Our neighbor JP Lord School is an extraordinary place. It was built literally across the street from Hanscom Park UMC in 2017-2018, and it is a state-of-the-art facility for about 60 students who have severe physical and cognitive disabilities. When the staff moved into the new building in May 2018, our Care Committee hosted a lunch for them at the church. There are about 50 staff at JP Lord, including teachers, classroom assistants, and nurses. It was great to meet them all and welcome them to the neighborhood.
As a partner to JP Lord School, it is our goal to be in conversation and collaboration with them and respond to the needs of their staff, students, and families. At the aforementioned lunch, one of the teachers asked if we had a group who could make bibs for the students. By September 2018, our Mission team had supplied the school with new bibs. We look forward to supporting them in new ways as our relationship develops.
JP Lord is not a traditional school. And they are exactly the neighbor that Jesus is calling us to love. We are grateful to have the opportunity to see the image of God in every sacred person there, and to catch a glimpse of the kingdom of God in the way their students are exquisitely cared for.
