Faith in Action beyond April 27

If you’re a Merge reader, you’ve probably heard about the 33 Southern Baptist Churches in Greater San Diego that have taken part in a regional Faith in Action (FIA) emphasis this year. As part of this initiative, the churches went beyond their regular Sunday morning service and instead went out to serve their communities. But, for Pathways Community Church in Santee, Calif., the effort has turned into more than a one-time event.

At the first FIA training session in January, churches were encouraged to meet with city officials and ask two questions: “What are three things the church can pray about?” and “What is the one thing city leaders want to see accomplished?” Pathway’s Outreach Pastor Jeff Atkins followed these instructions as he talked to the Santee city officials. At first the city couldn’t think of enough work, but by the time Faith in Action Day arrived, the church had more work than most believed could be finished in one day.

Just one of the projects Pathways completed on Faith in Action day was the cleanup of community area Forrester Creek, which included beautifying a riding trail, building 450 feet of fence, clearing the area of 25 years of debris, and cleaning eight homeowner’s yards.  It took three of the largest containers owned by waste management plus dump trucks to get rid of all of the debris, not to mention 300 volunteers! 
Initially, Pathways saw Faith in Action as an annual spring outreach event that would be in addition to the ongoing servant evangelism projects they do, such as free car washes, placing quarters in laundromats, and giving away free sodas at intersections during rush hour. However, Faith in Action resulted in something far greater than anyone had ever imagined!

The city of Santee was so appreciative of the church’s work that they named April 27 “Pathways Community Church Day.”  Beyond this recognition, the city asked Pathways to partner with them in an effort known as Compassionate Code Enforcement. Now, when a home is out of compliance with city codes, officials contact Pathways. Working with local businesses and service providers, the church helps homeowners correct the issues, at no cost to them.

Since April, the church has completed three Compassionate Code Enforcement projects. Each time, the homeowner had a positive reaction to the church completing the work, and now two of the families attend Pathways regularly.

Faith in Action not only helped the local community, it helped build confidence in the church members to share their faith. Sharing the Gospel no longer is a matter of standing in a park or knocking on people’s doors; it’s about doing kind acts, expecting nothing in return, and showing God’s love in a practical way.

Atkins believes Faith in Action is an effective way for any church to reach out to their local community and also a way to bless their church members.

“If a church is looking for a way to bring the congregation to life, it’s something like Faith in Action. The eyes of our congregation are now wide open to people with needs. It’s been a re-awakening for our church, as we want to be more than just the front doors for people to walk through. If your church is stuck in the chairs, Faith in Action is a way to get your congregation out and alive again in Christ!”