When All Saints Church moved into a new building a year ago we knew it wasn’t simply about moving out of a school gym. We sensed God’s calling to look for ways to bring the Gospel to the community adjacent to the new location, Oak Creek Village (OCV), a 502 unit apartment complex primarily populated by 3000 low income Spanish speaking residents.
Associate Minister Thomas Kortus was charged with investigating how to serve OCV residents. Conversations with the property manager and residents revealed that the greatest need was for activities and educational programs for the kids. (The ratio of adults to children is one to five; many of the kids were bored, getting into trouble and needed tutoring support.) The OCV staff gave us permission to plan activities for the kids. We invited three other churches to work with us and the Oak Creek Village Initiative was born.
All Saints now runs Eagle’s Nest, a twice weekly after-school tutoring program. serving sixteen young chdilren with a team of thirty youth and adult volunteers. The students’ teachers are amazed at the reading progress our students have made, volunteers are blessed by the relationships they are developing and two students who were curious about our Gospel Book in the sanctuary heard the Gospel and believed in Christ!
This summer, we continued to expand our relationships with OCV by coordinating an intensive outreach project. Beginning July 5th a team from All Saints led a 5-day summer kids club onsite. We began on Monday with some of our Eagles Nest kids and their siblings and friends. By the final meeting on Friday, 65 participated.
The temperatures in Durham were record-setting that week, nearly 105 degrees, but the kids were delighted to come to a shaded area of a nearby soccer field. We consumed huge quantities of water and popsicles as we played games, made crafts, listened to Bible stories with the Gospel message and sang songs. The volunteers bonded wonderfully with the kids. One mother said her daughter woke up earlier that usual one morning and the first words out of her mouth were; “Is it time for kids club yet?”
A community celebration for kids and families concluded the week. Over 225 people attended: a bouncy house, blow-up water slide, a clown/magician/ballon artist, games, prize drawings, and rocking Latin music made it a blast. The children took center stage to sing songs, and we shared with the parents via an interpreter the Gospel lessons we had taught.
ASC is eager to continue engaging this community in ways that create deeper relationships and bless people in words and deeds. In mid-August we will host a back-to-school party to give needy children backpacks and school supplies. We have invited local elementary school administrators to come to help foster relationships between the school and families. Plans are also in place to begin a Saturday morning adult ESL program in the fall.
The projects with OCV that God has given us have been well received. However, they are not the end, but simply springboards to real relationships and a deeper engagement. As we were cleaning up sticky popsicle wrappers off the grass after the community celebration one of the youth asked, “How do we maintain the relationships we have developed? Can we come here once a week to play soccer and hang out with the kids?” One of the adult volunteers arranged a play-date with a bilingual mother and resident of OCV who said she would, in turn, teach her Spanish. Another adult is planning a clothing exchange with the residents of OCV. It is exciting to see people thinking about ongoing ministry in the context of real relationships. The Spirit is at work teaching us how to serve our neighbors in words and deeds of love in Christ.
ASC is eager to continue engaging this community in ways that create deeper relationships and bless people in words and deeds. In mid-August we will host a back-to-school party to give needy children backpacks and school supplies. We have invited local elementary school administrators to come to help foster relationships between the school and families. Plans are also in place to begin a Saturday morning adult ESL program in the fall.