Every year, Grace Community Church in Noblesville, Indiana shuts its doors, cancels its services and sends its congregation out to do service projects all over the city.  This year, World Next Door sent a team of volunteer journalists from Grace’s congregation to tell some of the stories from the weekend.

This is one of those stories.

To read all of the Weekend of Service articles from 2011, click here.

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By Gwen Jackson

“This didn’t just happen by chance…” These were the words of the woman with whom I’d just spoken. I spent the day at IPS school #58 Fall Carnival.

IPS Building on a sunny day.

When I arrived on Saturday at 10 AM,  preparations were being made for the day – volunteers waiting for pizza delivery, some setting up games, others raking leaves or cleaning classes. A year ago, Grace volunteers had visited this school to paint and clean. The halls are bright, cheerful and inviting.

Freshly painted beautiful halls.

The parking lot beside the school was being set up with carnival games – corn hole, bowling, face painting, horse rides, bounce house, balloon animals and more. It was a glorious day outside.

I spent most of the day mingling, snapping pictures and finding families of students. I wasn’t very successful. Most visitors were drive-bys who had seen the event from their cars. I was a little disappointed and decided to pitch the notebook and camera and blend in.

I sat to play Bingo with a young mother and her 10 year old son.  Between calls, she spoke of how her son had been bullied at this school and how hard it was for her to return here. Her son had wanted to see his friends. As a teacher, I could relate to the child-hood story and frustrations. It was apparent that she just wanted a listening ear. God had put me there, I’m sure.

All smiles here!

As the carnival was winding down, I felt a little sad that God hadn’t worked through me today. On my way to my car, two little boys were sitting on the curb, petting tiny kittens. I sat to join them in the cuddling. The boy’s grandmother, Bonnie, smiled and said what a wonderful diversion this day had been after a truly terrible week. I asked her if it was something she wanted to talk about.

She began to tell me what she’d been through – her husband had a stroke, her mother was dying of cancer and her 23 year old daughter had been to court in a spousal abuse case. WOW! We talked for a very long time – most of the families and volunteers had gone.

Bonnie’s daughter, Katherine, joined us to take the kittens back to their owners. Bonnie told me that Katherine was struggling to find her path in life and that Kat’s passion was the arts. My heart did a flip-flop as I am an art teacher. Kat told me that she longed to do something creative with her life and be a good role model to her boys. I searched my brain for a way to help. I shared with her that I will be doing an outdoor mosaic in February as an all school project would love some assistance. She immediately asked for a piece of paper and wrote,

Clowning around

“Available to volunteer in your class for projects or daily help! Have great passion for kids and art! This may be very beneficial and may be a stepping stone to my future!”

I don’t know which of us three women smiled wider! I told them that I was there with my church, sharing God’s grace and that I was thrilled to be of help. We talked about how getting her boys into a great church would be a stepping stone into their future as well.

We traded emails and phone numbers and promised to keep in touch. As we hugged and tearfully parted, Bonnie softly said,

“This didn’t just happen by chance.”

Every year, Grace Community Church in Noblesville, Indiana shuts its doors, cancels its services and sends its congregation out to do service projects all over the city.  This year, World Next Door sent a team of volunteer journalists from Grace’s congregation to tell some of the stories from the weekend.

This is one of those stories.

To read all of the Weekend of Service articles from 2011, click here.

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By Michael Brown

Driving into the depths of Indianapolis felt like we were going into the heart of our small world.  Each block slowly transported us to a place so different and distant from our sterile suburbia, yet teeming with life and culture.

Other volunteers constructed a welcoming awning outside while walls were prepared inside.

A place where the children who were ministered to at Jireh sports are born into a world full of questions and looming difficulties.  Where the population is abundant and growing, but relationships are scarce.  Where they are surrounded by buildings and infrastructure, but a faced with a shortage of opportunities.

While the volunteers from Grace Community Church slowly gathered into the Sports Complex, I began to realize that most of us were being confronted by more than a morning painting project.  We were being thrust into the lives and minds of those who found these gyms a sanctuary.

Jireh’s climbing wall teaches the kids to reach to new heights.

A Concrete Wilderness

Talking to some of the head volunteers and staff at Jireh, the contrast in lifestyles in the neighborhood increasingly began to invade my comfort zone.  I had been involved in an inner-city ministry in college some years ago, but somehow the harsh realities had begun to sneak from my consciousness.

Sure, there were the usual difficulties of poverty, being raised by a single parent, unreliable transportation, subpar schools, gangs, etc.  But I had not fully contemplated what relational and psychological dynamics were at work in the hearts of the kids who walked in this concrete wilderness just a few miles away.

Where did they go to feel loved, supported, and encouraged?  Who gave them a sense of hope, dreams to achieve, and faith in God?  The prospect of a hollow answer to these questions suddenly began to roll in like a dark cloud.

God's word watches over the grounds that shape the youth.

