Inasmuch Adds New Ministry

April 24, 2013 By Leave a Comment

First Question:  What is essential, inexpensive, nutritious, fun to make, comes in a cardboard box and feeds 216 hungry people?  Answer:  One box of 36 bags of Kids Against Hunger meals packed by volunteers and sent to a third world country.

Second Question:  What is the latest compassion ministry offered by the national office of Operation Inasmuch?  Answer:  Packing low-cost, nutritious meals through the Kids Against Hunger program, thousands at a time.

Fun Food Packing

Kids Against Hunger food packing events are perfect for almost all ages and bring people together working, across generational lines.

Operation Inasmuch, Inc. became an official satellite of Kids Against Hunger (KAH) in March.  As such the Inasmuch ministry is now able to offer congregations, church groups and businesses the opportunity to pack a large number of dehydrated meals that are sent to Haiti and other third world countries.  “We applied to become a KAH satellite because we see this ministry, feeding hungry people, as aligning perfectly with our mission of mobilizing believers to minister to people at their point of need,” says David Crocker, Executive Director of the Inasmuch ministry.  “Also, we see it as an opportunity to offer a new way to serve for those churches already using the Inasmuch model.  Finally, we see the food packing project as a simple and effective way of bringing congregations together as part of a larger Inasmuch United event.”  Kids Against Hunger (www.kidsagainsthunger.com) is an international food-aid organization founded in 1999 “to reduce the number of hungry children in the USA and to feed starving children throughout the world.”  The Inasmuch ministry is one of about 100 satellites across the nation affiliated with KAH based on New Hope, Minnesota, outside Minneapolis.  Last year alone, KAH satellites packed forty million meals for hungry people around the world!

Food packing events are fun and build a community spirit for the group working together.

The Inasmuch ministry has already conducted two KAH packing events:  Central Baptist Church of Bearden, Knoxville, TN on March 17—53,118 meals packed—and Faith Promise Church, Knoxville, TN on April 13—50,000 meals packed.  More than 300 volunteers were involved at Central Baptist and about 170 at Faith Promise.

Crocker says, “The food packing endeavor will never become the primary aspect of the Inasmuch ministry, merely an ‘add-on’ for those churches that either want to introduce a new ‘wrinkle’ into their ongoing Inasmuch events or want to use the packing as a sort of stack pole project for an Inasmuch United event.”

“Because of the logistics of staging a KAH packing event, far and away most of them will be within a short radius of Knoxville,” adds Crocker.  “Occasionally, when the event is large enough to merit the efforts required to move the packing equipment a long distance, we will undertake packing projects at some distance from our home office in Knoxville.”

Churches interested in staging a food packing event should contact the Inasmuch ministry at 865-951-2511 or david@operationinasmuch.org.

Filed Under: David's Revolutionary Talk, eNewsletter Archive & Articles, News & Press, Stories of the Revolution Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Eureka! An Inasmuch United

September 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The following article appeared on Wednesday, August 29, in the Woodford County (Illinois) News Bulletin:

Third Operation Inasmuch Event Completes 15 Projects

By Legal Record Webmaster

EUREKA – The third Operation Inasmuch project, sponsored by Eureka Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), was held on a very warm Saturday, Aug. 4, in Eureka.

Members and friends of ECC and St. Luke’s Catholic Church were sent out to complete work projects for 15 homeowners who either could not afford or physically complete repair work on their homes.

Applications for projects were taken by the church, and site evaluators screened the requested work to be sure it met the skills of church members and could be completed in one day.

Work included trimming bushes and trees, painting fences, porch and step repair, doorbell installation and other tasks. Other teams working at the church made shawls and walker bags for local nursing homes residents, prepared food for the work teams and cleaned the kitchen, and guided younger members of the congregation in crafts and singing for nursing home residents.

All work was completed free of charge. Funding, food, and supplies for the event were provided by individual donations, as well as the Eureka Area United Fund, Eureka IGA, Cornerstone Restaurant, Eureka Casey’s General Store.

