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.

It gets me every year.  A sight I have seen many times before, but one that continues to evoke strong emotions… the sight of thousands of suburban Christians gathering together on a brisk autumn day.

They stand together and sing worship songs, full of energy and excitement.  But these “suburbanites” are not gathering for a church service… They are gathering to be sent out.

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Click on the image to see a very cool 360 degree panorama of Grace’s Weekend of Service Commissioning!

Every year, Grace Community Church closes its doors, cancels its weekend services and sends its congregation out to serve with organizations and ministries outside the walls of the church.

My food collection team gearing up to collect food in a north-side neighborhood.

This year, more than 4300 volunteers signed up.  These volunteers headed downtown to serve meals.  They painted murals for ministries serving lower-income youth.  They collected thousands of pounds of food from homes all over the north side of Indianapolis.  In all, there were 175 different projects over the weekend.

But the cool thing about the Weekend of Service is not the amount of work that gets done (as helpful as that undoubtedly is).  The cool thing is that 4300 suburban Christians had an opportunity to rub shoulders with ministries and individuals serving the “least of these” (Matthew 25).

Sure, more than 30,000 meals were packed for Kids Against Hunger.  Hygiene kits were packaged for The Relief Bus in NYC.  Winter clothes were distributed to homeless folks in Indy.  But in the process, thousands of suburban Americans with every excuse in the world to ignore the poor and marginalized got up close and personal for a weekend.

A look at some of the food collected for the 2011 WOS! Photo by Brad Doran (www.twitter.com/braddoran).

Who knows what long-term change was started this past weekend?  Who knows what chance encounters have launched people into a lifelong journey towards justice?

Just a quick look at the comments left on Twitter shows that many WOS participants were deeply influenced by their experiences.  Suburbanites getting involved in social justice… Just about my favorite thing in the whole world!

 ———-

For many, the 2011 GCC Weekend of Service was undoubtedly a satisfying end.  But for some, it was a powerful new beginning.

For the next few days, volunteer journalists from GCC will be sharing with us some of these stories of “first steps.”  Each of them embedded with a different Weekend of Service project, and now they’ll be sharing what they discovered.

I hope you’ll take the time to listen to their stories.  Who knows? Perhaps it will prompt a “first step” of your own!

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, click here.

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Beyond Our Wildest Dreams

Written by Amy Sorrells

Photos by Charlie Sorrells

“We measure our topsoil in inches. They measure theirs in feet.”

I listened to Dr. Ken Ney, Board Director of Mission to Ukraine, as he spoke about the land where their organization serves orphans and saves the lives of hundreds of unborn children every year.

At first it didn’t seem like the bags and shoeboxes held much potential. In a country where the average woman has six abortions, we were sending stuff to a place that doesn’t value life, let alone shoe boxes full of scarves and cards made by children.

MTU Volunteers hard at work.

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What could we possibly hope to accomplish?

Families here serving families there.

Weekend of Service started with a commissioning from Zechariah 4:10, “Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings?”

I respected the verse, yet doubted how much our work would mean to the recipients. Like grass hides foot after foot of precious topsoil, my doubting heart veiled the power of the smallest things in the hands of a great, great God.

I took for granted the simple teachings of Jesus when He talked about planting Kingdom seeds: sometimes the places you expect the least return end up flourishing the most.

I took for granted Jesus’ words in Matthew 13:8 of The Message, when He said some seeds, “fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.”

As the hours passed last weekend, I saw seeds take root.

New and pregnant mothers prepared layettes for babies born because of the work of Mission to Ukraine counselors who provided crisis pregnancy intervention.

Special needs children, part of Grace's "Special Friends" ministry, helped to make cards for disabled kids in Ukraine.

Mothers guided hands of special needs children, smiling and proud to stamp a piece of their hearts onto construction paper destined for the lap of a motherless, special needs orphan in Ukraine.

Fathers and mothers and sisters and brothers worked side-by-side sowing seeds of joy in cardboard boxes destined for a land rich in soil but destitute in families, faith and hope.

Slide shows played of Ukraine children opening shoe boxes brimming with variegated toys and cards and candy last year.

I watched all this and then I knew.

Layette bags for new infants saved from abortion in Ukraine.

I knew our work meant more than wrapping a scarf around an orphan’s neck.

Our work meant clothing a heart with worth and delight; embracing a body, oceans away, who’s never felt an embrace; giving color and texture to a life that’s known only white walls and wooden benches.

Mission to Ukraine plants seeds in soil considered by most to be unsowable. Yet the eyes of disabled orphans and volunteers attest to a coming harvest sure to overflow any earthly storehouse.

That’s what 35 shoe boxes and 125 shoe bags will do for 80 disabled boys.

That’s what 37 layette sets will do for 37 babies as they blink back the light of a day they would otherwise never have seen.

That’s God—beyond our wildest dreams—in the midst of Mission to Ukraine.

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, click here.

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Small Things

Written by Jane VanOsdol

Photos by Jack L’Heureux

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“For who has despised the day of small things?”
Zechariah 5:10

A crocus bulb is not a very big thing. It measures about an inch across. Four of them easily fit into the palm of your hand. Yet within it lies a germ of life determined enough to push upward through March snows at the first hint of spring. On the morning of October 17, five groups of people gathered around 5,000 crocus bulbs to help beautify the Windsor Park community on Indianapolis’s south side. But the story goes much deeper than outward beauty. It’s really about a neighborhood’s work and struggle to find community in a changing society.

Anja Saak planting crocus bulbs.

