Don’t Miss Her: Gospel Intentionality in a New School Year

It’s the start of a new school year. The backpacks are packed, the alarms are set, and the calendar is already filling up with practices, meetings, and permission slips. We’re back in the rhythm of rushed mornings, school pickup lines, overpriced water bottles that always seem to go missing, and group chats that never sleep comparing schedules and extracurriculars.

But somewhere in the middle of that blur is her.

She’s new to the school.

New to the neighborhood.

New to motherhood.

New to the season of life.

New to faith—or still far from it.

And she’s watching. Wondering. Hoping someone will notice and more than that, hoping someone will help. 

I’ve been her more times than I can count. With several moves and three boys, I often found myself in the new category more often than I wanted to be. And if I’m honest, those seasons were filled with overwhelm, second guessing, and a deep sense of loneliness.

As women who follow Jesus, we are called to live with eyes wide open and hearts tuned to the Gospel. In all the newness of fall, it’s easy to miss what matters most: the people God is placing right in front of us.

The New Year Isn’t Just Hard for Kids

Starting something new as an adult is intimidating. Walking into a room where everyone already knows each other or showing up to the first meeting and having so many questions and feeling too embarrassed to ask. Wondering if you belong and if your kids will be okay.

Maybe you’ve been there. I know I have.

Maybe you’re still there.

And maybe that’s exactly the reminder we need: if we’ve felt it, someone else is feeling it now.

Romans 12:13 tells us, “Practice hospitality.” That’s more than opening our homes. It is opening our lives to others around us. It’s keeping a seat open. Making space. Extending an invitation. In my experience the older your kids get the harder it is to connect. What came so naturally on the playground or in the church nursery is awkward and sparse in the seasons of driver’s license and empty nesting. In every stage and season we have to be intentional to look for and seek her out. 

Why We Miss Her

Let’s be honest—it’s not that we don’t care. It’s that:

We’re busy and overscheduled.

We stick with what’s comfortable.

We assume it’s someone else’s role to bring her in.

We fear awkwardness or rejection, but gospel love pushes through that because we know what every heart needs.

I’m reminded of the stories of Jesus, who was never hurried or distracted. He was often the new one stepping into new cities and social circles and he models for us so well what it means to see the one, and invite them in.

He saw Zacchaeus hiding in a tree.

He saw the woman at the well when others avoided her.

He saw the bleeding woman who dared to reach for His robe.

He saw people, and then He loved them.

That’s our model. Evangelism doesn’t most often begin with a track, it begins with eye contact. With kindness. With “you’re welcome to sit with us.” 

The Gospel starts when we choose to see people the way Jesus did.

This Year, Let’s Be Intentional

You don’t have to do everything, but you can do something. 

Here are a few ways to lean in:

Text the new mom you met at orientation.Invite the family next door over for dinner.Ask to sit with the couple in the bleachers sitting alone.Host a casual coffee morning for after drop off for your child’s class parents.Offer to pray for a mom walking through something hard.Share your story, and listen to hers.

You never know what someone is carrying into their new season or how God might use your yes to change their life and yours. Maybe evangelism feels intimidating. You don’t want to mess it up or you are the introverted wallflower who overthinks every conversation, but remember: God uses availability more than ability. Sometimes the most powerful Gospel seed is simply, “I see you,” followed by a simple act of love.

God could use your welcome, your presence, your obedience to draw someone to Himself and now more than ever people are longing for hope, connection, and purpose. 

So as this school year picks up pace, don’t miss her.

Look up.

Say hello.

Ask her name.

Share your stories, and let your life be the open door that leads her closer to Jesus.

The post Don’t Miss Her: Gospel Intentionality in a New School Year appeared first on Church Answers.