Begun at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church in Fayettville, NC in 1995, Operation Inasmuch is “one great day of ministry to people in need by church members.” It is based on Matthew 25:40–“Truly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these, my friends, you did it to me.”

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Inasmuch Plays in Peoria!

August 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The following article appeared August 12, 2012 on the CINewsNow web site, serving Peoria, Illinois:

Glen Oak Church helps community in Operation Inasmuch

PEORIA, Ill. — Homes on Peoria’s East Bluff have a little more curb-appeal. This after members of one local church is lending a helping hand, or dozens of them to residents in need.

Painting, yard work, and home up-keep. Some of the general things a homeowner is familiar with, but when funds and health aren’t there, Glen Oak Church is happy to help.

“It’s great that we can do that and we have the time, and the privilege, and the resources to get this done. All of the extra help that people put in for this ya know months in advance. It’s amazing, and you go home feeling tired but really good,” said volunteer Jacob Williams.

The 10th annual Operation Inasmuch provided help to 30 less fortunate homes in Peoria. About 120 volunteers put there handiness to good use by building porches and painting houses. For some residents, yard work just isn’t possible.

“I’m not able to get out and do some of the yard work because I have real bad allergies and I break out just by the slightest touch of grass so it’s really wonderful that they’re able to come out and help when i especially need it around this time,” said local resident Bonita Harris.

Others like Rodney Farlow applied for for the work because injuries have disabled them from working.

“With me not working and not being able to work, the funds aren’t there. Ya know and that’s why I said to have a little piece at a time. By the time winter would come around I still wouldn’t have got the work done,” said Farlow.

The church got two grants to help pay for supplies from the East Bluff Neighborhood Housing Association and the Central Illinois Community Foundation. Residents in need can apply for the help each year.

Filed Under: News & Press Tagged With: , ,

Two Churches Serve Suffolk, VA

August 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The following article was published on August 4, 2012, in the Suffolk (Virginia) News-Herald:

Church Members Reach Out

by Tracy Agnew

Dozens of members of two downtown churches spread out across the city Saturday on a mission of hope.

It was the second year of Operation Inasmuch for West End Baptist Church and Suffolk Presbyterian Church. They started doing the ministries last year in lieu of conducting vacation Bible school.

“We really are enjoying this more than VBS,” said Lou Ventura, one of the organizers of the event. “At VBS, we were just ministering to ourselves. We felt we needed to really help the community.”

Jack Leach, left, and Jack Stoughton help repair Peggy Luter’s front porch on First Avenue on Saturday. The project was part of Operation Inasmuch, done by two downtown churches.

The weekend-long event began Friday, when the two churches met at West End and the Rev. Rebecca Lesley of Suffolk Presbyterian delivered the message. Teams ironed out final details for the next day over a potluck dinner.

On Saturday, six teams went off on their missions of compassion.

A hygiene kit team assembled hygiene kits and donated them to the Western Tidewater Free Clinic. A sewing team delivered pillows, walker bags and lap blankets they had handmade to a nursing home. A yard sale team sold donated items for 25 cents each at Suffolk Presbyterian Church. A construction team completed a three-day project to repair and paint a front porch on First Avenue. A cemetery team began mapping the graves at Oak Lawn Cemetery, the long-neglected resting place of some of Suffolk’s most prominent black citizens from the late 1800s.

And finally, a prayer team visited each of the other sites to pray with volunteers.

“It’s a way for us to get into the community,” Ventura said. “This was a successful thing last year, so we decided to do it again.”

At the yard sale, anyone who needed items they couldn’t afford was allowed to just take them.

On First Avenue, Peggy Luter watched as a team of volunteers repaired her front porch.

“These people are wonderful,” said Luter, a member of West End who also contributed as part of the sewing team. “I appreciate these people. I told them I would like to be up there hammering.”

Part of the wood on her porch had been rotting, she said. The team decided the best course of action was to replace the entire porch. They also offered to come back and stain the wood, she said.

