Alumni Spotlight: Lauren McNaron
Perimeter School taught me that faith is not meant to be lived in isolation.
By: Lauren McNaron, Perimeter School Alum
We recently caught up with several of our Perimeter School alumni, and we are excited to share with you how Perimeter School has influenced their stories and how God is using them for kingdom impact.
Our next alumni spotlight is Lauren McNaron, Perimeter School class of 2003.
WHAT DO YOU DO? WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
My name is Lauren McNaron. I graduated from Perimeter School in 2003 and now have three kids set to graduate from Perimeter within the next eight years.
After leaving Perimeter, I attended Northview High School, where I met my high school sweetheart, Alan. We have now been married for fourteen years and have three wonderfully unique children: Lacey (fourth grade), Barrett (second grade), and Annie (pre-k). We live in Johns Creek, off the very same road I grew up on, almost along the same backyard creeks. It feels like such unexpected, full-circle kindness from the Lord.
I work at Hope Heals, a ministry founded by Katherine Wolf and Jay Wolf in Atlanta. Hope Heals exists to bring healing hope to hurting people. We create sacred spaces of belonging and belovedness for families affected by disabilities so they can experience the hope of Christ in the context of inter-ability communities.
HOW DID YOUR TIME AT PERIMETER SCHOOL INFLUENCE WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO TODAY?
The work I do at Hope Heals, fostering inter-ability communities and celebrating the image of God in every person, is deeply connected to what I learned at Perimeter School. The school did not just educate me. It formed my understanding of community, dignity, and faith lived out together.
Perimeter School taught me that faith is not meant to be lived in isolation. It is meant to be embodied in community, in living rooms, at dinner tables, in carpools, and in crisis. That lesson has shaped my friendships, my parenting, and my daily life. I am so thankful God designed His people to do life together.
The covenant community I experienced at Perimeter School is one of the greatest gifts of my life. The friendships I formed at school, and the friendships my parents formed, are still the people who know me best. These are the people who stood by me at our wedding, set up meal trains, took me out to coffee during the hardest days, and made time to show up, listen, and speak truth into my life.
Today, I live in a cul-de-sac with other Perimeter School alumni. We are raising our children side by side with shared goals, shared theology, and shared rhythms of grace. This is our mission field in this season.
The scripture memory ingrained in me as a child has become one of the greatest tools in my adult life. Twenty five years later, I can still recite all of Philippians 2, the school verse from my eighth grade year. Verses I memorized in middle school are often the very avenue through which the Lord whispers truth to me in moments of fear, doubt, grief, or decision.
At the time, I did not fully understand what was happening as we memorized scripture year after year. It felt like repetition, discipline, and routine. Now I see it was equipping, and it is still for my good.
The first time I remember truly understanding the gospel was in seventh grade. On the last day of homeroom, Mr. Bennett presented the gospel with such clarity. I had heard it so many times before and could easily recite every supporting verse. But that day I understood it, that Christ died for even me. That moment changed my life.
"IF IT WEREN'T FOR PERIMETER SCHOOL, I WOULDN'T KNOW . . .”
If it were not for the kindness of God in using Perimeter School in my life, I would not know the depth and durability of covenant community, nor would I know how scripture can truly anchor my life.
In what ways is the work you are doing now spiritually and culturally significant?
The work I do at Hope Heals is spiritually significant because it declares that every person bears the image of God and belongs in the story of redemption. In a culture that often measures worth by productivity, ability, or independence, fostering inter-ability community boldly celebrates dignity, dependence, and belovedness.
Culturally, it offers a counter-narrative to isolation. It creates spaces where families affected by disability are not sidelined but centered, not pitied but honored, not hidden but embraced. It is a tangible expression of the gospel, where weakness is not a liability but a place where Christ’s strength is revealed.
IN WHAT WAYS IS PERIMETER SCHOOL STILL IMPACTING YOUR FAMILY TODAY?
Now I am a parent at Perimeter School, and the blessings feel even richer. The most tender part of this season is watching my children experience the same gift.
I recently sobbed through Lacey’s poetry recital as her teacher, Miss Park, led the class in heartfelt worship. The students sang with their hands lifted as we sang back to them the song “The Blessing”:
“May His presence go before you
And behind you, and beside you
All around you, and within you
He is with you, He is with you.”
It was not performative. It was genuine worship, claiming the truth over their lives that He is Emmanuel, God with us. It was a tangible picture of the gospel partnership between parents and teachers, sitting shoulder to shoulder and declaring truth over our children before the world has a chance to declare lies.
Perimeter School’s impact did not end at graduation. It continues in our home, in our friendships, in our work, and now in the lives of our children.
Pictured:
Lauren’s first day of first grade at Perimeter School; Lauren and her two sisters; Arts Festival; Lauren and Summer Pridemore in first grade; Lauren and Summer Pridemore’s daughters at the same age; Lauren’s class with Mr. Bennett
His grace will always be greater than your circumstances.