Waitara Church recently started a new outreach initiative. Operating under the name “Yes, We Care!” this brainchild of James Willison involves engaging with the community immediately surrounding the church (ie Waitara Avenue, Park Avenue, Balmoral Street and Myra Street) to find practical ways in which the church can help satisfy the community’s needs and, by doing so, build friendships that can lead people to Christ. A group of church members went door-to-door in the surrounding streets offering simple services, such as house-cleaning and yard work. In doing so, they were able to find a number of people who needed help. They were also surprised about the good feedback they received for the initiative even from those who didn’t require assistance. The following week, a larger group of church members went out and did the work. In doing so, they were able to pray with the people they helped, reach a former church member who had drifted away, share their faith and build meaningful friendships. The red t-shirts also attracted positive attention from passers-by who took the group’s details for people they knew needed a helping hand.
Waitara has been encouraged by their first attempt at this new initiative and now hope to repeat it regularly. They also hope to steadily increase the services offered so that more church members’ talents can be put to use through acts of service to reach out to those who need Jesus.
Contributed by Joy Carey