What if the Church combined efforts to create a safe place for people to go for help during COVID-19?
They did.
Love INC in Hudsonville was founded over 40 years ago by a man who didn’t understand how there could still be people in need when there were so many churches present. By creating a neutral territory, churches were given a collaborative space where they could focus on impacting the community for good. This has never been more important than right now. We are experiencing something we’ve never been through. The entire world is isolated and worried about what’s next. Gathering and community can feel like something we just reminisce about. Things can seem very dark. People are feeling very hopeless.
But, we have literally seen the Church go into overdrive to better this community. We have experienced transparency, authenticity, and community with many area churches. Behind closed doors, church leaders are brainstorming, having tough conversations, asking hard questions, humbly asking for help, praying together, and taking risks like never before to meet the community right where they are.
Did you know you can’t start a new Love INC without six churches linking arms? We are humbled by the fact that we are surrounded by more than 30 church partners who are actively working together to respond to COVID-19 and many more churches, businesses, donors and volunteers who support this ministry behind the scenes.
When a local church pastor showed up to our office three weeks ago and said, “I want help figuring this out. I want to start distributing food,” we were able to walk alongside him, develop a plan, use shared resources, and turn ideas into action. After three weeks, this one idea from a local church has grown into three local food sites in Hudsonville, Jenison and Grandville that has served over 400 families. Each family is safely served $33 worth of food relief right from their car. One idea impacted the community to the tune of $13,200. We have seen 63% growth each week, and truly need YOUR support.
Just days after this visit, another local church recognized an additional community need- assisting the elderly community with grocery delivery. Other churches agreed and wanted to help. Another awesome (and big) idea became feasible with the partnership between churches and Love INC. In just over a week, 13 people in our community have been delivered free groceries thanks to the Church’s ability to work together.
We’ve never done this before. But, in partnership, churches and Love INC are turning ideas into action. They are meeting the community where they are. They are working together like never before to make things happen. Do they have it all figured out? Not even close. Are bigger community needs coming? Absolutely. But we keep showing up for each other and try to follow God’s lead on the next right thing to respond to what’s happening in our local community.
This is what Love INC was made for. We exist to equip, unify and move the church. One pastor has said this pandemic could be the Church’s finest hour. We agree. There is no better time than the present for us, together, to focus on building God’s Kingdom through His Church in ways that look like Jesus.
Will you join us?
Donate financially here: https://my.simplegive.com/App/Form/41b22372-0a70-4586-9cfb-a9ef25b4dfd0
Visit our Facebook page for more information on how to get involved: https://www.facebook.com/loveinthenameofchrist.org