As the families from our church started to scrape away the yellowed paint from the brick walls, a group of six or so girls from the community appeared in the lobby.  They were preparing to spend their Saturday at one of about three gymnastic meets they would have that month.  Their coaches had brought them a long way since Jireh’s inception.  I learned that with the aging equipment, and mostly volunteer staff, the program had a lot of disadvantages compared to other well-sponsored gyms throughout the city.

However, as I gazed at the two verses hanging above the mats, rings, and pummel horses, I realized they had the greatest advantages of all on their side.  The verses read, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”, and “fight the good fight, holding on to faith and good conscience”.

Unlimited Possibilities

This spoke volumes to some of the core principles that Jireh holds so dear.  They are not just there to serve dinner, help with homework, or to teach gymnastics, wrestling, and tae kwon do.  Their mission is to allow these kids to learn through faith and hard work; to learn that God can provide unlimited possibilities when we trust in Him.

Volunteers busily attack the corner project.

Jireh’s purpose is to build character traits like courage, perseverance, and loyalty.  And most importantly, their method is to use small teams lead by mentor coaches, who work intimately to instill these principles through encouragement and example.

The staff at this program had long come to realize that most of these kids would not go on to be professional athletes. But by God’s grace, they could walk with Him in a lifetime journey of faith and dependence.  Sports had become the vessel to present these kids with the opportunity of walking in discipleship with our Lord Jesus Christ.

A Sense of Awe

I started exploring the facility with a new sense of awe, imagining what it must feel like to be a young person coming into Jireh.  For a young man, the wrestling and weight room has the musty nostalgic feel of an old school boxing gym.  I could picture them feeling strong, having a place to channel their aggression in a positive way, and belonging to a purposeful group of young men rather than belonging to the streets.

Teens of Grace families join together for their brothers and sisters at Jireh.

For the girls, dancing and gymnastics provide a new way to express their inner beauty, in contrast to how the world outside is crying to exploit it.  What a haven for these kids to express their inner God-given desires in creative and healthy ways! And in an affirmative loving community!  Truly this was a place for unlocking their inner potential, and calling them into the adventure of walking with God.

I was drawn back to the gymnastics room, where the percussive sound of scrapers tearing away the old paint seemed to create a soothing echo.  That sound the youth would never get to hear, but the message the new walls would be sending would ring loud and clear.  The reminder that they were loved, and there were others who desired to make their lives brighter.

And in a strange way, the soon to be clean, blank and freshly painted walls spoke of something else.  The staff wanted to allow some of the kids who had been in trouble to decorate the new walls with graffiti art.  Where they had once vandalized the community with their spray paint cans, they could now cover this new canvas with symbols of their hope in Christ.  So we were not just painting and brightening the walls, but we were creating a fresh canvas for these youths to paint and create their own newness of life!

The wonderful families who, in serving, were blessed and became a blessing.

Opportunities

What a blessing for the families of Grace to be a part of this exciting ministry!  But the experience does not have to end with Saturday’s painting project.  There are so many ways to get involved.  They are in constant need of new coaches to participate and be trained.  There are plenty of opportunities to help the kids with their homework, or serve them dinner.  And with the tight budget that most ministries face, there is always maintenance to be kept up with, and equipment to repair or replace.

There will always be more at risk kids in need in the neighborhood, but as we finished up our work, I realized I could now ask this question again with a resounding optimism.  Where could they go to find that faith, hope, and love that seemed so barren in this asphalt desert?  The answer was clear-To the mats, weight room, and coaches at Jireh sports.

Every year, Grace Community Church in Noblesville, Indiana shuts its doors, cancels its services and sends its congregation out to do service projects all over the city.  This year, World Next Door sent a team of volunteer journalists from Grace’s congregation to tell some of the stories from the weekend.

This is one of those stories.

To read all of the Weekend of Service articles from 2011, click here.

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By Lexi McClure

One organization is bringing hope and joy with pizza… From one to another.

Every year, Grace Community Church in Noblesville, Indiana shuts its doors, cancels its services and sends its congregation out to do service projects all over the city.  This year, World Next Door sent a team of volunteer journalists from Grace’s congregation to tell some of the stories from the weekend.

This is one of those stories.

To read all of the Weekend of Service articles from 2011, click here.

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By Anita Austin

In route to the Center for Women and Children, a Wheeler Mission ministry, I found myself feeling uneasy driving in an unfamiliar area, alone, but I did have tools. I had a safe car, electronic navigation, and the gift of a good sense of direction.

Mild anxiety increased as the real estate values declined. Questions formulated in the back of my mind as I drove. Is the GPS reliable? Do I have the correct address?  Unfortunately, today I made a wrong turn and I was headed in the wrong direction.

I wanted to reverse this error as quickly as possible, I did not want to be late and I did not want to be lost in this neighborhood. I turned around in the parking lot of a store which appeared to be closed this morning. It was an adult video store and the sign read “25 Cents for a Booth Preview”. I looked at the other stores nearby they were all adult video stores as well. I hoped to reach my destination soon.

Kirsten Johnson, Grace volunteer leader for the Wheeler project.

