There is a phrase that has guided Emmanuel Lutheran Church’s ministry since long before many of us could articulate it: we live out God’s love in High Point. On Sunday, that phrase took on a new and tangible shape as we welcomed Albert Lambert, Construction Skills Manager for Communities in Schools of High Point, and celebrated the expansion of one of our most meaningful community partnerships.
Albert addressed our congregation during worship, and his words resonated with everything Emmanuel holds dear. “This program is not just about building structures,” he told us, “but it’s about building character.” In that single sentence, he captured something we already know to be true — that the most important work we do in this building goes far beyond its walls.
A Partnership Deepens
Emmanuel’s relationship with Communities in Schools of High Point (CIS) stretches back years, from the School Resource Room we share on our campus to our ongoing support of the students, families, and staff they serve throughout High Point. Now, that partnership is growing in an exciting new direction.
Beginning this year, Emmanuel is welcoming CIS’s Construction Skills program into our building. The program — designed for students ages 13 to 18 — will use our space twice a month for what Albert described as a safe, structured environment for classroom instruction, mentor sessions, leadership development, and project planning. CIS has also rented a room in our building for program storage and planning, making Emmanuel a true home base for this vital work.
What Happens Here Matters
After worship, a group of curious and enthusiastic Emmanuel members followed Albert and Courtney Lowe, CIS’s Executive Director, into the newly dedicated space for a blessing and commissioning. Together, we gathered and prayed:
“Bless this space that has been set apart for the Construction Skills program. Here, young people will not only learn to build with their hands, but will discover in themselves gifts they did not know they had.”
What followed was something that felt very much like Emmanuel at its best: members lingering, asking questions, learning, and connecting. People wanted to know how the program works, who the students are, what skills they’ll develop, and how our congregation can continue to support the work. That curiosity — that genuine investment in our neighbors — is a gift.
Albert closed his remarks to us with words that are already being repeated in our hallways: “We are grateful for your partnership and with your support, we will continue to build stronger students, stronger families, and a stronger community — one project at a time.”
Why This Matters for Emmanuel
We are a congregation that believes our building is not just a place of worship — it is a place of ministry. Every partner who walks through our doors, every student who sits in our rooms, every community member who finds help, dignity, or opportunity here is a living expression of our calling. Welcoming the CIS Construction Skills program is not a transaction. It is a covenant — with our neighbors, with our community, and with the God who has called us to serve in this place.
We look forward to watching what gets built here — in wood and tools, yes, but even more in confidence, in character, and in the bright futures of our young people of our High Point community.
To learn more about Communities in Schools of High Point and the Construction Skills program, visit cishp.org. To learn more about our other partnership ministries, visit our Community Partners page.
