Missional Living with Shelter-in-Place

Hey Shades,

What an incredible season we are in! How history records these days can be largely shaped by how the church responds in both faith and action. God is using you to advance the mission in amazing and powerful ways as you live sent in your neighborhoods -- keep it up!

In addition to your stories, below are a few simple ways to engage in the mission of God beyond the neighborhood in these days of social distancing and restrictions. 

Even with the recent “Shelter-in-Place” guidelines, we have the ability to continue to serve in specific ways. Religious and non-profit organizations that are serving the essential needs of the community are permitted to carry on those functions as long as they don’t violate the state mandate of no more than 10 in a gathering and six feet of separation when you do gather. We, along with our partners, are adhering to those guidelines. Our services of providing food and other essential items to our mission partners who are serving the physical and emotional needs of the community allow us to continue to serve them in the ways we list on our website.

Our greatest response during COVID-19 may actually be the hundreds of stories of how individuals and families are living sent. Whether it be chalk drawings to pray, making cookies for health care workers with notes of encouragement, or prayer walking your street to meet neighbors to invite to join you in one of the three online services … you are living sent and the mission of God is advancing. 

We are partnering with a number of local mission groups to serve the greater Birmingham area. Here is a sampling of what Shades members have done, and are doing, as a church family:

• Each Friday 75-125, “weekend sack lunches” are prepared and delivered to Green Valley Elementary School to provide meals for children through the weekend. 
• Three times a week (M,W,F), at least 50 individual sack lunches are prepared by Shades members and dropped off that goes to feed the homeless population in Birmingham through Urban Purpose. 
• Twice a week (T,Th), sacks of groceries are bought by Shades members and being dropped off, repackaged, and boxed up with enough food for four to five individuals. These are then distributed to churches and groups who are serving families in lower income areas and the elderly through Christian Service Mission.  
• Working alongside our church plant, Antioch Community Church, we've begun intentional efforts to serve and care for the health care workers who have tested positive for COVID-19. A number of ideas are being organized such as encouragement notes, providing for childcare needs, prayer teams focused on different specialties, goodies like cookies delivered to the offices, maybe even “favorites” given out, etc. 
• Additional opportunities each week are also available in partnership with Serving You Ministry.
• Finally, each week for Shades supported missionaries and church planters are contacted for updates and prayer needs. Join others who are praying for them on a regular basis through their updates found here!

These serving opportunities are updated on a weekly basis on the Volunteer site of our web page. Would you pray and ask God what you can do? Then check out the page and select a time and way to serve our community through one of our partners. 

Personally, I am thankful to be a part of such a wonderful family of believers who have been led well "for such a time as this!" Our world has changed, but His mission hasn’t. This season of crisis is to be the church's finest hour. May we embrace this opportunity … may we be the church … may we live sent!