Arrival

Upon arriving, I parked my car on East Michigan Street in downtown Indianapolis. The neighborhood consisted of dilapidated homes and abandoned buildings with broken windows. The bright sunshine softened the grayscale tones of the surrounding neighborhood.  I noticed three women grouped near a large 10 story building. It was the Wheeler shelter. One of these women was pregnant with a young toddler. I felt sad that this young family did not have a home.

Of the volunteers I arrived first. The door was unlocked so I could enter. In search of the Grace volunteer leader I was directed towards the kitchen where a 20 year old resident helped me find Kirsten Johnson.

Shortly, more than 30 men, women and youth from Grace Community Church arrived to serve. The members of Grace were greeted by Kirsten. She briefed the group; they would help prepare for lunch and serve dessert.  After lunch the group would help the women and children bead bracelets, decorate cookies and design a cross depicting things they were thankful for. This team served the women and children with compassion and caring.

A Story of Addiction

Later, I made my way back to the kitchen, and introduced myself to the young woman who helped me find Kirsten. She shared that she was living at the shelter and is enrolled in the in the Higher Ground Program. She explained that High Ground is for women with addictions.  I explained that I was there to observe and write about my experience, and she was willing to share her story.

A cross of hope.

I learned about her family, she was an honor student studying biology and zoology in her private high school. She participated in church youth programs. When she was 18 years old a friend shared a drug with her and she quickly became addicted to heroin. A few weeks ago she was given the option to participate in this program or face prosecution for check forgery. Before arriving at the center she was sleeping in a car or, if she was lucky, on someone’s sofa for the night.

This is her third rehabilitation experience.

Welcomed

Before the Weekend of Service I did not know Wheeler Mission Ministries offered a shelter to women and children in Indianapolis. A group of concerned women started a center called the Caring Center in the early 1990’s, which then merged with Wheeler Ministries in 2001 and was later renamed the Center for Women & Children (CWC).

Women with or without children are welcomed at the center. Three meals a day are made available to both the guests at the shelter and women living on the street. The CWC offers many programs which address the spiritual, physical, emotional and mental aspects of a woman’s life.

Assistance is also offered for substance abuse, job placement, childcare and educational advancement. The facility was impressive. The kitchen and cafeteria were clean and organized. The library was recently renovated in rich tones and beautiful furnishings.

Colleen Gore, the director of the Center, is filled with passion and love for her work on behalf of the women and children at the shelter. The staff exuded a presence of hope and love. The residents were clearly grateful for the opportunity to participate with the team making bracelets and decorating cookies.

Pizza pick-up for Wheeler.

Am I Willing?

Kirsten shared about her volunteer experience at the center with her young son. She has volunteered at the shelter for three years, and has befriended a former guest of the shelter who is a mother of three children. She has a minimum wage job and manages to retain an apartment on her salary. Within the first month of independence, however, this young mother received a three hundred dollar water bill. The water was scheduled to be turned off but Kirsten intervened, in a display of selfless support for this family.

Many of these women have limited tools or resources to maintain an independent life. Kirsten’s example of commitment to her friend and the women in the shelter challenges my own level of involvement. I give money and canned food. I often talk about injustice and acknowledge wrongs in the world.  Am I doing enough to reach out to others?

Am I really willing to sacrifice?

Every year, Grace Community Church in Noblesville, Indiana shuts its doors, cancels its services and sends its congregation out to do service projects all over the city.  This year, World Next Door sent a team of volunteer journalists from Grace’s congregation to tell some of the stories from the weekend.

This is one of those stories.

To read all of the Weekend of Service articles from 2011, click here.

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By Nathan Sanchez

Where would I meet God during this experience?  I knew that Meals on Wheels was a very vital organization, but where was my story? The task was tediously simple; deliver meals to our designated recipients, who cannot fix meals for themselves. Our meals on this day were not regular meals, they were pre-packaged, emergency meals used for when MOW cannot get out due to hazardous conditions.

The Grace team prepares for food delivery.

Our team was also a “surprise” to the ones we were serving because MOW normally delivers on weekdays. So it was extra important for us to have big smiles on our faces, for the fact that we were not expected this afternoon.

Tediously following the route sheet.

The groups met up at Riverview Hospital where they were

briefed and given the meals to deliver for the day. I saw much anticipation coming from the Grace team; they looked excited and ready to serve.

After gathering up the food for our routes, my team loaded up. Jan, the team leader, her son and I hit the road! We are now officially Meals on

Wheels!

We had our route list and we were on our way to our first stop. I was simply excited to give who ever needed it a smile and present them with a much needed meal. At the first house we were greeted by a kind, elderly lady who

was very happy to see us. She was pleasantly pleased that we were there on a Saturday and thanked us for the kind gesture with a soft smile. Just like that, one stop done!

It was very rewarding for me to see that we brought a little bit of joy to her day.

Houses two and three were a little more disappointing because no one was home. We left the meals on the porches with notes describing what they were and that they were brought to them by Grace Community Church.

This next house was going to be a guaranteed hit for the fact that MOW had already called ahead and made sure he was home. When we arrived we knocked on the door and used the signature call “Meals on Wheels!” and walked in.  He was already waiting for us, sitting contently on his recliner. He gave us a big grin and introduced himself. His name was Milford Pearson and right off the bat he was quite the talker.

