After MCLE we have made attempts to reach out to the neighbors for a better way of sharing our gifts and talents with them. We put a program together to help prevent crime by passing out light bulbs and asking neighbors to join us in lighting the area – “Lighten the Hood”. We added lights to our parking lot and all around the building, hoping to help light the very dark streets for protection and safety. It does seem to have helped, preventing people from meeting and parking in our lot. For a long time it seemed we had cars almost appearing to hide, this is no longer happening due to the new lighting over the past 3 years. During this activity we worked with Community Hospital East and The Community Heights Neighborhood Association.
Our church is very small and we have hoped to be able to be a church that was used to help with offering the use of our building for other organizations like AA, Community Heights Neighborhood
Association, A group called the Funtastics, a group of mentally challenged folks and Indy Tres Dias (A retreat group that meets 4 times a year – 2 men and 2 women’s weekend preparation time).
As for the ministry Council and MCLE group, we are the ones that do the majority of the work. This is because we have such a small number of people.We have only a couple of younger people and they are unable to help because of job situations, most of the time. We have beautiful people in our church family and they all do what they can, but many are dealing with major illnesses and age. Those who set on the board are those that are able to do the most. We do not have a youth group as we do not have but one 13 year old and she does not come on a regular basis due to her mother working on Sundays.
We are hoping to find either a planter church or hoping to connect with one of the other churches in the area to joint together. We are not giving up, but we are few in numbers and cannot do all that is
needed.