They came from Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Missouri and Maryland to enhance the work and ministry of D.C. Baptist Convention's churches by helping eliminate substandard housing.
This past Saturday, 350 teenagers and their chaperones pulled up to their new week-long home, Washington Christian Academy, to kick-off a pilot project that had been in the making for a year. As they pulled up, they realized that they, like another half a million residences across the capital region, had no power. Did they complain? No. They came to be an extension of DC churches and they were sold out to their commitment.
Without power and little sleep, most trekked-off to worship with their host church Sunday morning but sixty of the volunteers could not because their host churches had lost power and cancelled services. So what did they do for worship? Serve! Accompanying the group were several disaster relief volunteers who had been trained in chainsaw operation and with a quick orientation to debris removal, this group took the D.C. Baptist Convention's Chainsaw and Debris Removal Unit on its maiden voyage to respond to down trees in the City of Takoma Park.
On Monday, the teams were given a big send-off from the school and they began a week-long project of renovating 25 homes in the City of Takoma Park and conduct ministry events in cooperation with City Gate Ministries, another partner of the D.C. Baptist Convention. Even amid the sweltering heat, these volunteers could not be hampered. As of this writing, all projects are ahead of schedule.
I have the opportunity of visiting the sites each day, talk to the homeowners, host the media in the telling of this story and see our countless DCBC churches providing lunches and building relationships. It is a blessing to witness young women and men serving others, especially strangers. It is refreshing to see Christians from other parts of our nation come to be an extension of a local church they have never met or been in contact prior to their arrival. It's comforting to see our churches embrace their week-long missionaries and make them a part of the local faith family. It is proof that faith-based organizations can work hand in hand with local municipalities to address issues that affect humanity without either having to compromise their mission and purpose.
Partnerships like this transforms relationships, individuals and communities. Partnerships between DCBC, Serve Management and the City of Takoma Park takes Community Development Block Grants to purchase building materials needed to renovate the home and the free labor provided by the volunteers lessens the cost. When the costs are lessened, the municipality can renovate more homes. Therefore, the municipality wins.
The residents win because they get immediate results. Their home is renovated within four days! But the real reward comes in getting to know the volunteer team and local church that is assigned to their home for the week. On Friday, there will be many tears shed by those who came as strangers leaving now as friends.
The volunteers win because they get to see the fruit of their labor, make new friends, worship with another part of God's Kingdom and hopefully, leave with being challenged to put serving others as a daily part of their walk with the Lord.
DCBC churches win because they get "missionaries" working on their behalf for a week. Get to enlarge their faith family tent by getting to know their missionaries and develop a relationship with a homeowner that perhaps may lead to involvement in their community of faith.
Service is a large part of our walk with the Lord. I wonder, "What would happen if every church took on as part of its mission the goal of eliminating substandard housing in the communities they are located?" Transformed lives, transformed communities and transformed churches!
Thanks to the churches of DC that served as hosts: Alafia, Southern Bethany, Chevy Chase, Clifton Park, Covenant Community, DaySpring Community, FBC Georgetown, FBC Hyattsville, Holy Comforter, Metropolitan Outreach Ministries, Montgomery Hills, Mount Jezreel, Mt. Carmel, Mt. Gilead, Nations United, New Creation, Olive Branch, Pennsylvania Avenue, River City, Streams of Hope, Takoma Park and West Hyattsville.