“This is just a very small way that our churches can express our ministry into the community,” church member Jack Stoughton said during a break from repairing the porch. “It’s a great ministry.”

On Sunday, the two churches planned to meet for worship at Suffolk Presbyterian, with Dr. Chester Brown, interim pastor of West End, delivering the message.

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Another Warren, Ohio Inasmuch!

August 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The following article from Youngston, Ohio’s Vindy.com was published on August  6, 2012, announcing Central Christian Church’s upcoming Inasmuch Day:

Warren church has community-service day Saturday

WARREN — Central Christian Church, 2051 E. Market St., sponsors its fifth annual Operation Inasmuch service day Saturday. The day begins with a breakfast at 7 a.m. and worship service at 7:45. Groups will embark on their projects at 9.

The church’s youth group painted boards that will cover six abandoned homes. The group will partner with Warren’s Weed & Seed Program by boarding up these homes as part of the project.

The church also has joined forces with Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership to paint a house located on the city’s southwest side.

The church also will have groups braiding lap blankets for nursing-home residents, assembling care packages for Armed Forces, and coordinating a food drive.

Filed Under: News & Press, Upcoming Events Tagged With: ,

Indiana Inasmuch a Success!

July 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Trinity United Methodist Church in Evansville, IN conducted a very busy and successful Inasmuch Day on Friday, June 22. Tommy Tate served as the Event Coordinator and told David Crocker that the church expected to mobilize 70 volunteers, yet 91 showed up! Tommy shared this about their Day:

I had the joy of serving [this] day of sharing and giving through 91 volunteers. The volunteers put together 84 Care Packages and distributed them to hospital waiting rooms along with baskets of cookies to 2 fire stations. [Volunteers assembled] 100 Hygiene Kits for homeless people.

[They also] prepared and served lunch for 100+ homeless people and delivered 12 casseroles to shut-ins. [Musicians prepared and shared] a program of music … with Nursing Home residents and several properties were cleaned up and repaired. In cooperation with Wesselmans Store and the Tri-State Food Bank, we collected $309.88 in cash and over 100 lb. of food. [On top of it all,] we fed 36 lunches to workers wanting lunch!

Shane Boyles participated in the Inasmuch Day and put together a fantastic video on Facebook. Prior to the event, the article below appeared in Evansville, Indiana’s online Courier Press. What a blessing this Inasmuch Day seems to have been for all involved!

‘Operation Inasmuch’ brings volunteer blitz to Evansville

By Sara Anne Corrigan

Friday, June 22, 2012

Next week a corps of volunteers from Trinity United Methodist Church in Downtown Evansville will split up into 10 small groups to provide supplies and services to a variety of organizations that serve the community’s most needy residents.

They will clean up private property and do handyman jobs for preselected residents in the Blackford Grove/Washington Avenue area; they will man food bins and collect canned goods for the Tri-State Food Bank; they will assemble and deliver hygiene kits for the area’s homeless; they will assemble and deliver donated clothing and prepare and serve lunch for residents at United Caring Shelters; they’ll prepare and deliver casseroles to shut-ins.

“Operation Inasmuch” is a one-day blitz on June 30, said Tommy Tate, coordinator of the project.

“The name comes from Matthew 25:40,” he explained: “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, in as much as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

“It is a compassion ministry.”

Tate and the committee at Trinity did not create Operation Inasmuch out of whole cloth: “It all began in Fayetteville, N.C., at the Snyder Memorial Baptist Church back around 1995,” he said.

“I learned about it through a former (music) student of mine in Henderson, Ky., where I was choral music teacher. She had gone on to become a youth minister at that church and had met Dave Crocker there.”

Crocker is a retired minister and executive director of Operation Inasmuch Inc., which is now a national organization that provides the tools to mobilize congregations.

Tate also is retired but has been serving on the Vision Committee at Trinity for the past two years. “And I thought it might be good for our congregation and good for the community,” he said.

