"AMIGOS" Program is Launched

“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them.’” (Matthew 19:14)

When I was interviewing for the position of Pastor at the First Presbyterian Church Santa Ana, one of the things that attracted me was the Heninger tutoring program. I loved that members of this congregation were involved in reaching out to the children of the community. The members were encouraging these young ones, giving them tools to succeed, and serving as mentors.

Unfortunately, the partnership with the school lapsed. But the need remains great in our community. Children often have little supervision in the afternoons. Many parents struggle with English and find they are unable to assist their children with homework.

Pastor Danny and I have been aware of this need for many years. Now we have an opportunity to meet this need in the community once again. Through a partnership with Tustin Presbyterian Church (TPC), our Director of Children’s Ministry, Jessica Otto, has begun the AMIGOS program on Tuesday afternoons from 2:15 to 4:15.

Amigos is an after school program that offers help with homework and a safe place for children to play. Snacks are provided, as well as school supplies: pencils, pens, paper, reference books. Each student has a study area and a tutor available to them. When children have completed their homework, learning games are available.

About 25 young people have already checked out Amigos. Each week we are averaging between ten and fifteen children. Currently, Jessica is assisted by Pastor Danny and four volunteers from TPC. Volunteers help with snack and/or homework.

We would love to see this program expand to two days, three days, perhaps even four days a week. We would also like to see the hours extended. And there are possibilities of including other offerings such as art, music, sports, dance. But to reach these goals, we would need to see a strong interest by the young people as well as an increase in the number of volunteers.

And, of course, that’s where you come in. Many of you have spoken to me about the possibility of being involved in a tutoring program. Well, here it is, right in your own church. If you are interested in investing in the lives of these precious young people, please call Jessica at the church or email her: Jessica@fpcsa.org. We can use all the tutors we can get and we would love to have a snack coordinator.

The great thing about working with kids is that, while you are doing so much for them, you walk away from the experience realizing how much you have received. May we echo the words of Jesus, “Let the little children come . . .” Give Amigos a shot. See how God might bless you as you bless others.

In His Love & Service,

Lance