As adult unemployment continues to rise, and the rate of sexually transmitted diseases among teens does, too, Pastor Freddy J. Clark says the church must do something. Now.
“There is a 30,000-pound elephant in the living room and we have to acknowledge it is there,” said Clark, pastor of Shalom Church (City of Peace) in Florissant.
Clark has restructured Bible Study at Shalom to address unemployment, teen sex and much more. Each Wednesday, about 800 churchgoers and guests fill classrooms at the church, where professionals lead Biblically-based classes about increasing faith, finding jobs, writing resumes, becoming a better parent, navigating the legal system, avoiding sexually transmitted diseases and handling health issues.
Motivated by God, Clark started the classes early this year at the 8,000-member church.
“God led me to marry the practical and the theological and we gave birth to Wisdom Wednesdays,” he said. The class topics were determined after a brainstorming session on issues that “gnaw at us every day,” he said. “They gave me fuel because they shared where they hurt.”
Participants can attend a variety of classes throughout the 10-week period. They can attend different classes each week if they like. Every 10 weeks, the subjects change.
“It’s been very informative and educational,” said Damon Norfolk, who is participating in the “Christian Career Coaching for the Millennium” class. His goal is to successfully climb the corporate ladder.
In his class, Norfolk has learned how to strengthen his resume and improve his interviewing techniques. Human Resources representatives from Edward Jones and Express Scripts spoke to the class last week about resume writing, interviewing and job expectations. Norfolk is currently employed and received another position at State Farm Bank after attending the class.
Eighty percent of the classes are taught by church members who are trained or have expertise in particular fields. “We’ve been blessed in our church to have every profession right under this roof,” Pastor Clark said, adding that outside experts in legal and health matters also teach some of the classes. All the teachers and presenters are volunteers.
Sarah Dumas-McKeever, who is one of the teachers, said teaching a class is an opportunity for her to help others. She herself was laid off twice in six months, yet never lost faith during her job search. She recently became a project manager for Express Scripts, handling 25 percent of the company’s business.
“Even through my obstacles and challenges, I had faith,” Dumas-McKeever said. In her class, she encourages attendees that with faith, nothing is impossible – even finding a job during a recession. “To be laid off and still be able to maintain our household and lose nothing is called ‘favor.’”
Each class requires a lot of preparation, planning and research, she said. But she welcomes it. “When God grants favor, there is a responsibility to give back,” she said.
‘How to live today’
Alma Scarborough, a tax consultant, co-taught “Money Matters and Taxes” earlier this year. About 80 people attended the class. The information she provided was Biblically based, she said.
“The Bible is a contemporary book. It doesn’t teach you how to live yesterday, it teaches you how to live today,” she said. “There isn’t anything or any problem not addressed in Scripture.”
Wisdom Wednesdays is an example of “cultural relevance,” which means “allowing an understanding of Christ to born out of a practical understanding of our every-dayness,” said Clark.
On Wednesdays, Clark visits several of the classes and listens to the teaching that occurs.
Briona Morris, age 15, said she has learned a lot in the “HIV/AIDS (Teen Health Education)” class.
About 150 youth attend the class, said Monique Norfolk, the wife of Damon Norfolk, who teaches the class along with three others.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), half of all teens are sexually active, with one in four female teens in America infected with a sexually transmitted disease in 2008. Additionally, teens in St. Louis are even more at risk with the city rated as No. 1 in gonorrhoea, No. 1 in Chlamydia, No. 5 in syphilis, and No. 5 in HIV.
“They talk about things that kids don’t get to learn in other settings,” Briona said. “I thought it was going to be like the class at school, but it wasn’t. In this class there is no censoring, they talk about everything that has to do with AIDS and prevention.”
Briona’s parents, Arthur C. Charleston III and Delanda Charleston, are members of Shalom. They welcome the information their daughter obtains at the class. Both participate in the parenting class, titled, “Effective Parenting,” and their younger daughter Honor Pearson, age 7, attends classes designed for her age group.
“He’s not afraid to address 21st century issues,” Arthur Charleston III said of Clark. “He uses the Bible to show there are ways to address these issues.”
The family also has learned a lot in the parenting class. “It’s a wonderful class. It gives us the basic Christian steps to being a great parent,” Delanda Charleston said.
“If there was ever a parenting book, the Bible is it,” Arthur Charleston III said.
Traci Tyus, a member of Shalom, is part of the Next Step Ambassadors program at the church, whose mission is simply to encourage others to participate in Wisdom Wednesdays.
“Our primary goal is to invite friends and family to come out on Wednesdays,” she said.
“It will change your life because we are blessed with a pastor who wants to nourish not only spiritually. But he wants to nourish the mind, body and soul.”
“Wisdom Wednesdays: Becoming a Better You,” which are free and open to everyone, are held from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Shalom, located at 5491 N. U.S. Highway 67. A sermon follows at 8 p.m. Childcare is available.
