SACRAMENTO, CA (February 21, 2006) – Nearly 950 people from First Covenant Church recently participated in an “extreme makeover” of their community as they worked on 35 projects.<\/p>\n
“It was amazing, just absolutely amazing,” says senior pastor Ted Smith.<\/p>\n
Participants ages five to 85 gathered Saturday, February 11, to work on projects that included repairing 20 homes, cleaning schools, as well as cleaning in a park and a local retirement center.<\/p>\n
Project ideas originated from a number of sources, including the mayor’s office, Chamber of Commerce, and name referrals from people in the community. Missions pastor Josiah Watters spent three months pulling the list together, Smith says.<\/p>\n
The day’s activities were an outgrowth of the church using the 40 Days of Community<\/em> curriculum, which is a follow-up to Rick Warren’s 40 Days of Purpose,<\/em> says Smith. “The idea is that we do ministry better together.”<\/p>\n Watching young and old work alongside each other was exciting, Smith says. “It helped bring people closer. When you’re working alongside someone, it’s even better than having dinner together.”<\/p>\n As with the earlier curriculum, participants meet together in small groups – 106 of the congregation’s 160 small groups took part in the project, Smith says.<\/p>\n Some of the recipients of the effort initially were dubious of the church’s plans. Smith says, “They kept asking, ‘Why are you doing this? Are you trying to get us to come to your church?’ “<\/p>\n The pastor says the church didn’t hand out any literature about the church because the congregation wanted the community to know they were there to help. Still, five new families showed up at the church the next day.<\/p>\n Smith says the day was important for the church because it was a reminder that, “We cannot function as a country club that takes care of its own. We have to operate as a mission station.”<\/p>\n Participants seemed to agree. “They kept asking when can we do this again?” Smith says.<\/p>\n