Insights

Be|Undivided’s 5 Core Principles Part 6—Community

A great leader once said, "There go my people. I must catch them for I am their leader."

As leader of the SouthLake Church-Roosevelt High School partnership in Portland, Oregon, I must say that I have often felt exactly like that. From the beginning, I have felt I am the one following God...

BeUndivided’s 5 Core Principles Part 5—Commitment

"Today, what the people of SouthLake Church are giving the students of Roosevelt High School is HOPE. And what our students need, more than any other thing, is hope!"

These heart-felt words were spoken by the Principal of RHS to local media at SouthLake Church’s initial "Day of Service"...

BeUndivided’s 5 Core Principles Part 4—Humility

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “My rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!”  Mark 10:51 (NLT)

We call it the Jesus Question—“What do you want me to do for you?” We believe that this question is all that churches need to be able to serve schools for...

BeUndivided’s 5 Core Principles Part 3—Excellence

Churches have a reputation to overcome.

In 2008, when Pastor Kip Jacob of SouthLake Church agreed to send his congregation to Roosevelt High School to volunteer painting, landscaping, and cleaning, it was the maintenance and facilities staff at the school that was most reluctant to...

Be|Undivided’s 5 Core Principles Part 2—No Agenda

In releasing our documentary film "UnDivided", a line from the film that seems to resonate most with audiences is: "The best way to convince someone that you don't have an agenda ... is to not have an agenda!"

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Be|Undivided’s 5 Core Principles Part 1—Introduction

Churches are serving public schools all over our country. Many have been serving effectively much longer than the 6 years SouthLake Church has been serving Roosevelt High School in Portland Oregon. Clearly, the Be|Undivided movement was not created to...

Why Schools?

"PUBLIC EDUCATION ... IT ISN'T FREE ANYMORE." The words scrolled dramatically across the large screen lowered in the front of the darkened elementary school multipurpose room. It was Back to School night 2010—our first ever in our kids'...

More Than Just An Oval

The afternoon had been scorching hot but by evening a breeze rose up from the west and it had cooled to create a perfect Portland night.  For many of us, it would have been perfect even if it had been a sleet storm. Because on this June night, we were...

The Be|Undivided Story: Rooted in Church-School Partnership

What would it look like if 300,000 churches in our nation were serving all 100,000 of our public schools? Could that possibly change the educational outcomes of millions of the nation’s children? Could that break down walls that...