Church Blog

September 22 2009 at 11:46 am

Mission: Right Across the Street

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Nadia Ibrahim was part of the recent outreach to the Laytonia community (enjoy the photos above) and was kind enough to write up this story about it (thank you, Nadia!):

In the early morning hours of August 29, a small team of volunteers, consisting of both Covenant Life and Gracia Soberana church members, gathered to pray in the church lobby before heading out on a missions trip. Unlike previous Covenant Life “missions” trips, this one required no luggage or passports; estimated travel time was less than five minutes. The destination: Laytonia, a community located directly across Muncaster Mill Road from our church. It’s a place some team members didn’t know existed and most had never visited.

Covenant Life began an ongoing outreach to the youth in the Laytonia neighborhood earlier this summer, but this event at the end of August was meant to build relationships with the entire community. The 139-home neighborhood needed help fixing up the community center, giving the playground a fresh coat of paint, and clearing out some trees.
 
But the 30-person team’s ultimate goal during this all day event was to do more than community cleanup; it was to clearly demonstrate and communicate the gospel to residents. “I’m hoping that through our helping we can exemplify who Christ is,” Covenant Life member Omar Rocha said.  “I’m here because of the simple fact that there is need, and we are commanded to go and to serve.”

The needs included restoring the dilapidated community center. The 39-year-old building once served as a school, co-op and gathering place for residents. Members of the team replaced the siding and floor in addition to painting window frames and doors.

“When we were a new community people were very active,” Homeowners’ Association president and 18-year resident Bonnie Stidham explained. “We really want to make it a community like it was then.  I’m hoping this will help.”

News of the team coming into the neighborhood led resident Jeff Robertshaw to go door-to-door in an effort to encourage other residents to participate in the clean-up day. More than 10 people from the community responded and assisted the team with various tasks ranging from, trash pick-up, to giving their playground equipment a new coat of paint. 

The snacks, lunch, and gospel-centered music playing over large speakers sent the message that the event was more than just a workday.  It was an opportunity to get to know our neighbors on the other side of Muncaster Mill Road.  Both residents and church members alike welcomed the chance to meet one another and make a difference in the community.

“I enjoy the hands-on stuff,” explained Melissa Barker, who removed weeds from a small memorial garden just outside the community center.  “I checked my schedule and jumped at the chance.”

“I saw a sign outside my window,” ten-year-old Laytonia resident Amy Menteiro said.  “My friend told me they were painting and fixing everything, so I wanted to help.”

Covenant Life member Charlotte Deibel repainted the letters on the neighborhood signs, working alongside resident Kathy Addison, who has lived in Laytonia for 39 years.  Charlotte said she initially wasn’t so eager about giving up one of her last days of summer before returning to teaching. “I was a little bit hesitant,” she admitted. “But I’ve wanted to grow reaching out to others. I just think that’s awesome that the church has decided to do this.”

For Robert Friberg, “realizing how close this neighborhood is to our church and that we haven’t been that involved” is what led him to give of his time. According to Drew Garfield, who leads community outreach and missions at Covenant Life, the church is making a concerted effort to change that. For example, neighborhood residents were invited to a barbecue following the day’s activities.  Discussions are also underway to find both one-time and ongoing ways members can serve the Laytonia community.

Christy Sullivan, assistant to Drew Garfield, agrees that serving this local community is a great chance to reach others for Christ, but gently cautions against thinking local missions are easier than international trips. “I’ve been to India twice and Mexico four times.  Those types of trips can be challenging, but in a different way. I think it’s potentially harder to serve in your local community,” Christy explained.  “It’s almost more of a sacrifice to do local missions, because once you get started you can’t just walk away from it. It’s always there. It’s where you live.”

Nikola DiGiulio, who works 12 to 14-hour days, recognizes that busy schedules, fear or anxiety may keep some people from thinking they can serve in this way. “Sometimes we have to get out of our comfort zones and give it a try. I know everyone’s kind of busy, but it feels good, because we’re exemplifying Christ,” said Nikola, who closed his insurance office for the day, so he could participate.

“My hope is that people will see their local neighborhoods and communities as their mission fields,” Drew explained. “And, that they would go and serve, whether through their own initiative or opportunities the church provides.” 

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