The great things God does when churches serve together

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

This past weekend, our church joined with three other churches to worship and serve together. On Saturday, thanks in part to the leadership of our own Jesse Christophel and Sarah McCoy, a team from NewLife worked hard alongside individuals from other churches to clear brush and poison ivy, kill weeds, and beautify the exterior of Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in the north end of Hartford. On Sunday, during our time of worship, we were able to hear from the principal of Simpson-Waverly School, the other school our churches served at, as well as the family resource coordinator from MLK, about the great difference all the painting, repairs, and landscaping had accomplished.

One of the organizations involved in helping coordinate this event was Urban Alliance. UA works to mobilize churches and organizations around the Hartford region to meet needs and work towards transformation in Hartford. One particular initiative they are championing, of which our event may have been a step, is the Partnership for Student Success. Their goal is to match churches with underresourced classrooms and schools, in order that the church might be a positive support in the lives of city children and teachers. What a difference it would make if our churches did more than just a one-time cleaning event, but were an ongoing presence for good in the lives of city children.

This model of churches working alongside city government for the good of the people is not Urban Alliance’s brainchild. One of the most prominent examples of this kind of partnership is found in Portland, Oregon, and is recounted in Kevin Palau’s book Unlikely, which I read recently. Kevin is the son of international evangelist Luis Palau, and directs the day-to-day operation of the Luis Palau Association. In 2007, Kevin Palau, along with a number of other city pastors, approached the mayor of Portland to see how the churches could best serve the city. They began with events called CityServe, but every year continued to build upon their momentum until now, eight years later, churches are partnering with underrresourced schools, building shelters for victims of sex trafficking, fostering and adopting children, ministering to those leaving prison, working to prevent gang violence, and providing a number of other services. In the process, they have changed the perception of the church in a city that was traditionally hostile to evangelical Christianity (if you are interested, you can watch a 45 minute video of Kevin Palau speaking on this in Connecticut last year right here.

What a testimony for Jesus when churches lay aside their differences to serve their community together to the glory of God! I pray that what we have done these past few years with our sister churches in Wethersfield would only be the beginning, and that God would continue to expand the opportunities to serve and love others in the name of Jesus.