Milford sharing his stories.

Milford was very smart, and explained his thoughts very thoroughly. We didn’t get much talking in at all! That’s why Meals on Wheels is here and that’s why we worked alongside them last weekend.  We need to care and listen to the people that need it. Milford got the chance to talk to someone that day, and we had the blessing of listening to him. This is the ministry of presence, just being there for the individual. To listen to them and give them company.

The past two mission trips I have been on expressed the motto, “Listen. Love. Serve.” Listen comes first because we cannot know how to properly Love and Serve without Listening first. Listening gives us peace and draws us closer to God.

Milford was great! He was so clever and knowledgeable. When I shared with him what our church was doing that weekend he said, “Oh, that’s just beautiful.” He loved the concept of everyone helping everyone. Milford made me smile the whole time I was there and I am graced to have met someone as kind as him. Oh yeah, Milford is 95 years young and still going strong.

The pre-packaged meals to be delivered.

With that our journey continued on into suburbs of Noblesville, Indiana. The next stop was a very generous lady that offered us candy in exchange for the food. She was delighted to see us and was very grateful for us. She explained how much she loved MOW. This organization truly affects people. MOW makes life so much easier for the people who need it.

Our next stops were not too exciting. We said hello to a couple of people but mainly left the meals at the door, due to the people not being home. Our last stop was an elderly couple living together who received their meals with looks of great happiness proudly displayed on their faces.

One word for everyone we talked to…grateful. I was grateful to have met the people I served and they were grateful for us and the service we provided. I pray that God will give them the rest they need and that He will watch over them day by day. I do know that their lives get brighter every time they hear, “Meals on Wheels!”

Every year, Grace Community Church in Noblesville, Indiana shuts its doors, cancels its services and sends its congregation out to do service projects all over the city.  This year, World Next Door sent a team of volunteer journalists from Grace’s congregation to tell some of the stories from the weekend.

This is one of those stories.

To read all of the Weekend of Service articles from 2011, click here.

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By Curt Austin

When I was a young boy, my family owned a beautiful American Quarter horse named Blaze. When given the reins, he would run like the wind, his hooves pounding the ground with a rhythm that still makes my heart sing.

Weekend of Service provides opportunities to make all types of new friends.

And in those moments I would lean forward in the saddle and permit my imagination to take me to far-away places and experience grand adventures.  I spent many hours riding Blaze in the open fields of central Indiana.  He was a gentle giant that allowed me to share many peaceful afternoons on his back, walking through the woods and fields of my youth.

More than thirty years later, I still have a soft spot in my heart for that animal.  I suppose that fondness is the reason I quickly agreed to volunteer at the Agape Therapeutic Riding ministry for this year’s Weekend of Service.

Painting a fence requires close supervision.

But my eagerness turned to disappointment when I received my assignment which involved watching members of Grace Community Church dig flower beds and paint fences.  The idea of watching other people work is, let’s be honest, boring. But I overcame my disappointment with a secret hope that, under the cover of journalistic research I might be allowed to groom a horse, muck out a stable or, at the very least, slip an apple to one of the grateful animals.  I even packed a Granny Smith, just in case.

In truth, I was unprepared for the importance of the work that was scheduled to take place at Agape.  I had no idea the full impact it could have on the lives of every person involved.

The Power of Therapy

If you visit Agape, you will meet Debbie Laird.  Debbie started helping at Agape in 1998 and was appointed Director in 2009.  You need only spend a few minutes with her to understand why she has dedicated so much of her life to the program and why she is the perfect choice to represent the ministry.  While it is accurate to say that Debbie has a passion for horses, her true love is the people Agape serves.

This made perfectly evident when Debbie quickly pointed to a table in the viewing area, covered with pictures.  Each picture was of a child, either on or beside a horse.  Debbie knew each child by name and she enthusiastically related their stories, with special attention on the impact Agape makes in their life.

Team leader, Detlef Rathman and Agape employee/volunteer Joe Sullivan survey the completed project.

Debbie related the child’s story, the power of the therapy and its impact on each child’s life.  She stopped talking only long enough to look for a favorite picture; and another and then another.  With each print she would put her hands over her heart and tell the story as if the child were her very own: “This is Susie and she has made such progress… This young man just lights up when he’s here… Now look at this!”  Debbie paused, her tanned, smiling face reflecting a deep personal delight.

The picture she chose was of a little girl sitting on the back of a horse.  The brown-haired youngster, perhaps seven years old, was smiling from ear to ear.  Leaning forward with her cheek pressed into the horse’s mane, the little girl’s arms were stretched around the animal’s neck, hugging it tightly.  Debbie smiled wide.  Her already bright and charming grin grew even bigger.

“Some things are more important that money,” Debbie said. “Where else can you find joy like this?”

Work Begins

Outside, as the team gathered to begin their day, the morning sun slowly melted frost from the green pastures surrounding the Agape complex.  Horses lined the tall fences, watching the activity in the parking lot.  Despite the warming sun, cool air lingered and steam billowed from the horses’ muzzles with each breath.