Senior Pastor Allen Amstutz said when Tate brought the idea to him, “I was very interested. I had been trying to find ways to engage our members in ministry, to reach out, mobilize and move into the community, but I had never had a tool, a way to generate interest.

“We have about 70 volunteers signed up right now,” he said. “Depending on our success this time, we may do this twice or even four times a year.”

Amstutz said that Trinity, located at 216 SE Third St. has established its target neighborhood as within boundaries of Riverside Drive, the Lloyd Expressway, U.S. 41 and the Ohio River.

“And this project is about Trinity members serving non-Trinity members,” although interested volunteers do not have to be Trinity members.

In addition to Amstutz and Tate, the planning committee includes Sheila Kennedy, Will Firestone, Fred Mulfinger, Andrew Hartman and Wheeler Stephens.

Operation Inasmuch, Inc., provides leadership and training, Tate said. “Dave Crocker came here and spent some time with us, training us to prepare and implement this program. We brainstormed projects we thought we could do in the area (we wanted to target); we put together 10 projects and coordinated everything.”

The projects cover an array of tasks that are meant to be of interest to volunteers with a variety of skill sets. All projects are designed to be completed within a 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. time frame, Tate said.

Filed Under: News & Press, Stories of the Revolution

WORLD Magazine Mentions Inasmuch

June 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The June 16 issue of WORLD Magazine mentioned the recent North Carolina Inasmuch event in it’s Human Race section.

Here’s the article:  

The entire Human Race page (from WORLD’s online version of the magazine) follows. The Inasmuch mention is highlighted:

Filed Under: News & Press Tagged With: , ,

There’s Inasmuch Life in Michigan

May 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment

David Crocker likes to say that Operation Inasmuch is not just a “one and done.”

Operation Inasmuch, Inc., has trained thousands of churches to conduct a single day of community outreach to serve those in need. But “once is not enough!”

That’s why we created the Inasmuch Life process to help churches mobilize their people to volunteer on a regular basis, with lifestyles of compassion ministry.

But sometimes a church needs no training!

The following article shows how churches in the Cheasaning, Michigan area turned their Inasmuch United into a lifetime of caring for the hungry. The article was published in the online Tri-County Citizen on May 6, 2012:

Inasmuch donations needed to continue feeding the needy

BY JEANNE MARCELLO STAFF REPORTER

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – Volunteers sort food into boxes for needy families in the Chesaning area and surrounding communities. About 50 volunteers are needed to help with the food distribution on the second Saturday of every month. Contact Trinity United Methodist Church to volunteer time or donate money to help this effort continue. (TCC file photo)

CHESANING – For the past year, Chesaning area volunteers have been dedicating one Saturday a month to provide food for those in need. It’s an extension of Operation Inasmuch; which focuses on helping others. During the past year, several area churches, local businesses, some national chain stores and the Chesaning Union School District have all contributed to make the food program work. Once a month, each family receives a box full of food to help them through tough times. Cash donations are needed to keep these truckloads of food coming.

The project coordinator, who prefers to remain anonymous, said, “We got through the first year. We can see this is going to be a big need in the community, and we’re growing.” Presently, 175 boxes are given out on a monthly basis, feeding about 475 people per month.

The coordinator explained that while the food is not free, over the past year, the cost of truckloads of food has been $500 each month. But with increased fuel costs, the food will now be $600 each month. Local churches, businesses, even several individuals, have donated money to keep the food deliveries coming.

Those in need who would like to be put on the list of food recipients should go sign up at the Chesaning Area Emergency Relief (CAER) center up to two weeks before the food is delivered. The truck arrives on the second Saturday each month, loaded with 10,000 lbs. of food coming from the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan.

Swartzmiller Lumber owner Don Swartzmiller has been bringing equipment to unload the truck each month. Approximately 50 volunteers help through much of the day sorting food into boxes.

Over the past year, most of the food distributions have taken place at Trinity United Methodist Church. Although during the winter months, they were able to use the Chesaning Union Schools bus garage; which enabled volunteers to work indoors.

