HOW THE WHOLE CHURCH IS LOVING GREATER AUSTIN
People hear the Gospel in many ways and often over time. It always requires hearing the explicit words. But often, hearing the “music” of the Gospel makes the impact greater.
For thousands of years the local church has been busy loving and serving those around her—caring for orphans and widows, the hungry, the sick, the alien and the poor. We celebrate and encourage those ongoing efforts in all their unique expressions.
In Austin, we wanted to find one area no one else was addressing that would require the whole church to be involved—one thing to join together in doing as another sign of unity in the Gospel.
Our One Thing — Education Connection
We found a need—childhood illiteracy. According to research by education leaders in Central Texas, children who fail to attain a level of literacy by third grade do not have a promising academic or economic future.
We launched Education Connection in 2009. Today, we've partnered with over 90 churches, recruited more than 1200 volunteers, and read to 2,500+ children.
Our model is simple: Pair a local elementary school with local churches who will begin providing the volunteers to serve students through reading.
To register or learn about how to become a literacy partner click the button below which will take you to our dedicated Education Connection website.
WHAT DOES IT COST?
Most of our funding is given by a small group of generous donors and corporations as well as some church contributions. Our model has succeeded in a ratio of $100 per child/per year—an astonishing $10 per month when calculated over the school calendar.
However, to scale and expand we need your help. To reach the next 1,000 children will require additional investment. Please consider giving to this Gospel-anchored effort to love Greater Austin and reach the next generation through reading.