The hard-working team made quick work of overgrown flowerbeds.

The volunteers took advantage of their warm jackets, hats and gloves and huddled together as Detlef Rathman, the team leader divided the 21 workers into smaller groups.  He gave a few last minute instructions and then the volunteers collected the gardening tools and with eager enthusiasm, the work began.

In a matter of minutes, the sound of electric trimmers, garden rakes, and gardening sheers mingled with hearty laughter and calls for assistance in one location or another.  The team removed dead and dried cone flowers, day lilies, and black-eyed Susans.  Within an hour, the workers had shed their coats and gloves and the once-over-grown flower beds had the appearance of a finely manicured garden.  As Detlef proclaimed, “When in doubt, take it out!”

Employee-Slash-Volunteer

Joe Sullivan, our guide for the day and Agape’s stable assistant, repeatedly hauled away brush and dead plants, driving back and forth in the farm’s well-used 4×4, its gear box rattling loudly with each pass.

A practical man, Joe has worked with Agape for more than 15 years.  He has a long history of working with horses and performance riding.  He is as gentle with the group of volunteers as he is with his horses.

When Joe and I stopped to talk during lunch, I asked how people could afford the therapies offered by Agape.  He wasted no time in pointing out that the volunteers, just like this team, make it possible for many clients to receive scholarships and reduced-price care.

The paint progress as viewed from the stables.

In truth, volunteers are the very backbone of Agape Therapeutic Riding Resources.  Many of the part-time employees offer their services above and beyond the few hours for which they get paid. It was no accident that Joe referred to himself several times as an employee-slash-volunteer.

The Value of a Volunteer

After lunch, while the adults finished raking leaves at the edge of the woods, the kids moved to painting the fence.  I believe this was the real reason they came.  Standing in the paddock, with brushes in hand, the kids had the opportunity to be as close to the horses as possible.  It was even more enjoyable when the horses came close to get a better view of the commotion.

Like a scene from Tom Sawyer, Joe stood back and admired the kids’ work, congratulating them on a job well done and gently directing them when they missed a spot or two.  In a matter of half-an-hour, the entire fence had been painted, effectively covering the dents and dings and hiding the flakes and bites.

As the kids finished their work and the adults made their way back to their cars, I realized that Joe was right.  When one person volunteers, whether to clean the grounds, paint a fence, muck a stall or even pull some weeds, that person releases those maintenance dollars to other areas within the ministry.

Team work is key to this project’s success.

Perhaps a well raked garden bed represents a riding lesson for a disabled child.  Or a painted fence is equivalent to a bag of feed for a therapy horse.  When an entire team of volunteers arrives and spends the day, it can add up to hundreds of dollars for the program and could mean the difference of horse therapy to a child who would otherwise be unable to benefit from the program…and that special bond between a boy and his horse.

Very few have what it takes to work with disabled kids.

Not every person can saddle and brush a horse.

But anyone can pull a weed or paint a board.

And everyone can take some time to make a difference.

And who knows? If you’re lucky, you just might get to slip an apple to a horse along the way.

Every year, Grace Community Church in Noblesville, Indiana shuts its doors, cancels its services and sends its congregation out to do service projects all over the city.  This year, World Next Door sent a team of volunteer journalists from Grace’s congregation to tell some of the stories from the weekend.

This is one of those stories.

To read all of the Weekend of Service articles from 2010, click here.

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Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Written by Jennifer Taylor

Photos by Cara and Debbie Bruton

I was listening to the radio in the car when I heard one of those songs that really gets me pumped up and inspired to do God’s work: diving in, going deep, in over my head!  It’s a rush knowing that God’s power helps us change the world.

Working together can bring neighbors together

But then the song changed, the light changed and the impatient driver behind me honked.  The reality of God’s work settled in as I thought of epidemics in third world countries, starving children everywhere and religious tensions across the globe.  It seems too big and too much. What can I do about such catastrophes?

I contemplated this as I helped an elderly woman last weekend.  She was sponsored by The Shepherd’s Center, a non-profit based in Westfield, Indiana.  Along with two other families, I helped her do yard work.  As I drove toward her home that day, my mind ran through my own to-do list: 9-1pm service project; 1-4pm baby shower; 4-6pm lesson prep; 7-9pm lead church group…

“I am a busy person,” I thought. “What am I doing spending all morning cleaning up leaves?  What difference will this task possibly make in the world?”

As always, God was ready with an answer.  He showed me that not every mission for God is on a global scale.

Our morning started with a list – one you might call a typical ‘honey-do’ list.

Attacking the weeds

1. Trim shrubs

2. Rake and bag leaves

3. Put patio furniture in shed

4. Clean windows

Simple tasks, right?

Not for Pearl Mae, the woman we were helping. Her husband passed away and she isn’t able to move around easily these days.  So we got started and she was able to sit and watch as nine new friends helped her trim, rake, lift, carry, and clean all around her back and front yard.

