7.  Tell about a ministry that your worshipping community has initiated in the past five years.

Our church has a long history of stepping up to the plate, providing help within our community and society. But we all know that history is kinetic and ongoing—and that not everything good we can accomplish was all done way in the past.

The Augustine Project at St. Peters, founded by parishioners, trains volunteers to provide one-on-one tutoring in the areas of reading, spelling and writing to students who can’t afford a private tutor.   The founders were inspired by participation in the Charlotte Urban Ministry Center’s Servant Leadership Program to develop a program that could break the cycle of poverty and homelessness.

Recognizing that the ability to read is a fundamental requirement for self-sufficiency, they chose a program that could successfully teach those skills.

Volunteers are recruited from within the parish as well as from other area churches and civic groups.  They undergo a rigorous two-week training including four practicum lessons.  Trained tutors commit to a minimum of sixty tutoring sessions, usually conducted at the student’s school.

The Augustine approach is distinguished from other tutoring programs because it centers on research-based methodologies proven to get results.   Tutors receive on-going training and support through monthly meetings.  Presently, we have 47 tutors working with students in 21 schools.

The Augustine Project at St. Peters is a recognized replication program of the Augustine Project at Church of the Holy Family, Chapel Hill, NC.  For more information about the Augustine Project at St. Peters, visit the website or contact Candace Armstrong (704-523-3868) or Steve Bentley (704-562-3830).

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