The Heartfelt Mission of Our Weekday School Teachers
by Rebekah Edmonds, Weekday School Assistant Director
Who are we?
We are the staff of the Smoke Rise Baptist Weekday School (SRBWS). Our longest tenured teacher is Lisa Mixon, who has been on staff for over 30 years. Our newest staff member, JoShaun Ford, started in November 2024. We come from Belize, Ethiopia and all over the United States. We are between the ages of 18 and 70(ish). Between us we claim 32 children as our own and eight of us have children that attended or currently attend SRBWS. We represent five different congregations in Metro Atlanta and five of us are members at Smoke Rise.
Why do we choose to work at SRBWS?
The staff was asked to respond to this question, because we all know that it is not the paycheck. No one on our staff even makes $20 per hour, much less than a living wage here in Atlanta. Here are the varied answers they gave…
It’s our extended family. It’s a community. It’s my calling. It’s a blessing and an honor. Children are God’s gift. The daily hugs, laughter and smiles keep me coming back day after day. Walking alongside a child as they learn to be a good friend, learn their letters and numbers and learn about the love of Jesus is a privilege and a gift from the Lord. Being able to witness the growth in each of our students fills my heart with joy. Everyone needs a little more love, a little more fun, a little more attention, and a little more warmth in a world that doesn’t always treat us kindly…coming to SRBWS gives me the chance to share these gifts with the children, their families and my co-workers. The atmosphere of love, appreciation and kindness is my “why.” The acceptance and diversity here make it a wonderful place to come each day. To work with such an amazing group of genuinely caring, loving, supportive and spiritually grounded women makes it so easy to come to work. Helping each child thrive independently, grow in confidence and find their voice is my “why.” I adore being the teacher to sibling after sibling and being that comfort to families who might be bringing their child for the first time.
We are supported, loved and appreciated by the church and its members. Some days are hard, but we can’t help but to keep coming back. No, we won’t be millionaires with this work, but we get something much more precious: love.
Colossians 3:17
“Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
