TWO ATLANTA CHURCHES, ONE RESOURCE CENTER PLEDGE TO 'LEAVE NO CHILD BEHIND.

International Christian Fellowship,St. Mark AME and The Atlanta Black Agenda Business Resource Center take the lead in serving the community with more than tutoring...self-sufficiency.

While most parents in DeKalb and Fulton County try to figure the risk of leaving their child in schools identified as less than adequate, most families also have a difficult time taking advantage of the free tutoring offered through the "No Child Left Behind Act due to distance, transportation challenges, available times, lack of sufficient notice from area schools to enroll in programs.
In an earlier interview with the DeKalb superintendent, Johnny Brown, he mentions the churches should get involved in the tutoring of area children and that's just what International Christian Fellowship, St. Mark AME and The Atlanta Black Agenda Business Resource Center (BRC) are doing. These churches in partnership with the BRC will open their doors later this month for Saturday School, located at the St. Mark campus. Many local teachers and church bus drives have pledged hours towards this project to ensure its success. Bus transportation will be available with enrollment through their churches. This innovative holistic program designed to meet the needs of failing students requiring tutoring to master statewide mandates. The resource center will serve the community through faith-based news, referrals parent seminars in finance, entrepreneur training, computers, job search, and food bank ministries.
The pastors of ICF and St. Mark AME both have significant ties to educational backgrounds locally and in Monrovia Liberia. Dr. William Harris, pastor of ICF knows the challenges of transitioning from the school system in Liberia to America. Most of his congregation is Liberian, and while English in the primary language, there is a slight difference in the enunciation and or definition of phrases, which can pose a problem for children who may be hesitant to ask questions amongst their new peers.
Dr. Rhone, pastor of St. Mark AME is reassured the Saturday School project along with the resource center is confirmation for an empty school house, (located on the St. Mark AME site) waiting to serve its community. Pastor Rhone spoke compassionately about the plight of women in local shelters during the day, when they cannot stay in the shelters, they often wonder throughout the city until the evening when the can enter a shelter again. Dr. Rhone feels the church is the answer to the plight of our community, and we must do more than operate a food bank, hand out a few blankets, MARTA cards. We. As Christians, must be fishers of men, teaching self-sufficiency.

To find out more about Saturday School, or to get on the mailing list, contact Ms. Edith Bawn at 404-346-0808, or email at ecbawn@aol.com