Church Breaks from Traditional Service to Tackle Community Needs
By: Eugene Daniel
Updated: May 6, 2012
MACKINAW- Judy Stechman and other members of Mackinaw Methodist United Church spent their morning a little differently on Sunday.
They still got to worship. They just didn't do it sitting in a pew. The church did not have normal service. Instead, the congregation tackled a series of community projects. They call it "Big Reach Sunday."
"It makes us visible and it also gives us the opportunity to say, 'hey we're a church that we put our action behind what we say," said organizer Lori Carlson.
Nothing too big, the chores ranged from pulling weeds in a local park to making cards for neighbors.
"It was really hard to choose because like you could do trash. You could do mulch. And I just thought that it would be really fun to draw," said 11-year old Ashton Stimson.
Stimson says "Big Reach Sunday" teaches her that a simple card can go a long way for someone in tough times.
"They just maybe just need a card to say like have a nice day, or Jesus loves you. Or something like that to lift up their spirit."
The service event is also about connecting the young with the old. It's a way for church members of all ages to come together. The ages of volunteers ranged from eight to 100 years old.
"We're a congregation that likes to share our passion and love for Christ and make it something that is inter-generational," said member Martie Ogborn.
This is the fourth annual Big Reach Sunday. Members say it's better each year. But they want their reach to get even bigger.
"It won't just stop with Big Reach Sunday. The goal is to be active all year long."
The church expected the project to take a few hours. But they had so many people show out, they finished well ahead of schedule. Mackinaw United Methodist also took action for other congregations. Proceeds from extra lunches sold benefited a food pantry at another church.
