This past Saturday we gathered in Allendale, SC, as we have for the past 7 years, for the We Care Allendale Workday. For seven years people from CBFSC churches gathered in Allendale for a day of service: building ramps, hanging sheetrock, hosting reading fairs, painting, yard-work, and so much more. Steadily, as the years went by, we saw the make-up of participants slowly shift from being entirely an effort of CBFSC to being entirely an effort of the local Allendale community. That is why this year’s workday looked a little different.
We did gather together to work. Paint was put on walls, sheetrock was hung, and streets were cleaned, but what was more special than that, was the celebration that was to follow. This past Saturday, CBFSC passed the torch of leadership for the workday into local hands. What we began is no longer ours but theirs. And that was something to celebrate.
Celebrate we did! We ate together, shared stories of what the workday meant to us, enjoyed dance and musical performances, and enjoyed “Freedom Park” and the Allendale Farmer’s Market.
I’m sure many are asking, “So, does this mean CBFSC is done with our work in Allendale?”
Far from it! Allendale is part of CBF’s Together For Hope which entails long-term commitment to holistic transformation in some of the most under-resourced counties in the United States. So we are committed to partnership with the Allendale community, and more than that we are committed to our friends, our brothers and sisters whom we’ve grown to love over these past seven years.
We invite you and your churches to explore the possibility of going deeper in your commitment to Allendale as well. What would it look like for you to partner with one of our local Allendale partners on a long-term and ongoing basis? Imagine the vitality it could bring to both our Allendale Partners and your church to have friends and family who you visit, pray with, fellowship with, and work alongside several times a year (both in their community and yours)! We invite you to think about what that could mean. What could you bring to the table? What could they offer you?
If this is of interest to you, contact me (Blake) and we’ll begin to explore what that can look like together.