Almost exactly 10 years ago, the Carrollton Avenue Church began a tutoring program for children in its New Orleans neighborhood. The congregation felt that if God had placed our building here, then our hearts should be further rooted here as well. The tutoring program was in many ways only a new way of doing something Carrollton has a long tradition of – loving and encouraging all who come through its doors. The tutoring program was simply a way to bring more people through those doors.

Ten years later God has brought dozens of children and their families through those doors and along with them hundreds of blessings. Each year I am surprised that the children who shyly (though never for long!) show up for that first day of tutoring in September have already become such valuable parts of our “family” by December.

The past few months have seen our transition from Kid City to Mid-City Ministries, an independent non-profit. In many ways this is simply a name change. We continue to partner with the Carrollton Avenue congregation. We meet in the same building—new and improved since 2005 due to some levee- breaks and the astounding generosity of volunteers and other supporters across the nation—and are running the same programs, with the same staff (that’s lucky me!). Our new status, however, allows us the opportunity to seek new sources of funding. This will ease Carrollton’s financial burdens, allowing it to better focus on its mission in our neighborhood while giving us new opportunities to expand our programs and better serve our children and their families.

I feel continually privileged to be a part of Mid-City Ministries-- to see our children growing academically, spiritually and emotionally and to see the love our volunteers show for our children through the sacrifice of time and other resources. While I am new to the world of blogging, and quite honestly, a little leery of it, I hope that this can be a medium to share the excitement, frustrations, and joy of seeing God work in Mid-City New Orleans.