This week, we turned the spotlight toward the heart of our community — the educators shaping the next generation.

From navigating the emotional weight of students’ home lives to finding creative ways to meet needs beyond academics, these teachers remind us that education is as much about love and presence as it is about learning.

They spoke about the importance of the church walking beside schools — praying, volunteering, and showing up in small, generous ways that make a lasting difference. Whether it’s writing notes of encouragement or helping at literacy nights, generosity is more than giving — it’s living out faith in action.

When the church partners with schools, “it takes what happens within the little ‘c’ church and turns it into a movement of the big ‘C’ Church — one that impacts the Kingdom of God.”

Because paying it forward means investing not just in education, but in the future of every student.