About five years ago Anja Saak settled in the Windsor Park area with her family. Originally from the Netherlands, she was happy in her new neighborhood, but could see some negative things that needed changing. Rather than “fighting bad things,” she and two friends wanted to do something “tangibly good” to help the neighborhood. Anja had wonderful memories of the prolific flowers in her homeland and was homesick, so she hit upon the idea of planting crocuses. They did. And the idea snowballed from there.

Fast forward to 2007 and 2009 and enter Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB). Windsor Park neighborhood received grants from KIB to plant 5,000 crocus bulbs. Anja happily took the bulbs, but with them came so much more. “Now what I didn’t expect was that whole aspect of how it would bond the community together,” says Anja. “It’s been a revelation really. It’s not just the springtime bang of the flowers blooming. But also just the event itself of getting together in the fall to plant. It’s fun. It’s magic!” she said. No matter the weather, neighbors come out of their houses to plant and talk. Everyone brings food.

Actually, this is exactly the result that KIB hopes for. Tammy Stevens of KIB says that building community is one of their main goals. “To get neighbors out, to meet each other, to work together toward a common cause  … and any type of beautification, whether its tree planting, planting flowers, helps reduce crime, because it shows that people are paying attention, that people have pride in their community” she said.

Duvall Work Release Center residents hard at work...

It became apparent on Saturday morning as the Grace group arrived to help with the planting that other groups were also volunteering time to help this neighborhood.

Several students from IUPUI were on hand to help with the planting after seeing the project on KIB’s online project calendar.

Residents of the Duvall Work Release Center arrived at 9 a.m. and planted many of the bulbs before the Grace team even arrived. Larry Keller, Ladre Jackson and Ray Peoples were happy to be able to help the neighborhood.   “We try to keep the neighborhood as clean as possible every weekend,” says Larry. “They appreciate us coming out and helping them.”

While many of the Windsor Park residents initially opposed the building of the work release center in their neighborhood (and still do), it is heartwarming to see the camaraderie that now exists between the two groups. Frank Watson, Windsor Park resident, was part of the community group that opposed the establishment of a work release center at Duvall.

Frank Watson.

Frank, however, was hired to be the first chief of security for the center. When he left that position, they hired him to help with transportation Monday through Friday. On weekends he is a neighbor volunteer at the center and supervises the work. “The guys are volunteers, I’m a volunteer; we’re out here because we want to be out here,” Frank said. Somewhere along the way, Frank and other Windsor Park residents realized they needed to shift focus from the center as an institution to the people in the center, who were, like it or not, a part of their community.

Chuck Coleman, president of the Windsor Park Neighborhood Association explains further. “It’s here. It’s not going away. Accept it and work with it,” he said. “The guys are human beings. They’ll do better on the outside if people show that they care about them.” The neighborhood supports the men by collecting clothes and toiletry items at a New Year’s Eve party, and the Duvall residents take pride in helping maintain the community.

Windsor Park. Now a place of community.

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What was palpable to the Grace crew Saturday morning was the love and pride of community and the shared desire to improve upon this that the Windsor Park residents share; this feeling, like a magnet, attracted all of us outsiders to it. British transplant and Windsor Park resident for the past 25 years Martin Morris summed it up: “This is where we want to be. We don’t want to leave … but, we’ve got to do something to make it better,” he said.

As the Grace crew worked to plant bulbs and pick up trash, the residents fed us, made us laugh with their wit and without knowing it, inspired us to rethink our own definitions of community, especially as we watched their concern for Anja, who is now battling cancer.

We were left to ponder Martin’s words, “Things that used to be natural in neighborhoods have become unnatural. Anything that gets strangers to come together and learn each others’ names is a good thing.”

Five thousand crocus bulbs did exactly that.

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, click here.

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Greasy Hands

Written by Don Litwiler

Photos by Don Litwiler and Casey Brown

During the Grace Weekend of Service, teams of Grace Community Church volunteers joined with Integrity Automotive owners Don, Nate, Randy, and their employees, and Grace Car Care Ministry members.  They teamed up to provide free car care services for families who are unable to pay for car maintenance.

There were 17 Grace volunteers, five Integrity Automotive Employee volunteers, three office volunteers, and four cook volunteers, all providing services to those needing basic car maintenance.

This tire needs repairing...

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Tire check. Good.

With continued dedication to service, the Grace Car Care Ministry serves to ease the stress that comes for many in these hard economic times.

Customers were scheduled by The Good Samaritan and Rebuilding the Wall organizations. Approximately 40 cars were serviced during this Weekend of Service.

In the Spring of 1997, Ruth was a single mom who had a Chevrolet Cavalier Wagon with 200,000 miles. Steve Newnam, an original Grace Car Care Ministry member, suggested that she consider donating the Cavalier so that it could be put to use helping those in need.

Good for another 3500 miles...

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Now in 2009, Ruth, along with others, has kept the Car Care Ministry alive to provide free auto services, oil changes, routine check-ups, and managing the processing of donated vehicles.

Mechanic in training...

Nate, a partner at Integrity Automotive, also has a vision of providing help to parents with at-risk youth who struggle to drive their children to events due to unreliable transportation. He hopes to begin a teaching program for at-risk youth to pass along the skills he has learned at Integrity Automotive.

Randy, also a partner at Integrity Automotive, noted that his favorite volunteers of the weekend were the ones grilling the hot dogs.

Ruth, who donated a car in the beginning of the Car Care Ministry, now has the privilege of passing the keys to the recipients of other donated vehicles.

Some donated vehicles are sold at auction, the profits being used for car maintenance services like those provided during the Weekend of Service.

As for Ruth’s first donated car to the ministry, the Cavalier Wagon, it went on to serve a missionary family in Indianapolis, still running at 290,000 miles.