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For the past year Allyson Wisdom has worked with the ministries at Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. Carla Wynn Davis Photo
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – One Wednesday afternoon, a high school student asked Allyson Wisdom to pray for her – that is if it wasn’t too much trouble.
"I’ve seen kids who don’t think they’re worth me praying about," Wisdom said. "There’s just so much of a craving for love and to feel like someone cares for them."
Each week during the school year approximately 50 high school students find a loving and supportive community at Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., which has hosted the Horizons Club after school program for more than 50 years. Since August 2006, Wisdom, from Roswell, Ga., has led and planned Horizons Club’s activities as an intern with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s student missions program called Student.Go.
The Horizon Club students participate Monday through Thursday in activities such as guitar lessons, rapping in the recording studio, watching movies, hanging out with friends and eating dinner together. Wisdom said this "family of students" has built bonds of love and trust as they have experienced life together. The difficult moments have brought them together and allowed Wisdom to show the students how much she and other church members really care.
"Simple hugs have instantly changed moods," she said. "Encouraging words have changed attitudes. Dropping everything to pick up students from a dangerous situation shows how much we really care."
"I feel loved at Horizons because they know when I’m not okay and care enough to try and help me out," said Adryen, one of the students.
When Wisdom graduated from the University of Georgia with an education degree, she knew she didn’t want to start teaching immediately. The two-year missions experience with the Fellowship’s Student.Go program has allowed her to provide a consistent presence for students, teaching them about mutual respect and persistance.
"One thing that I learned at Horizons is not giving up, cause no matter what, they always put up with us and that’s showing to us that they don’t give up on us," said David, a Horizons student.
To learn more about Student.Go and other opportunities of service through CBF Global Missions, go to www.thefellowship.info/involved/serve/student.icm.
CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.
Photo Information: For the past year Allyson Wisdom has worked with the ministries at Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. Carla Wynn Davis Photo