As a part of our vision to reach the least-reached people groups with the gospel of Jesus Christ in the DMV region, our church has identified Bailey’s Crossroads as a community full of people from the “ends of the Earth.” Daniel and Grace, our current Cross-Cultural Outreach Residents, have started a program called Study & Shine to provide academic support for kids in Bailey’s Crossroads as a way to meet a practical need while building relationships in an effort to make Christ known. During the school year, Study & Shine meets two times a week to help students with their homework and provide a safe, loving space. Daniel and Grace are looking for volunteers to help in the 2026-2027 school year, so please contact them via email if you’re interested! There will be a training on August 9th for those who wish to join.
During the summer, Study & Shine happens informally at the park near their apartment on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings from 7-8pm. So far, an average of 20+ kids have participated! This is very exciting, but it does mean Daniel and Grace need a lot of help. If you’d like to join in, please fill out the form below! They also host a prayer walk on Saturday mornings at 10am and would love to see you there!
Update from 7/23: In the last week we have had lots of kids despite the heat! Thursdays continue to be our most popular day (of course, it’s the day we bring soccer goals), but we have become a regular, expected part of the week for many families. It’s encouraging to see many familiar faces return day after day, including friends who have volunteered! In particular, we’ve met a boy named Mohammed who is going into 9th grade. He was suspicious of us at first, but after offering him a book that he really enjoyed, he has warmed up to us quite a bit. It’s exciting to see relationships like this one growing, and it makes us hopeful for the fall.