Christ's Church of the Valley (CCV) likes to run short, 250-word stories in each weekend's bulletin to tie in with the sermon or events happening within the church. The approximate bulletin count is 7,200 every weekend.
Building a Legacy
Curtis Aylward, a CCV member and committed volunteer, has taught mathematics at Peoria High School for the past 17 years. As a public school teacher, Curtis has mastered the use of unconventional methods of reaching out to the teenagers he encounters daily to gain their trust and respect. This real-life warrior helps those in need even when the cost is great.
“My wife works at the same school as a Career Specialist, and so we have a tag-team approach to helping kids think about their futures in a meaningful way. I think the students know they can count on us to do whatever it takes to help them be successful. The kids know that my expectations are high and at the same time my willingness to walk beside them every step of the way helps them to strive for success,” Curtis said.
More often than not, Curtis and his wife help students and their families who are facing tough times. “We step in when some of my students don't have a functioning family in-tact. We are often able to help by providing some of the basic necessities that help them feel the love of Christ. Some of those students end up adopting us after they graduate, and we wind up mentoring them for years to come. A couple of my former students have even gone on to become teachers and currently teach with me at Peoria High School,” Curtis humbly explained.
The students realize that their teacher’s faith is the backbone to his compassion and generosity. Curtis is not shy about sharing with his students about recent mission trips that he and his family take every year. Whether it be building houses in Mexico or working with youth in Eastern Europe, Curtis has a story to share and a God to glorify. “I believe they see that serving is important to me and it has an impact on their own perspectives on service. It is important that they have consistent role models who show them that serving others is important,” Curtis concludes.
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