Pearl, Miss-The Pearl Ministerial Alliance, in cooperation with the PEARSON Foundation, and with support from city leadership, invite all students, residents and friends to participate in the Second Annual 31-Day Wisdom Challenge beginning March 1, 2022.
Participants are challenged to read one chapter from the Bible in the Book of Proverbs each day in March, beginning with chapter 1 through chapter 31. “Any time Pearl students can be encouraged to read, it just reinforces one of our district’s goals of helping each student be a lifelong learner,” said Dr. Ray Morgigno, Pearl Public School District Superintendent.
Last year, several congregations and pastors took on “Wisdom Challenge 2021” as a churchwide event—this year organizers are hoping that Pearl students of all ages, residents and friends will join in. Participants are encouraged to partner-up to make the experience more effective.
“I have personally practiced the ‘Wisdom Challenge’ on many occasions in my life,” said Pastor Joseph Pridgen of Sweet Rest Church in Pearl. “Last year I encouraged members of Sweet Rest to read the Book of Proverbs with me and a number of them did. This year I am asking everyone to take the next key step, asking at least one Proverbs Partner to join them on the Wisdom Challenge. Not only does it promise to build good character, but good character cultivates a wholesome community.”
Pearl Mayor Jake Windham will help kickoff the “Wisdom Challenge 2022” by recognizing one Pearl student and one Pearl minister to read Proverbs 1 during the Board of Aldermen Meeting at City Hall on March 1 at 6 p.m.
“As Mayor of the City of Pearl, I hope that because of many residents taking on the Wisdom Challenge, our city would experience some positive culture change because the individuals themselves would experience some positive personal growth in wisdom, said Mayor Windham.
Pearl will be the first of hopefully many “Wise Cities and Wise Counties” in Mississippi seeking to grow in wisdom! All but one day of the thirty-one days of the Wisdom Challenge will fall within the 40-days of Lent which begins on Tuesday, March 2 and ends on Palm Sunday, April 10th.
The city-wide Wisdom Challenge idea was first presented to the Pearl Ministerial Alliance in late 2020 by current alliance president, Jarvis Ward, who is also president of the long-established PEARSON Foundation in Pearl. The city-wide idea was inspired from the book, The Wisdom Challenge – Experience the life-changing power of Proverbs, authored by Dan Britton & Ron Forseth.
“I asked the alliance members if they could imagine what might happen if just five to ten percent of the residents in Pearl read the Book of Proverbs. How might the Wisdom Challenge positively impact the families, schools, businesses, and neighborhoods in Pearl, and positively impact Metro Jackson and even the entire state of Mississippi? I want to see!” said Jarvis Ward with the Pearson Foundation.
Participants who register will receive daily and weekly encouragements through Zoom meetings, text messages and social media.
On the last day of the Wisdom Challenge, March 31, everyone is invited to gather at 6 p.m.in the Trustmark Park parking lot to read the last chapter of the Book of Proverbs aloud together.
For more information, please call 601-939-7517 or text 601-942-2990 or 601-274-7782
You can also email: jarvis@pearson39208.org
Individuals can register their participation at: www.wisdomchallenge.com/register
Individuals may also sign up and follow PEARSON on:
Twitter: @wisdom39208
Instagram: Instagram.com/pearson_foundation/
Join our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/5158199827549600