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Serving Our Neighbors Across the Road
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In a continuing effort to bring a gospel witness to the community immediately surrounding Covenant Life Church, a number of church members have begun a weekly ministry to the Laytonia community. Laytonia is the small, largely self-contained community right across Muncaster Mill Road from the church building.
According to one resident, a Laytonia homeowner for over 40 years, the community used to be an upscale neighborhood of single-family homes. However, through the years, with the progression of extensive development throughout the Gaithersburg area, Laytonia slowly declined to become a socially and economically distressed neighborhood.
But there is reason for optimism. A homeowners association is in place and is increasingly active to take measures to improve the neighborhood. In God’s providence Covenant Life member and staffer Joe Moorman was recently appointed as the president of the HOA.
Covenant Life has sought to be a good neighbor to Laytonia in recent years through service projects such as trash pickup days and the renovation of the Laytonia Community Center. In addition, members Peter and Shirley Giglio have been actively serving the children and families of the community through a weekly boys and girls club.
This summer, Todd Keeler and his family organized a local mission week for the 10:31 Youth Ministry, which included the Laytonia neighborhood. Youth from Covenant Life spent time interacting with children in a Vacation Bible School-type setting, bonds were formed, and God was clearly at work in numerous ways.
On the final day of the outreach, about 15 children from Laytonia crossed Muncaster Mill Road and entered Covenant Life’s facility for the first time in their lives. They enjoyed a building tour, played some games, and heard a brief gospel message. At the conclusion we asked, “How many of you would like to learn more about the Savior, Jesus Christ?” To our delight, every one raised their hands!
Since that week, Covenant Life members have continued to pray for and plan ways to serve the Laytonia community. Since mid-July a number of members, young and old(er), have been reaching out on Tuesday afternoons. A typical gathering includes playing games like football, soccer and four square. One Tuesday a water balloon toss turned into a water balloon fight! Youth including Jenna Fourney and Katie and Alexis Ambrose have been organizing crafts, and the kids have come to the community center for Bible teaching more than once. It has been wonderful to see the how attentive they are.
Last week, we played an intense game of kick-ball—Covenant Life vs. Laytonia—and unfortunately, we got trounced 12 - 4! They had some big kickers and swift feet on their team. A rematch is in store for this week.
It has been a delight to connect with this community and to be able to bring the love and light of God’s Word with us. We see God at work through us in this ministry and in us as well.
Looking forward, the plan is to have an ongoing presence in the Laytonia community and to seek to be faithful to the Great Commission in our own back yard. Greg Somerville has already begun a Good News Club in the local elementary school. And plans are being made to offer a reading, writing and math enrichment program for the younger children, a homework club, a mentoring ministry, and to serve the youth in a setting similar to Introducing God.
To find learn more about this ministry or to participate, please contact Drew Garfield or me. We would love to have you join in this venture. For sure, we would appreciate the prayers of God’s people as we look to the Lord to lead and bless this ministry.
July 28 2010 at 3:41 pm
A Job That Requires the Patience of Job
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God has blessed Covenant Life with many members who honor God in the workplace by being examples of faithfulness and excellence. The Baltimore Sun recently published an article about the work of Covenant Life member, Nick DeCarlo, pictured here with wife, Becky.
Enjoy reading about the rigors of Nick’s work as a cold case detective in Howard County.
June 29 2010 at 7:01 pm
Service Opportunity at Shady Grove Pregnancy Center
0 CommentsSummer counseling training at the Shady Grove Pregnancy Center starts July 12. If you have a heart for women and are a good listener, consider becoming a volunteer counselor. Training consists of eight classes to be held Mondays and Thursdays from 7 to 10 p.m. Dates are July 12, 15, 19, 22, 26 and August 2, 5, and 9. For details, call Jackie Stippich at 301-963-6223, or visit the Pregnancy Center’s volunteer page on the Web.
June 19 2010 at 4:25 pm
First ‘Good News Club’ Was a Success
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Starting this fall, Covenant Life volunteers hope to host year-long “Good News Clubs” at several public schools in our area. If you and your family would like to get in on the excitement, please join us for a Good News Club Information Meeting on Sunday, June 27, from 1:15 to 1:45 p.m. in Room 155.
