Many church buildings sit empty six days a week. City Road Chapel United Methodist is not one of them. This congregation of mostly retirees has opened their hearts and their church campus to provide hot meals, housing, and hygiene ministries. Longtime church member Faye Brown says, “When people come here, they are loved and welcomed.”
(Madison, Tennessee)
Mac Smith: I've been here at City Road for over 30 years.
Faye Brown, City Road Chapel UMC: Churches stay younger the more you have people in them.
For 175 years, City Road Chapel United Methodist has served the changing needs of this community.
Mac Smith: We do a meal once a month on a Sunday evening for 200 people we prepare over 200 meals normally and we deliver 136 those out to four different locations and then the rest are served here.
An old kitchen has been turned into a ministry that washes clothes.
Faye Brown: As a volunteer, I fold the laundry, because I already had that specialty before I came.
The gymnasium has been updated to offer free showers.
By renting space to Community Care Fellowship, a United Methodist Ministry, the daycare center has been renovated to house a family shelter.
Ryan La Suer, Community Care Fellowship: It really it really speaks to the heart of the congregation and the heart of the pastor to really say you know what we want to do church a little bit different we want to open up our doors and give our congregation a way to intentionally invite our community in in a different way, in a very Biblical way.
JoAnn Hodge: “I've been homeless currently for a little over five months now.”
We spoke with JoAnn the day she arrived. She’d been living in a van with her disabled brother. Joanne’s 7 children were scattered. The family shelter at city road chapel brought the family back under one roof. 6 weeks later, JoAnn is employed in the shower ministry and working with a housing specialist to move into an apartment.
JoAnn Hodge: Now I have a job to look forward to every day. I receive hot meals. They have places that cater and bring us hot meals here. They have fellowship. They have a church. They have different programs that help you mentally. So yeah, I have tons of friends here.
Faye Brown: And, of course, we have people we get closer to and when they have pain or sorrows, we have those and when they have joys, we have those.
We're happy to have a new baby downstairs right now and that that's I can't wait to get to really know them. When people come here, they are loved and welcomed.
Jim Neely: It changed our mission for sure, in years past, we loved God and we loved each other, but we weren't all that good in loving our neighbors, and now we feel like we are doing what we're able to do in loving our neighbors in addition to loving God and loving each other.
Tag: Community meals are served on the fourth Sunday of each month. Showers of Blessings and Loads of Love laundry service are available weekly on Monday and Wednesday mornings. For more information on these ministries, contact City Road Chapel UMC.
This video was produced by United Methodist Communications in Nashville, TN. Contact is Joe Iovino.
This video was first posted on September 9, 2024.
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