Tomorrow August 2nd, and Thursday, August 3rd, are the first days of school for Gwinnett County. A few weeks ago, Nathan Smith, our Director of Community Engagement, and I met with Rodney Jordan, the new South Gwinnett High School (SGHS) principal. While waiting in the school lobby, we noticed some new things, such as fresh paint on the wall, new ceiling tiles and new light fixtures. Meeting with Mr. Jordan and hearing his initial thoughts about being new was a pleasure. He said, “It’s hard to articulate what’s new when drinking from a water hose of new information.” 

During our conversation, I discovered a couple of things that I have in common with the new principal: 

• He is a professional church attender, having grown up in the church since his father is a preacher. (My daddy wasn’t a preacher, but I’m a card-carrying member of the same club!)
• We’re both members of the same fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha Incorporated, so we’re frat brothers!

Knowing that we share some of the same history, it was easy to begin brainstorming about a new partnership between our church and the school. We’re committed to this new relationship while still determining what it will look like.

For me, our commitment is to Honor God by Doing Life Together for the Transformation of Snellville. This begins with partnering with principals and administrators in the seven South Gwinnett School System schools.

In our New Life sermon series, we’ve discovered over the past few months that we can’t get to New Life without going through the wilderness. And more importantly, you can’t plan your way out of the wilderness.

As we’re nearing the border of New Life as a congregation, we’re learning our way through it by practicing the four habits:

• Spending time with God in worship and prayer. 
• Spending time with others over a meal
• Sharing and Listening to stories of life.
• Using our gifts to serve a need in the community and congregation.

In August, we will finally get to the Promised Land of New Life! As we will learn, New Life has new challenges that differ from our wilderness experiences. The good news is that practicing the four habits during our wilderness experiences has prepared us for the “giants” of New Life that we will face. Like starting the first day of a new school year, which many of our students will do this week, we have all of the previous year's experiences to build upon.

I look forward to walking into New Life with you during our August series. I also look forward to continuing our partnerships with Britt Elementary School and practicing the fourth habit of using our gifts to serve a need through the Back-Pack Buddies and Snellville Middle School, who invites me over to practice the first habit of praying with and for the administration, teachers and students on technology days.

I also look forward to practicing the second and third habits for a new life with Mr. Jordan of SGHJS and the other principals of our South Gwinnett cluster schools.

Stay tuned to learn how you can join us in transforming Snellville through the South Gwinnett school cluster.

At the Intersection,

Dr. Quincy D. Brown

Senior Pastor