God has provided in an incredible way, and we want to shout it from the rooftops!
In our calling to multiply, we at STEP have been praying and searching for where God wants us to launch the third mentoring center location for our neighborhood Gospel-focused mentoring efforts. There are SO many neighborhoods in Little Rock and North Little Rock of great poverty and need. For more than a year, we’ve explored various options and the journey has had twists and turns (possibly revealing further future locations). It’s been a journey of faith and PATIENCE for us.
Ultimately, it became clear from our investigation of the neighborhood needs, facility, and spirit of the church leadership, that the basketball gym of Calvary Baptist Church NLR in the low-income Rose City neighborhood would be perfect for STEP’s outreaches (see attached map).
Why Rose City?
– Acute poverty: The per capita income of residents there is lower than that found in 98.3% of the neighborhoods in America.
– Acute situation of children in poverty: There is a greater percentage of children living in poverty (61.2%) there than found in 97.2% of all U.S. neighborhoods
– Education struggles: Schools educating the children in this neighborhood are ranked in the bottom 15% of all schools in the nation.
– High violent and property crime rates due to poverty, education woes, etc.
– Demand by children/families for STEP mentoring: Upon just one afternoon of canvassing families in this neighborhood, many elementary aged children and their parents expressed the desire to enter the STEP mentoring program. Large number of children within walking distance to the gym – almost 30% of the residents in this neighborhood are children.
– Few community resources: Despite the poverty level in this neighborhood, there are few established, successful outreaches to children in this area.
* Statistics provided by 2026 NeighborhoodScout report
However, the price tag for purchasing and renovating the gym to be ready for our evening mentor programming became very high for our current level of resources, so it gave us great pause.
BUT, GOD.
In an instant, one phone call from a donor last week changed everything. Through this donor who has journeyed with us in the process, GOD IS PROVIDING for the TOTAL cost of purchasing and preparing this Rose City gym for the Gospel-focused mentoring outreach to the neighborhood children!! This anonymous donor doesn’t want a name attached to this gift, but wants GOD to get all the glory for this incredible provision to multiply STEP!
In moments after that conversation, this song came to mind, “He’s worthy of it all! He’s worthy of it all! For from Him are all things, and to Him are all things! He deserves the glory!” I was truly in joyful shock and awe at my Heavenly Father!
What’s next?
STEP Rose City elementary-aged mentoring club will launch an introductory 5-week spring session on Tuesdays from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. starting in a little over a month, Lord willing! Mentor training will be Tuesday, March 31st, and the mentor club will be held April 14th – May 12th in the fellowship hall of Calvary Baptist NLR while gym renovations are being made. There’s already a waiting list of children interested!
So, we are in desperate need of evening mentors who will come just 1 1/2 hours each week (with hopes of continuing with their mentee starting back in September) to simply “pray up and show up” to love a child. The mentoring club sessions will be led by Rose City Mentor Coordinators Brandon Copeland and Natalie Benjamin.
Also, as we make this gym building our very own, we’ll need volunteers and small groups to help clean, paint, and prepare the building for STEP!
Here are our prayer needs in this moment:
– Praise God for His provision
– The transfer and renovation of the gym building
– Favor with the families of Rose City
– Christian mentors to step forward to invest in a waiting child
– Strength and grace for the the STEP Rose City mentor program coordinators, Brandon and Natalie
If you would like to join us in the Rose City outreach in any way, through prayer, mentoring, as an on-site project volunteer, etc, please let us know!
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