We took breaks from our tasks to chat with Pearl Mae and we could see that the attention we were paying to her was just as meaningful as the attention we were paying to her yard.  Someone was taking the time to be with her.  She was always asking if WE needed help as we were helping her!

“Reminds me of a beehive,” she commented with a smile as we stood for a moment looking at everyone busy around us.

Within three hours, our ‘honey-do’ list was done and the condition of her yard had gone from neglected to neat.  We gathered for a prayer and said goodbye.  As we started to leave, Pearl Mae looked around her yard and smiled. She said she would start to cry if she started to thank us, so she hugged us instead.

We didn’t do any great deed by worldly standards, just that of neighborly love, commanded to us by the One who Loved all.  But in doing that we accomplished God’s mission that day.

Helping Pearl Mae got me thinking; who is there to care for the elderly in my neighborhood?  Who is there to help my grandma when she is out trying to hang Christmas lights along the roof of her house? Some areas have organizations like The Shepherd’s Center helping to support the elderly population, but not all.  The need is great for people who will take some time out of their week to care for others.

Bringing order to chaos

As I returned home, I challenged myself to look around my own neighborhood, past my busy schedule and garage door, and see who needs help right here around me.  I can dream of being a powerful superhero that can change the world, but in the meantime I can find ways to be a superhero to those around me.

God’s love can be shown in grass cutting, snow removing, car driving, cup of coffee chatting, changing a light bulb and many other simple ways that bring relief to someone’s life. Come to think of it, isn’t that what most of Christ’s miracles were? Between the demon castings and the healings, Jesus lived with people; he ate with them, walked with them and talked with them and who knows? Maybe he even helped to fix their chair.

The message of Christ’s love can be as simple and pure as helping a neighbor or talking with a new friend.  I served alongside people who believed in the importance of loving and serving others before themselves, and we worked together to make someone’s life a little easier.  To the world, Pearl Mae’s clean yard was trivial, but to her, those three hours meant everything.

And isn’t that Godly enough?

Every year, Grace Community Church in Noblesville, Indiana shuts its doors, cancels its services and sends its congregation out to do service projects all over the city.  This year, World Next Door sent a team of volunteer journalists from Grace’s congregation to tell some of the stories from the weekend.

This is one of those stories.

To read all of the Weekend of Service articles from 2010, click here.

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Foot Washing, New Shoes & Prayer

Written by Erika Vance

Lighthouse Center

We met together on a crisp November morning, making our way to Lighthouse Men’s Mission in Indianapolis as a team.

The shoes brought by Samaritan's feet sorted in piles by sizes.

Lighthouse provides shelter, food and clothing to homeless men in Indianapolis. Though it is only twenty five minutes from where I live, Lighthouse is not part of my world.  I cannot even comprehend what life is like there.   It is so different from the nice neighborhood I live in back home. I did not realize until that day that things were so different so close to home.

Upon entering Lighthouse, I found it full of my fellow church members, there to do what they could to make a difference.  Samaritan’s Feet helped us serve the men of Lighthouse through washing their feet and giving them new shoes.  This simple act of giving these men shoes makes a huge difference in their everyday life.  On the most basic level it helps them keep or get jobs and it helps them to keep warm on these cold days.

Soap donated by a hotel to Samaritan's Feet for the foot washing.

The woman from Samaritan Feet told the story of their fonder, Emmanuel Ohonme.  He grew up in Nigeria and did not receive his first pair of shoes until the age of nine, when a missionary came to the area.  As he grew older, Emmanuel was able to come to America, receive an education and start a family.  On a trip back to his village, however, he realized that none of the children had shoes.  So he started Samaritan’s Feet to help bring shoes and the word of God to people around the world.

These shoes help children to go to school.  They also help them to stay healthy by better controlling diseases that they can pick up by walking around barefoot.

Preparing to wash feet

We prayed as a group and then welcome the men in to receive their shoes.  We washed their feet, gave them new shoes and socks and prayed over them.

The room filled with men who eat many of their meals at Lighthouse.  Some men even spend the night.  These men are homeless, but are trying to get off the streets.  Some of them have struggled with drugs.  It was amazing to hear them talking to the people that were there to help them.  They were encouraging us, even as we prayed for them.

I talked to one young man from Grace who serves dinner for the men at Lighthouse every Sunday night with his family.  He told me that the conversations he has with the men at Lighthouse are far deeper and more personal than conversations he has with his friends at school.    The men freely and openly share with him.

Ginger praying with one of the men after washing his feet and giving him new shoes.

They also often make a point to tell any young people that come to help out to stay off the street, to stay in school and not allow themselves to be distracted by drugs and street life.  They want these kids to have better lives than the ones they live.

I could feel God move through Lighthouse.  Connections were made between people who would have never met otherwise.  Prayers were lifted up to the Lord.  It was so clear that you cannot wash someone’s feet and not get to know them.

I heard the story of one man who had been living on the street for several years.  He had recently been beaten into coma which lasted over six weeks.  The beating was over two dollars.  It was amazing to hear his story and to have him with us so that we could serve him in the simple but important way of providing him with new shoes.

