Recently our Senior Pastor Kerry Shook challenged our congregation to step up and meet an overwhelming need for shoes in our community. Over 6,000 pairs of shoes were given sacrificially that weekend. Just a few weeks later we began receiving reports of churches offering similar challenges to their congregations.
Pastor sparks spontaneous shoe giveaway for charity
CHAPIN, SC (WIS) – Hundreds of people in Chapin are helping others survive in ’09, donating shoes to a local homeless shelter. The congregation took the phrase ‘give someone the shirt off your back’ literally. Dress shoes, tennis shoes, sandals, flip flops, boots. Shoes of all shapes, all sizes and from all walks of life. It’s the result of a challenge from a pastor. “Not someday, but today. We’re going to do something right now to conclude this service that is a today action,” says Pastor Jody Flowers. Flowers encouraged the congregation in Sunday’s sermon to take action that would affect their community. The mission was to provide shoes to the Oliver Gospel Mission in Columbia. But rather than walk away from church with a plan to do it later in the week, he encouraged them to do it right at that moment. The staff supported the challenge. “Someday, I’m going to do this. Someday. And talking about that someday today, that you go ahead and do it right now. There’s nothing stopping us doing it right now,” says Pastor Paul Allen.
And then Pastor Flowers took off his own shoes and laid them at the alter.
“To really capture the opportunities of doing things now and not putting them off and doing things that truly are meaningful and touch people’s lives,” says Allen. Then one by one, members of the congregation walked up to the alter, took off their shoes and gently set them down, knowing someone in need would later put them on.
“Yesterday, we took it to a new level of not what can we do this week, but what can we do right now, immediately,” says Allen.
The motivation behind the challenge coincides with a series the church is focusing on right now called “One Month to Live,” based on the book.
Read full article and watch video here: http://www.onemonthtolive.com/news.asp
Walk the Talk Challenge Info Here: http://bethemessage.com/shoes/
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