During the past year, the following organizations, and individuals, have donated funds to cover the cost of the monthly food deliveries: Our Lady Catholic Church, St. Mary Church of Albee, St. Michael Church of Oakley, Trinity United Methodist Church of Chesaning, Family Dollar, Walmart, and even an individual who had benefited from the food program while he was unemployed.

Other organizations that have contributed include: Frank’s Super Market (provided older shopping carts and boxes for packing food), Nixon’s Grocery (helps with food for community suppers), and the Boy Scouts (carry boxes to vehicles for people and help with the community suppers).

The coordinator said, “This is not really a church thing; it’s a community thing. It’s a community project. A lot of people are not affiliated with a church.”

With so many families needing help at this time, more cash donations and volunteer labor are needed to continue this worthwhile Operation Inasmuch food program.

“Some of the recipients think the food is free. It’s not free. It’s kind of a hardship for us to do this. But the need is here,” the coordinator said.

Donations can be directed to the Trinity United Methodist Church. Those interested in volunteering can call the church as well; (989) 845-3157.

 

Filed Under: News & Press, Stories of the Revolution Tagged With: , , ,

Virginians to Unite for Statewide Inasmuch

May 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment

On May 3, 2012, Executive Director David Crocker met with members of the Network of Association Workers comprised of Directors of Missions and Association support staff from across the state of Virginia.

By the end of the meeting, the group decided to work together to conduct an Inasmuch United Virginia in the spring of 2014!

The group anticipates that 1400 churches from across the state will serve their communities with compassion on a single day. This event makes Virginia the third state to experience the blessing of a statewide Inasmuch event, following North Carolina (Southern Baptist) and South Carolina (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America).

Cliff Hudgins, Director of Missions of the Pittsylvania Association was a strong advocate of a statewide Inasmuch Untied at the May 3 meeting. He said…

A lot of churches wait too long and do too little to wake up their congregations, to find ways to reach out to the community and to grow spiritually. Operation Inasmuch provides a model that is far more effective than most efforts to help a church move forward.

In last year’s Inasmuch event, we were able to mobilize 70% of our churches in the Association. Each church in turn had a huge number of people involved: 58% of those who attend Sunday School – well beyond the 20% that typically volunteer! As a result, over 1500 volunteers from 36 churches served their communities last fall.

The biggest benefit of our Inasmuch United is that participants realized for the first time that they don’t have to go overseas or even across the state to do mission work. They can become missionaries in their own backyard and experience the joy serving those who have needs – while having their own lives touched as well.

We are excited about the opportunity to share the missionary thrill with churches and churchgoers across Virginia in 2014!

Operation Inasmuch’s presence in Virginia is not new. More than 115 churches individually and in groups have been conducting Inasmuch events for several years now.

Churches in Tappahanock, VA, have worked together for 5 years in a community-wide Essex Churches Together Inasmuch event. Northern Neck churches (near Warsaw, VA) have been serving together for 3 years. The Portsmouth and Pittsylvania Baptist Associations started Inasmuch events last year and hope to expand to neighboring Associations in 2013.

May, 2012 eNewsletter

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NC Unites to Build Record # of Ramps

May 14, 2012 By 1 Comment

The following article was published May 2012 under Convention News in the North Carolina Baptist website.

The article discusses the statewide Inasmuch United (called NC Operation Inasmuch) – and the huge success of the Rampin’ Up initiative to build a record number of wheelchair ramps in one day!

Rampin Up!, Operation Inasmuch successful in community outreach

By: Melissa Lilley

Photo credit (all photos): Melissa Lilley, BSCNC Communications

After just a couple hours working, Vicky Coerper couldn’t believe the team’s progress. Before the day’s end the wheelchair ramp would be finished, giving her mom a new sense of freedom.

