Like virtually every other business, organization, institution and individual in the middle of the pandemic, First Church of God in St. Joseph is doing everything possible to re-invent the manner in which they reach the faithful among us. Instead of counting the days until we can “get back to normal,” the team at First Church, as they affectionately call themselves in short, wants to make your days count.
Lead Pastor David Colp says that now, more than ever, First Church is leading the way to care for the people of Southwest Michigan in a holistic manner.
Colp says, “First Church clearly understands Jesus’ mandate to serve. We believe there are needs that God is going to allow us to meet, by working together with incredible community partners to bring hope in the face of tremendous adversity. We refuse to merely count the days until this pandemic passes. Instead, we want to make the days count.”
Caring for the whole person, spiritually, emotionally and physically is something First Church takes seriously. Offering two Sunday morning services, live, across YouTube, Facebook, myfirstchurch.com and WSJM94.9 has lowered barriers to access. Additionally, digital resources are available for kids, students, young adults, and parents.
The emotional toll of staying home isn’t lost on the staff of First Church. First Church staff has called, texted or written to more than 70-percent of their regularly attending congregants. In response to the high level of prayer needs, First Church has created a virtual prayer wall located at myfirstchurch.com/prayer (which is directly linked below) where participants can both request prayer and pray for others. Here’s the link: http://myfirstchurch.com/prayer
First Church has Stephens Ministers trained and ready for those who need someone to talk to during this difficult time. First Church is also leading with a positivity campaign to #makethedayscount, focusing on what we’ve gained, not what we’ve lost.
Colp suggests, too, it would be an oversight to not care for the physical person. For just over three years, First Church’s non-profit, New Heights CCDA, has served the under-resourced in Berrien County. This time of crisis is no exception. Through the generous giving of community partners and First Church families, New Heights CCDA has increased the distribution of food through the established food co-op, Community Food Network. The Benton Heights Campus is functioning as a food distribution point for Benton Harbor Schools. Crystal Colp, Pastor of Adult Discipleship says, “Loving others means I care if they have eaten today. I care if they are experiencing overwhelming anxiety and fear. I care if they don’t have a car to get to work. I care if they are sick. I care if they are alone. Anything less than that is missing the point of why Jesus came, died and rose again in the first place.”
To learn more about the entire First Church family, you can click this link or follow them on Facebook: https://myfirstchurch.com/
