SHAWNEE, Kan. — Baptists, Nazarenes and Preysbyterians rolled up their sleeves and together they served people on Saturday at more than 100 locations around the metro.
It’s called What If The Church Serve Day.
In six years, it has grown from three churches to 50 and the movement is now at 3,000 volunteers strong.
All over the metro, volunteers from different denominations joined forces. They hacked away at the religious roots that often run deep and sometimes divide them.
And their very presence answered the powerful question, what if?
“What if the church prayed together, served together and believed together. What if the chruch did what Jesus called us to do 2000 years ago? Which is to be one and lock arms together,” said Dan Deeble of the Heartland Community Church
So thousands of strangers from different congregations became one in an effort to help the dozens of schools in the metro that need a little lift.
“We don’t come in waving the Bible around and trying to be forceful of our beliefs. We say, ‘how can we help?,’ said New City Church’s Matt Miller.
At Showanoe Elementary Schookl in Shawnee, Kansas, the landscaping was almost non-existent. But with a little pruning here and a little pruning there — not anymore.
“We see a need in the community and we want to ban together with other churches and love on people we live with,” said Zach of Westside Family Church.
Over the years, the churches have poured more than a million dollars into community projects.
“We are going to bring a cup of cold water and be a blessing to our city in the name of Jesus. Not in the name of my, his or her church but in the name of Jesus,” Deeble explained.
Inside the school, that philosophy translates into an extreme makeover for the teachers lounge.
“They are going to hand a TV, paint the entire place, new shelves and countertops,” said
Chris Moix of New City Church.
And nobody cares if its a Baptist or a Lutheran that is sanding the walls.
“We agree on 99 percent of everything. The 1 per cent is the piece everyone blows up.
We do love each other and want to work together and change the world together. That is what Jesus wants us to do,” Moix told FOX 4 News.
So what began with a joint prayer will end with a few thousand new friends sharing a common goal of service and a job very well done.
If you would like to get involved with next year’s Serve Day, go to http://www.whatifthechurch.org.
