Written by
Kristy Smith
Put your action where your faith is.
That wasn’t the message preached Aug. 26. Rather, it was the one acted upon that day in place of formal worship by members of Coldwater Free Methodist Church. Instead of attending their usual 10:45 a.m. contemporary worship service, individuals, couples and families gathered at 10 a.m. to kick off a special “Love in Action” morning of community service.
Love in Action followed on the heels of a spring, church-wide study of Rick Warren’s “40 Days of Love” and Tom Holliday’s “The Relationship Principles of Jesus.” The preaching, teaching and small study groups helped introduce and prepare the hearts of the congregation for more relationship-based service.
“We’ve been taking the church through the umbrella theme of ‘radical renewal’ and this is part of it,” said Pastor Nelson Brandymore. “Usually ‘radical’ is thought of as synonymous with ‘extreme’ but for us, ‘radical’ means to grow deeper with our roots into Christ. We’re just setting up Love in Action and letting God use the stuff of everyday life to do His work in us and through us.”
Back in June, Brandymore asked Lindsey Karbon, 20, a student at Trine University, to find community work assignments and to coordinate sign-ups for them. “I already had a head start because I participated in a servant camp back in middle school, so I knew places in the community that need help,” Karbon said.
Church members committed during August to various work sites, including nursing homes, the community hospital, a domestic violence shelter, a pregnancy center, a school, local parks and at least one area business. Random acts of kindness were encouraged along with positive interacting and pre-arranged maintenance assignments.
Before dispatching his congregation to do good on Aug. 26, Pastor Brandymore prayed with them. “Lord, we’re simply learning to be your servants. All we have tried to do is put it together and the middle is up to you. Bring across our pathways anyone you think needs to experience our love.”
Bob and Justine Hostetler signed up to engage in painting and gardening at Branch County’s Shelterhouse for victims of domestic violence. Their two children, Salena, 11, and Tate, 9, accompanied them.
“It’s fun to help people and show those in our community that we care,” Salena said.
Justine Hostetler said she appreciated the chance to encourage her children to think beyond themselves and more about others. She said she likes how volunteering together strengthens family ties and said it reinforces that “God blesses us not so we can be selfish with what He gives us, but so we can share it with others.”
At Lakeland Elementary School, shelving needed to be moved into the library and hundreds of books put into place. Church members Terry and Sue Andress said they were excited to help with the project. Sue, who serves as Responsibility and Thinking Process Coordinator at Lakeland, enjoyed the opportunity to bless her school and its students.
“This is an answered prayer for me,” she said. “While some people may think I am a nice person, hopefully they will realize it’s because of the Jesus in me.”
Handing out bottled water in Parkhurst Park, Leah Horn, 20, summarized the Love in Action experience: “It’s nice to be volunteering in the community because that’s where we’re called to be as a church.”
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