November 2026: Ministry Moments with Ms. Mariah

Can you believe we are already at the midterm of Quarter Two? I, for one, cannot. We are all working hard, and the end of the year, Christmas, and the break are in sight.

Renae Robertson has had children attending M3 for 6 years and has been involved in school life in various ways throughout that time. Last year, Ms. Renae helped in the K/1 class, and this year she has taken on her own 2nd- and 3rd-grade classes. Since these classes function a bit differently, we will focus just on 3^rd grade today.

When students enter the classroom, they start making flashcards for their spelling words. Once everyone finishes, they go through the calendar. This helps them reinforce concepts they are learning, such as abbreviations, days of the week, and months of the year. They are also counting how many days they have been in school, in anticipation of a special project on the 100^th day of school.

After that, they have a lesson, usually in Bible or Language Arts. Third is unique among the elementary grades because they have two class times. After P.E., they return to class. There, they receive more instruction from Ms. Renae, along with a snack and fellowship.

Science is a new subject in third grade, and Renae noted that the students love animals and are very interested in the things they are learning. One highlight of the year was a parent bringing in a Venus Flytrap and other plants they learned about in their reading.

Renae’s heart for her class is for the Lord to be at the center of everything. She described wanting to be aware of His presence and follow His leading in every little moment. But, for Renae, this awareness of the Lord is unto something. Her constant prayer for the students has been that they grow in love and kindness toward one another. She has seen this prayer answered in special ways, even this week!

I loved talking with Renae about her third-grade class. She beautifully described how these kids embody reliance on God that produces pure freedom. Her voice trembled as she spoke of her desire to be like the mother of the Hebrew children, who taught her children the law of the Lord, so they were prepared and skilled. Her hopeful anticipation for her students rang through her words as she said, “They are capable of bigger things than we give them sometimes.” Let’s join Renae in praying that the third graders will have a firm foundation in their faith and grow in wisdom and revelation unto the knowledge of God!