These are just a few stories of lives being impacted at Lighthouse through people that volunteer there.

Every year, Grace Community Church in Noblesville, Indiana shuts its doors, cancels its services and sends its congregation out to do service projects all over the city.  This year, World Next Door sent a team of volunteer journalists from Grace’s congregation to tell some of the stories from the weekend.

This is one of those stories.

To read all of the Weekend of Service articles from 2010, click here.

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Only 23.3 Miles

Written by Jim Meacham

2822 East New York Street, home to Outreach Inc.

Before you read any more of this, I have to warn you I am a mess. My wakeup call to working with the homeless came on the streets of Toronto, Canada a year and a half ago. The call was by way of a homeless alcoholic named Chris who was having a really ugly seizure on the sidewalk outside of Sanctuary Church.  Watching him seize while I held his head off the pavement was a call closer to a siren than a “whisper”.

Some awesome conversations have been had in these chairs on the front porch at Outreach.

There are people “out there” who need “The Church”, or so it seemed in that moment. Since that day I have experienced “Church” very differently. I struggle being “in Church”, wanting to be “out there” where the Church should be. Don’t get me wrong – I haven’t figured it out. I’m a mess and a work in progress.

I spent the Weekend of Service at Outreach Inc., just 23.3 miles down the road from where I live in Indianapolis. I was embedded there for the day as a volunteer journalist for World Next Door. Now, I didn’t sign up for this gig. This is the assignment that was “left over” after the other projects had been chosen.  I was simply helping organize the other journalist’s assignments. That is all I had planned… really, I had no plan to write this. And there it was, the “left over” untaken project, sitting there staring at me.  Now what could I do with that?

The application process is tough, but the drop in center is a great place to serve at Outreach.

It’s odd how things happen. You see, dear reader, I know this place.  I actually love coming here. It’s as if God left the Outreach Inc. article on the table wondering if I would actually be foolish enough to attempt to tell you about it. My wife and I have been here several times over the past year preparing and serving food and hanging out with the clients who show up for drop in meals on Thursday and Friday nights. They do something  here that is simply magical, and wow they do it well – really well.  The Outreach Inc. staff have figured out how to love their neighbor, and they have an insatiable thirst for it.

Outreach Inc. is a nonprofit organization that provides services and support to homeless youth living on the streets of Indianapolis. The clients of Outreach Inc. are lost and struggling for a lot of different reasons.  But from what I have seen while at Outreach the “reason” the clients are “out there” seems less important than the fact that they are out there and in need of assistance.

Weekend of service, families stepping up together to serve.

They may be broken, hurting, lost and left along the side of the road. These are hollow eyes that folks walk past every day.  They need a meal, clothing, or something as simple as a shower. They need a caring hand to reach out to them, someone to hold on to them, someone who won’t leave them, someone who will respect them and love them. They need someone to help them find sanctuary, redemption, healing and a place in life. Does this scene sound familiar? Outreach Inc. does these things and so much more. They love these young people, young people who to many people might seem unlovable, unappreciative, abrasive, too rough, too broken… too messed up to put your arms around.  Yet Outreach is there, arms wide open waiting to be the hands and heart of Christ to the lost.

My few trips here in the evening over the past year have typically been at the end of a long hectic day at work where the troubles of the moment seem so pressing, they are almost smothering. But then when I walk through the front door of Outreach it happens: I bump into Jesus, He’s there looking back at me as if to say, “What the heck was so important? What took you so long?”

Cookies, these will be out on the street by the time you read this.

As I sit and listen to the voices of the clients tell stories around the table, I watch their faces, and listen to their laughter, while we eat a meal together and I sense I am sharing a meal with Christ. It’s the same each time: in a magical, almost supernatural way, God meets me here, breaks me again, and messes me up a little more.

Today when I walked through the front door of Outreach Inc. it was very different. There were familiar faces from Grace. The Church I call home was “out there.”  What I saw was God’s people answering the call to love well. There were folks sorting clothing, folding and stacking everything from socks to coats.  There were people moving boxes and big plastic tubs of clothing. There were people baking brownies and cookies.  The place had that warm feeling of your mom’s home during the holidays. There were even people delivering a refrigerator… yes, a refrigerator!  The hands that folded the clothing, the hands that packaged the personal items, the hands that baked the cookies, and the hands that carried that refrigerator in were touching the lives of a young  homeless brother or sister in need.

These guys were doing some heavy lifting during Grace's weekend of service!

Anonymously, God’s people were loving well, being “the church”…”out there”.  People were not in their safe and cozy world. They were “out there” planting a seed that would bear fruit that they would probably never see. Yes, it was “a beautiful day in the neighborhood” here at Outreach Inc.  As I wrote this story from the plastic chairs on the front porch I had this crazy feeling that someone serving here today perhaps for the first time was getting that whisper…you know the one that says “come”, the one that says softly “there is a free gift here.”

If you have ever wondered what it is to find yourself messed up, know that you need not go very far… that opportunity is “out there”, just down the street.

