Touching lives

A few days ago I read a story about Pathway Church in Wichita, KS that paid off medical bills totaling $2.2 million for persons living throughout Kansas. They were able to do this for approximately $20,000 through an organization that purchases medical debt for pennies on the dollar that is owed by people who cannot afford to pay the debt themselves. By buying their debt so cheaply it makes it possible for these individuals and families to be able to pay it. However, this time the church stepped up and paid it for them.

Pathway Church is a megachurch of about 4,000 members. Chances are your church isn't that big. That doesn't mean you can't do something similar to what they did. It just means you might have to do it on a smaller scale, but the end result will be the same. You will have touched people's lives in a way that will make an impact.

As the pastor reported, this action perfectly illustrated the message of Easter. A debt that had been hanging over the heads of these folks had been forgiven giving them the opportunity to have a second chance at life.

Churches spend a lot of time talking about the love of God; this church demonstrated it in a very real way. Only about 500 of the people whose debts were paid lived in the Wichita area. Obviously, the church didn't do this for any benefit they might enjoy. It was simply an act of selfless love, the same kind of love that sent Jesus Christ to the cross. Some, perhaps the majority, of those whose debt was paid may not have attended a church Easter Sunday to hear the Easter story, but they have now had a chance to live it. Someone paid a price they could not pay to make possible the forgiveness they needed.

What needs exist in your community that your church could address? If your church is part of an association of churches perhaps you could go together to meet a larger need. A few years ago I joined several men from an association of churches to winterize some houses in Appalachia. Each of these churches were small and served by bivocational pastors. Separately, each church could not have done a lot, but together we made a difference for a couple of families during our one-day trip. The next year or two they returned to that area to do more work and provide a weekend VBS for the children in the community.

Serving others is what the church is called to do. I encourage you to begin prayerfully looking at what needs your church, or a group of churches, could meet in your community, and then reach out in a way that will touch people's lives.