ working together to serve and support students and their families. The goal is not simply enrollment at our schools or even membership in our churches. It’s helping our students and families grow in their relationships with Jesus.
When church and school work together well, everyone is blessed. Schools receive the support they need–not only financially, but also through volunteers, leadership, encouragement, and prayers. Churches are blessed with a ministry that raises up disciples, develops future leaders and supporters, and often connects new families to the congregation.
Strong partnership between church and school doesn’t happen by accident. Both the church and school team must work together intentionally to nurture this relationship over time. Blueprint Schools consultants are always looking for ways to help ministries build this connection, because it is often central to why faith-based schools exist in the first place.
Healthy connection grows when awareness, communication, understanding, and gratitude exist. The end of the year is the perfect opportunity to nurture all these areas.
Below are five practical ways to “end well” with your congregation or supporting churches. Whether you have time to complete one or all five, every step builds stronger connection across your ministry.
One: Say “Thank You” in Front of Your Families and Students
Sometimes we forget just how generous it is for a group of people to give consistently, year-after-year-after-year. The fact that so many of faith-based schools have been operating for decades is a true testament to the generosity of congregational members and the good, good grace of God. Take some time to say “thank you” to raise both awareness of and gratitude for your congregations with your families and students.
Put a blurb in the last newsletter of the school year, describing how your congregation supports your school (subsidizing education for every family, volunteering, financial aid, leadership through board members, etc) and thanking them in front of your families.
In the last chapel of the school year, repeat this summary in front of your students and families.
Two: Share Ministry Stories with Your Congregation & Boards
Many of your congregation members do not have a front seat to the ministry happening on your campus every day. After church on Sunday and in your next board of education/council meetings, share 2 or 3 ministry stories with your congregation and church leadership. Help your church and its people see the powerful impact the school is having with students and their families. Stories are one of the most powerful and effective ways of building connection.
Three: Have Students Write Thank You Notes
One of the goals of Christian education is to raise up future leaders for our churches. Many students and families are unaware of the leadership that goes on behind the scenes of ministry to move schools forward. In your classrooms, take an hour or so to teach your students about the way your congregation supports each of them with offerings, prayers, volunteerism, and the leadership of board members and council members. Then have each student write a thank you note to different areas of your church ministry, from the members who volunteer to serve lunch to your church council members. There are many ways to share these thank you cards, from posting them in the church entryway on a bulletin board, to taking pictures of them and sharing electronically, mailing them physically, or reading a few after church on Sunday…or perhaps by completing this fourth way to “end well…”
Four: Recognize Church Volunteers in End of Year Chapel Services
Put names and faces to positions and people! Invite all the members of your congregation to your final chapel service of the year. After chapel, call up to the front the members, volunteers, and board members in attendance. Recognize them with a big round of applause and maybe some of those student-written thank you cards.
Five: Create a Video
If you want to bring all of these ideas together into one big expression of gratitude and connection, consider making an end-of-the year video that brings all of these opportunities together: raise awareness of what your congregation does to support your school, share stories of impact happening in the school, celebrate the “wins” of the year, and then thank your congregation. Get students involved in making the video, sharing their own stories or just shouting a simple “thank you!” to the camera. Distribute this video to your school families and church members, watch it at the next round of board meetings, show it after church on Sunday, and then post to your ministry’s social media pages.
When schools and congregations end the year together—with gratitude, awareness, and shared purpose—they don’t just finish a school year well. They strengthen ministry for the future!
An Ending-Well Challenge
Before you walk out for the summer:
Discuss these five opportunities to strengthen connection with your congregation and supporting churches.
Choose one and put it into action–even if imperfectly–before the end of the school year.
If it just isn’t possible this year, add one of these ideas to next year’s calendar now while it’s fresh on your mind!
Thinking about how you want to do things differently next year? Schedule a consultation with our team!
