By Rev. Cathy Holley, special contributor
The people of New Covenant United Methodist Church in Wichita, along with a crew from their sister church, Norwich UMC, skipped church one Sunday morning to “be” the church. A group of around 50 people performed several community-outreach projects on Faith in Action Sunday.
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| During New Covenant UMC’s Faith in Action Sunday, children assembled hygiene kits to be given to Open Door’s drop-in facility for the homeless. (photo by Galen Reeves) |
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| From left, Dan White, Harold Strange and Doug Bates install fence posts at the Delano Community Garden during Faith in Action Sunday. (photo by Galen Reeves) |
The children assembled 50 hygiene kits that were given to the United Methodist Open Door Drop-In Center that serves the homeless. They also made some wooden crosses that they took to a local nursing home where they sang for the residents.
Some of the women of the church made 15 blankets and 38 pillows. The blankets were given to the Drop-In Center and the pillows to Inter-Faith Inn, a homeless shelter.
A group of adults and teens cleaned two parks and several vacant lots in the Delano community. Another group spent the day at the Delano Community Garden putting in fence posts, hoeing, pulling weeds, tilling and painting a garden shed. What a great way to build relationships within the community.
That evening, everyone gathered at the church and celebrated with a pizza party and worship service. It was a long day but a very good day!
We reaffirmed our vision of what it means to be a missional church, and we showed our community that we truly care. The church will even have a plot in the Delano Community Garden next year. The congregation plans to continue the outward focus throughout the year.
Rev. Cathy Holley is the pastor at Wichita New Covenant UMC.
