First Baptist Church of Oklahoma City

Kid's Hope USA at Eugene Field	Giving Kid's Hope
	"There are children in our own neighborhood who may never have heard that Jesus-or anyone outside their family-loves them. We will be the Jesus-song in their lives." With those words, Marie Davis introduced the twelve members of First Baptist Church of Oklahoma City (FBCOKC) who volunteered to participate in Kid's Hope (www.kidshopeusa.org), a mentoring program for at-risk first grade students at Eugene Field Elementary School. Davis, a church member who serves as mentor director, coordinated a commissioning ceremony for the volunteers last fall. Eugene Field Elementary was selected by the congregation both for its proximity to the church and for its level of need. One hundred percent of the students there qualify for the free lunch program. Many live in unstable environments and are considered at-risk for various reasons. Kid's Hope, a national mentoring program, provided training for the mentors and worked with officials at the school to implement the relationship. Since 1995, Kid's Hope has helped 271 churches in 26 states establish mentoring relationships with more than 4,500 at-risk children. Churches of all sizes and more than 25 denominations comprise its mentoring base. First Baptist's program is the only one operating in Oklahoma City. Another is underway in Tulsa. "Kid's Hope invests in these children at a critical time in their development," said Dr. Tom Ogburn, senior pastor at FBCOKC. "These adults have chosen to share their hearts, lives and time with these children. This is purely an act of love, because there is no direct benefit to our church. It just speaks of who we are and how we care for our community." According to Davis, early intervention is necessary to have lasting effects on children. "They have emotional, social and academic needs, and Kid's Hope mentoring helps fill those in a way that other methods can't," Davis said. Participating children have shown marked improvement in their academic and social lives, according to Eugene Field first-grade teacher, Laurena Johnson. "They feel so special to have someone other than a teacher or family who wants to spend time with them." Johnson cited specific improvements in two of her students who have mentor partners. One has overcome speech pattern problems and another, who was shy and withdrawn, has become more sociable and interactive with his classmates. "Their self-confidence soars, and their behavior improves," Johnson said. "Many of them have never had anyone like that in their lives. In a lot of cases, it's also a cross-cultural eye-opener." Mentor Billie Beal's student had trouble connecting in the classroom, often "spacing out" and failing to pay attention. But during his mentoring hour, he stays on task. "I'm not a teacher. I'm just there for him," Beal said. "It's so great to see his little face light up when I get to the school. He trusts me to be there for him, and I am. I hope that I can show him that there are adults who care about him and want him to succeed." In addition to committing to work one-on-one with a student, each mentor is paired with a prayer partner who prays regularly for the mentoring partnership between adult and child. " Prayer partners are an essential part of the success of this program," said Ogburn. "It's been proven time and time again across the country, and we're seeing it ourselves in our church." "Children are changed by this mission," said FBCOKC mentor director, Marie Davis. "But our church is also being changed as a result." The church recently hosted a skating party for the children and their families so mentors could meet the parents and siblings of their partner students. "I hope I can follow my student for years," said Beal. "At first I thought this wouldn't do much for him. But what I've learned is that it has become a really positive thing for me." Kid's Hope USA website