Every second week of the month, we feature a different person, local business or institution as a way for us to better know and pray for our city. If you have a person or place to recommend for this space, please let us know!

Just up the street from the Phillips Event Center, where we worship on Sunday mornings, is the Forbes Child Development Center. The Forbes Center is a part of Child Inc., a nonprofit devoted to providing low-income families with early childhood education and other services, and serves approximately 200 children ages 0 to 4.

This week, I had the chance to spend some time at Forbes speaking to AJ Quinton, the parent engagement manager at Child Inc. It was fun to connect with him and other staff as they hosted a “Community Resource Fair” as a way to connect the families of their children with different resources, from dentists to advocacy groups. Mr. Quinton spoke of the holistic needs of the families such as parenting support, advocacy and education for children. The range of what they’re doing and the clear sense of life and hospitality at the center was impressive.

The center has a regular rhythm of events to foster connection to the community in Northeast Austin and also offers ways for community members to serve as volunteers. One such event is their festival at Mueller Lake Park on May 7. When I asked about how we might pray for the Forbes Center and their work, Mr. Quinton singled out prayer for the parents of the children—specifically the fathers—citing the integral role they play in the flourishing of their children. Let’s hold up these neighbors, fathers and mothers, to the Living God in prayer.

Grace and peace,

Peter+