Here’s a report on Covenant Life’s first Good News Club:
For six weeks this spring, Covenant Life Church had the joy of hosting a club at a nearby elementary school. Over 15 students participated in this after-school program, enthusiastically singing about Jesus and learning from the Bible. Pastors Mike Bradshaw, Joe Lee, Greg Somerville, and Ben Wikner shared in the teaching, while Charlene Vigil, Becky Faherty, and Suzy Somerville provided world-class administrative support. Several Covenant Life teens served by befriending the club members and helping to lead singing.
The club met after school on Wednesdays from 3:15-4:45. At each meeting club members received a snack, memorized Scripture, heard the gospel repeatedly during times of teaching and singing, were inspired by missionary stories, and had a chance to speak one-on-one with an adult if they had questions. Prizes and goodie bags made the whole experience a little sweeter.
“It was so rewarding to see these kids enjoy learning about Jesus in a public school!” says Greg Somerville. “Not only were we able to share openly about sin and salvation, but we were able to give the children Bibles and take-home devotionals. And my children were able to participate with me as a club member and teen helpers. What an ideal way to serve together as a family!”
Good News Clubs are a ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship, which has served children in hundreds of countries around the world since 1937. A few other churches in Montgomery County have been successfully hosting Good News Clubs for years; the club held recently was Covenant Life’s first venture into this exciting form of community outreach. But there is almost unlimited potential for expansion.
If you cannot attend the meeting on June 27 but would like further information, please e-mail Greg Somerville.
After the final club meeting on June 9, a grateful parent handed one of the club leaders this note: “I cannot express enough thanks for all you instilled in my son. Unfortunately, we stopped going to church and being strengthened by the Word shortly after he was born, and although I try to show or express to him how awesome our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is, he lets me know he’s still not sure if he believes. I feel assured that Jesus has sent His servants from your church to speak the Word of God to him and plant the seed. Praise His Holy Name!”
September 29 2009 at 4:35 pm
Let’s Pray for OneU
0 CommentsTo inspire you to pray, here’s the OneU video shown in church a few weeks back. OneU is the campus outreach ministry of Covenant Life Church.
In the team’s own words, “OneU aims above all else to spread the fame of Jesus Christ so that students treasure Him and embrace His church. We’re a community of students, theologians, nerds, missionaries, athletes, artists, and engineers who have been radically changed by Jesus Christ and now desire to saturate the college campus with the gospel of Jesus Christ and to raise up disciples who will spread His fame to the ends of the earth.”
April 2 2009 at 5:00 am
Not Too Busy To Reach Out
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Travis Earles sent this encouraging note about how Josh Deckard (pictured at right) is living as an ambassador for Christ:
As a former government worker starting up his own consulting business based here in Washington, Josh Deckard is a busy guy. But not too busy to reach out and encourage men in his sphere of influence.
Because of his heart to reach out to others and encourage other men, Josh seized the opportunity a few weeks ago to initiate an informal Bible study, and invited a handful of guys who work nearby (including Brian Gallagher, T.J. Weber and me) to join him at 7:45-8:45 a.m. on Friday mornings. We read a chapter out of the book of John together (a few verses each), Josh prays, and then he leads discussion with simple questions to draw out the main points and intent of the passage and how we should respond and apply it.
The simple faith that Josh demonstrated in taking this initiative, primarily as a means of outreach, has inspired me to love God’s Word and love God’s people even more. It has been a tremendous blessing to pore over God’s Word together in those settings, and affecting to see how the Holy Spirit blesses us and opens our eyes. Josh’s heart to serve in faith like this has provoked me to reevaluate the limitations I set on myself, particularly at work, and to think more broadly about how God would have me reach out and encourage those under my influence, both friends and colleagues.
As ambassadors for Christ, let us never think ourselves too busy or too deficient to serve in even simple ways, when the rich resources of God’s Word and his Spirit are available to us.