Education - 4/17/2025

MEET CHRIS!!

Please take a moment to read the testimony from Christopher Johnson-Mobley, one of our co-site coordinators for this summer’s Freedom School:

“I have always loved Freedom School. I was once a scholar myself at the Chicago and Springfield, IL sites. My time as a scholar was so much fun, and it helped me in terms of my growth and development when it comes to education as well. Freedom School is where I was able to learn about a lot of amazing historical figures that regular school didn’t teach me about.

Last year was my first time being a Servant Leader Intern. I got to see another side of Freedom School. Getting to build lifetime bonds with fellow SLIs, experiencing the beautiful excitement of national training, meeting the scholars and watching them grow throughout the summer---it was all amazing. One memory that will forever be with me was experiencing national training and being in a huge room full of people coming together for Harambee. Another one was seeing my scholars really go outside their comfort zones to grow not only their knowledge but also as people. The hard work of all the scholars came together at the finale, and that was a great experience.

Freedom School has really inspired me. Before Freedom School I was pursuing a dream of becoming a tv writer. After Freedom School I got even more motivation to keep going. Now I am getting closer and closer to finishing a children’s tv show that I wrote myself. Freedom School gave me the inspiration to start my own clothing brand. This is what Freedom School is: Encouraging not just the scholars but even those who are a little older to pursue something higher. Just like last summer, I know this summer will be great as well. I hope to see everyone thriving; the SLIs, scholars, site-coordinators, St. Luke’s staff etc. I hope to see growth from last year. I hope to see full dedication to the movement of Freedom School. I can’t wait for the summer and the journey that this year will take me on.”


4th Year of Freedom School at St. Luke’s

The Freedom School leadership team is thrilled to announce the launch of our 4th summer of Freedom School at St. Luke’s! Each summer has brought new knowledge, new energy, powerful connections, and lasting impact on our scholars and community — and this year promises to be no different. As we prepare to welcome scholars once again, we’re calling on our church community to join us in making this summer successful, joyful, and deeply meaningful. If you’d like to learn more about CDF Freedom School’s national impact, please click here.

We are actively seeking volunteers of all backgrounds, interests, and availability to help bring this program to life. Whether you have a passion for working with children or prefer to help behind the scenes, there's a place for everyone. No previous experience is necessary — just a willingness to serve. We invite you to one of our volunteer call-out meetings: Tuesday, April 22nd from 6:00–7:00 PM or Sunday, April 27th from 12:30–1:30 PM at St. Luke’s North campus. Come meet our leadership team, learn about the Freedom School Way, and discover how you can make a difference in the lives of our scholars and the community our church serves.

Click here to register for an interest session.

Submitted by Seema Mernitz


Luke’s Leaders Celebration

Sunday March 23 was Luke’s Leaders Sunday at St. Luke’s. It was an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the amazing students who have been engaged with the program all year long. Students and their families were invited to attend the 11:00 service and a celebratory luncheon afterwards – there were 128 attendees including students, family members, and mentors. It was a fantastic day full of joy and a wonderful way to end the 2024-25 programming year.

Here is what one parent had to say: “Thank you all so much! Great celebration for the kids. We really appreciate you all with the work we do in our children. Blessings to all and look forward to next registration. Feels wonderful to be a part of the community. Which is one of the reasons I fight hard to stay in the district. Looking forward to continued relationships for the youth and their families.”

As we look ahead to the 2025-26 school year, we are already planning for another great year of programming. We are always in need of adult mentors to volunteer at one of our five cohorts each week to assist with the program and the students. To volunteer or get more information, please contact Carl Potenza at (317) 989-3995 or cepotenza@att.net or Tom Lange at (317) 697-1177 or tom.c.lange@gmail.com.

You can also visit the webpage here.