How My Church Loves and Serves Well

In light of bad church press, an online magazine I write for—Grit & Grace—suggested an article about what the church is doing right.

Immediately I thought of Foundry. When my husband Dan and I were first getting acquainted, he talked about how his church family reached out in love as his wife was dying of cancer. And how, after she passed, the men wouldn’t let him hibernate.

Somehow, I knew that if this relationship extended beyond a ‘non-dating’ friendship, I would be changing churches. In time, Dan invited me to attend Foundry, and what I mostly remember is how everyone was warm and accepting and seemed happy for him.

As a newcomer, I was amazed at what this little church does to make a difference in each other’s lives, within our community, and in places around the globe.

Taking care of its own

In the Grit & Grace article, I wrote about how Foundry takes care of its own. If you’re not aware, in addition to a food pantry available for all walk-ins, Foundry maintains an account, called the No Needy Person Fund, that assists congregants with unexpected cost-of-living expenses (accompanied by financial and personal counseling, if needed).

Tiffany Miller’s story was included in the article. If you’re not aware of how her life has unfolded, here’s a teaser: Tiffany and five of her six children were brought to America as part of a human trafficking ring. They found themselves locked into hotel cleaning jobs that barely paid enough to cover the cost of one hotel room to live in. Ask Tiffany about her story and about Foundry’s role in this beautiful, redemptive tale.

One of the things I enjoy about attending our church is the camaraderie, which is most evident at events such as Family Camp. If you asked what the highlights of Family Camp were for me this year, I’d say the phenomenal talent show, a crazy fun water slide for those who ‘dipped’ (which was quite entertaining for those of us who didn’t), the action-packed cornhole tournament, and the beautiful hike out to the little falls on Cedar Creek.

But the highest of the highlights was the camaraderie. Dan and I intentionally sat with different people at each meal, including a gaggle of girls who were playing a made-up game of ‘family’ complete with a mom, a favored child, an obnoxious teenager, a child who was always in trouble, and a little girl who played the family pet. (Their made-up game sounded pretty much like real life to us.)

Community Outreach

Included in the Grit & Grace article were examples of Foundry championing non-profits in our area who reach out to pregnant women needing assistance, to students on our college campuses, and to the homeless with meals and shelter. And don’t forget hot showers, for it was Foundry that launched the shower truck ministry before it was handed over to Shepherd’s House.

I also wrote about the high percentage of families in our church who have fostered and adopted children, including those with special needs. As a result, a support group was established for Foundry families as well as the foster/adopt community in our hometown.

Global Impact

I incorporated a bit about Foundry’s global impact. In addition to coming alongside missionaries, Foundry supports a camp in Latvia—called Eagles’ Wings—that offers camping experiences to children (including orphans) from this former Soviet-bloc country. Not only does our church direct regular financial gifts to the camp, but over the course of several years, Foundry has sent teams to Latvia to help build cabins, enlarge the lodge, and rebuild a barn after it burned to the ground. With recent events that have unfolded in Ukraine, Eagles’ Wings has had the privilege of hosting refugees passing through.

The Apostle John wrote a letter to Christians scattered across the Roman empire. In it he said:

“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” – 1 John 3:18, NLT

Love is an action word. And our actions of service and kindness speak volumes.

It’s unfortunate when churches and Christians are sometimes painted with the same brush strokes as “spiritual leaders” who’ve hit the headlines because of mismanaged funds, mistreatment of people, or unfaithfulness to their marriages. These are the stories that make the news.

What doesn’t make the news are the countless churches filled with imperfect but kind people who quietly go about loving each other in practical ways.

Because that’s what Jesus called His followers to be: an extension of His hands and feet and heart while we occupy this temporary planet.

(You can read the full Grit & Grace article here.)