More than 750 neighbors and friends—many of whom have no attachment to church—participated in the “We Care Warsaw” outreach staged this past Saturday, December 11, by the Winona Lake (IN) Grace Brethren Church (Bruce Barlow, lead pastor).

Dave Rank of the pastoral staff spearheaded and directed the project, which now has been going for several years.  Utilizing several facilities, including the Winona Lake church’s building, the Gordon Recreation Center of Grace College, and the college’s maintenance garage, “We Care” serviced hundreds with free haircuts, manicures, family photos, free oil changes, a hearty meal, and much more.

Approximately 450 meals, prepared and served by church members, were served to the community during the afternoon event. Dozens of church volunteers assisted with the project, and each was prepared to start spiritual conversations with questions such as, “Can I ask you an interesting question? Christmas is celebrating Jesus’ birthday, right? Why do you think Jesus came?”

Church volunteers were also equipped with the small booklet “One Second After You…”, a condensed version of Mark Cahill’s book “One Heartbeat Away.”  Prayer volunteers were available throughout the day to pray with those who requested it, and at least one individual made a commitment to Christ during the event.