Every year, Grace Community Church in Noblesville, Indiana shuts its doors, cancels its services and sends its congregation out to do service projects all over the city.  This year, World Next Door sent a team of volunteer journalists from Grace’s congregation to tell some of the stories from the weekend.

This is one of those stories.

To read all of the Weekend of Service articles from 2010, click here.

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Not What I Thought

Written by Whitney Vance

An abusive marriage.  A drug addiction.  A death of a loved one.  Chronic health problems.  A lost job.  We don’t plan for these things.  We look at other peoples’ lives and say, “That could never be me.” Until you fall in love with the wrong man, fall into the wrong crowd, or experience something unexpected, you find yourself saying, “This is not the life I had in mind for myself. This is not what MY life is supposed to look like.”

As I spent hours talking to the women and children at Wheeler Mission, no one specifically said this to me, but you could see it in their eyes and hear it in their stories, almost as if they were defending their own lives.  Many are not happy in their circumstances and you can almost hear them thinking, this is not the way it is supposed to be.

A Grace family painted these canvases for the children currently living at Wheeler to put their hands prints on.

Many different circumstances bring ladies to Wheeler Mission Women’s and Children’s Shelter.  Some stay in the transitional housing unit for 30 days, just to get themselves off the streets and back on their feet until they find another place to live.  Some women and children live in the apartments at Wheeler for a period of time.  Others are part of a larger, long term program, such as Higher Ground, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, lasting one to three years.

No matter which program the woman is in, her story is rich with pain, knowledge, loss, renewal, and faith in ways that I would say my own story is lacking.  Most of these women have come from physically or sexually abusive and manipulative relationships that have left some with post-traumatic stress disorder or clinical depression.  Many have attempted suicide on at least one occasion.  Many have been in and out of jail with charges of possession and robbery.  Though I have had my share of “rough times,” I have never experienced the kind of pain and damage that comes from these types of circumstances.

Samaritan’s Feet came to Wheeler Mission on Saturday to host a foot washing and give free shoes.

On Saturday November 6, Kirsten Johnson and about forty volunteers from Grace Community Church hosted a program at Wheeler Mission Women’s and Children’s Center to show Christ’s love to these hurting women and children through meals and activities.  The day was divided into three shifts, with new activities for each shift.  Some of the activities were meant for the children, so they could play and have interaction with different people while their mothers had an opportunity to “relax”.

Other activities were meant to love on the women, such as the foot washing and pedicures.  The most important aspect of the day was to be open and willing to listen to the stories, show empathy, and meet them where they were, like Jesus did in the New Testament.  The purpose was to not instill new knowledge or change their circumstances in some radical way, but to be the ear that many of these women do not have to simply listen.  I learned more about God’s character and saw the face of Jesus by just being there with them and hearing them.

A young girl gets a pedicure after she received her foot washing and shoes.

Wheeler Mission Ministries’ goal is to do just that: meet the homeless, poor, and needy right where they are by providing housing, meals, clothes, programs, and opportunities for the guests to grow personally and spiritually.  One aspect that sets Wheeler Mission apart from other shelters in central Indiana is that they provide non-denominational, Christian support to all their guests through Bible studies, inspiring scriptures on their walls, and Christian ideas in their programs, such as relying on God and other people to successfully complete the program.  After completion of the program, Wheeler Mission has also provided jobs for some of their past guests as program mentors.

I talked with many of these ladies, and even though many of these women and children have undergone horrific things in their lives, they also have some of the most inspiring stories of God’s intervention, redemption, salvation, and love.  Every story of loss and suffering led to at least three more about how Christ worked in that situation, how God changed circumstances, built faith and shaped these women to be more dependent on Christ in every aspect of life.

Some of these women have literally been brought back from the dead.  One woman was blind for a year before her sight was returned to her.  Another was in a coma for months, had kidney failure, and lost the movement of the right side of her body.  You would never guess she went through that by just looking at her; she is fully functional and fully aware.

Volunteers of all ages were lending a helping hand at Wheeler.

In these circumstances the women say what is really on their hearts. “If God healed me like that, He must have given me these talents for a reason,” and even, “I’ve done life my way, I’ve done it through other programs, nothing has worked, now I’m doing it God’s way, and He’s changing everything.”  One of the ladies had been a hard drug addict for years.   She took a vow of sobriety when she walked into Wheeler (which was only six days before the program Grace hosted).   She told me, “…we really do serve an awesome God.”

A healed body.  A saved soul.  A new life.  Renewed hope.  Loving friends.  Selfless ministries.

After what these women have experienced and have done in their lives, they don’t expect anything from anyone.  No provision, no forgiveness, no mercy, no grace, no love.  Yet, Wheeler Mission Ministries and people who have a heart for service, such as Kirsten Johnson and the volunteers from Grace, know that these women are worth investing in.  Jesus loves them, and so should we.  These women see time and time again in their own lives that Christ provides, He forgives, and He shows mercy, grace, and love.  And I can almost hear them saying to themselves, “This is not what I thought my life would look like. I never thought I would be loved, forgiven, and saved like this.”