“I am very thankful. This will help keep my mom, and her caretaker, safe,” Coerper said. Coerper’s mom, who has dementia and cannot care for herself, came to live with her and her husband about three years ago in their North Raleigh home. Coerper said adding the wheelchair ramp to their home will help her mom be able to get outside on days when the weather is nice, instead of being stuck inside all the time.

Coerper’s mom has a wheelchair but it is difficult to navigate in and out of the house, and even inside the house.

Coerper’s family is just one of many across the state that benefited from “Rampin Up!” on April 28. “Rampin Up!” was an effort among North Carolina Baptists to build wheelchair ramps for aging adults, as ramps consistently rank among the highest needs of the aging-adult population.

In one day, nearly 3,000 volunteers from North Carolina Baptist churches built 327 wheelchair ramps.

North Carolina Baptist Aging Ministry (NCBAM) partnered with NC Baptist Men to coordinate the initiative as part of the larger statewide Operation Inasmuch. Operation Inasmuch is an event that encourages churches to choose one day and minister to those in need in their communities through hands-on, practical efforts.

After May 5, when more volunteers will participate in community outreach, the total number of participants for this year’s Operation Inasmuch will include more than 170 North Carolina Baptist churches, representing about 50 counties.

NCBAM Director Sandy Gregory called April 28 an “independence day” for aging adults in North Carolina.

“People of all ages can find themselves confined to a wheelchair. But as we age, the number of people unable to leave their homes because of a lack of mobility increases. They are trapped until someone builds a wheelchair ramp for them,” Gregory said in a statement released by NCBAM.

NCBAM reported that six people prayed to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior through “Rampin Up!”

A ramp costs usually costs $700 and takes about eight hours to build. Some churches built more than one ramp on April 28, and Eastern Baptist Association in Sampson County built more than 20 ramps.

Members from Bay Leaf Baptist Church, known as the Bay Leaf Builders, built two ramps April 28, including Coerper’s. The group includes mostly retired adults.

“Just about every week we build a ramp. We are able to share our faith with the homeowners and pray with them,” said Reece Dillard.

Dillard said Bay Leaf Builders began in 2008 because people saw the need for such a ministry and wanted to serve others.

In addition to “Rampin Up!” North Carolina Baptist churches participated in a variety of outreach efforts through Operation Inasmuch. Members of First Baptist Church in Cary volunteered with Dorcas Ministries, an organization that began in 1968 and is dedicated to helping meet physical needs and to sharing the gospel.

Dorcas Ministries serves the community through a thrift store, food pantry, crisis ministry and adult education scholarships. In the past five years Dorcas Ministries has helped more than 42,000 people and provided more than $2.2 million in financial and food assistance.

“This is more of a calling than a job,” said Howard Manning, Dorcas Ministries executive director. “It’s a practical way to put God’s commands into action.”

When Manning retired from GlaxoSmithKline he did not plan to enter the workforce again, but serving at Dorcas has provided unique opportunities. “It’s a way to exercise your true beliefs everyday. It’s Matthew 25, ” he said.

First Baptist Cary member Andrew Major has volunteered at Dorcas and is also involved with Touching Lives for Christ, First Baptist’s annual community outreach.

“One of our visions is to do local missions in North Carolina, and to do missions in the United States and internationally. Touching Lives with Christ and Operation Inasmuch help us get families involved with missions projects,” Major said.

In Scotland Neck, Dawson Baptist Church also found a creative way to serve the community. Their “Relief at the Pump” outreach took place at the Shell gas station on Main Street, where youth and adults spent the morning pumping gas and cleaning windshields.

That morning the station discounted gas 25 cents, with the church making up the difference. “It was busy all morning long. There was already a line when we got there,” said youth pastor Will Matthews.

Matthews said the idea for the outreach came after church members saw a television news report about poverty in the Scotland Neck area. “It got us to talking about what we can do to reach out,” he said.

Operation Inasmuch allowed the church to help meet a need and to share the gospel.

“Just about everyone asked why we were doing it, which gave us a really good opportunity to share Christ.”

Filed Under: News & Press Tagged With: , , ,
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