Ministries Making a Difference

Back to school — churches and ministries join forces to give students a strong start to the new school year.

It’s that time of year again. First day of school photos dominate social media feeds as proud parents pose their students on the porch with a sign marking the occasion. Notebooks are fresh, pencils are sharp, and hope is expectant.

But, of course, reality hits as everyone settles into a new routine. Attitude outbursts and emotional breakdowns erupt as mental exhaustion sets in. It requires patience, wisdom—and perhaps an overhaul of our screentime habits. Over time, everyone (hopefully) adjusts.

The truth is, quality education is hard work. The habit of attention, especially in our dopamine-fixed internet age, is a discipline. But investing in the next generation is worth all the “hard” involved—something that many ministries and churches recognize and are collaborating on.

A Lifeway Research study found that the majority of Protestant churches are involved in some way in their local schools. Many collect and distribute school supplies, others support teachers, and still others provide meals to students in under-resourced areas.

In today’s Ministries Making a Difference column, we recognize some of those ministries.

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New Horizons of Southwest Florida is celebrating a successful summer of pouring into under-resourced students in southwest Florida through its two primary summer camp programs. Its Super Kids Reading Camp focused on literacy and creativity for younger students, which included an art camp and fishing workshop. Its Super Teens Leadership Camp engaged older students in team building, mentorship, and community service projects, such as volunteering at a humane society and nonprofit cafe that feeds people in need. Students also received breakfast and lunch, new shoes, and school supplies. New Horizons of Southwest Florida has 3 stars and an A transparency grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a high donor confidence score of 95.

Mission Arlington in Texas hosted a dental clinic where volunteer dentists treated 37 teenagers in anticipation of the new school year. They also prepared packs of school supplies to be distributed to students in the Arlington Independent School System. Mission Arlington has 5 stars and an A transparency grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a donor confidence score of 92.

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Elim Christian Services in the Chicago area engaged in double duty this summer by giving “Hope Packs” to students while also providing meaningful work to adults with disabilities. Elim adults packed the Hope Packs with school supplies and food and handed them out to women and students in Roseland Christian Ministries shelters throughout the country. Elim Christian Services has 5 stars and a C transparency grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a high donor confidence score of 98.

Last week, the team at Hand2Hand met with church partners in preparation of the 2025-2026 school year, sending them home with backpacks that will soon be filled with nutritious food. The nonprofit focuses on fighting childhood hunger in West Michigan, where they say 65,000 children are at risk of hunger. This year, 146 churches will be working together to serve an estimated 15,000 students with weekend meals at 280 schools in 45 different school districts throughout West Michigan. Hand2Hand has 4 stars and a C transparency grade in the MinistryWatch

Katy Christian Ministries plans to help 500 students get a great start to the school year. Local churches throughout Katy, Texas, held backpack drives to collect school supplies for the ministry’s Red Apple School Supplies and Happy Feet program. Katy Christian Ministries has 5 stars and an A transparency grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a donor confidence score of 92.

Northwest University (NU) has named a new president ahead of the 2025-2026 school year. Jeremy Johnson will take the reins this week, starting August 18, 2025, in the wake of Joseph Castleberry’s retirement from the position. Johnson, an NU alum, has worked as senior pastor of North Point Church for 13 years, and in 2017 helped launch the Springfield Dream Center where he also worked as an executive leader. Northwest University in Washington state has 4 stars and an A transparency grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a donor confidence score of 95.