Love, In the Name of Christ (INC) of Hillsdale County doesn’t give out a single penny, meal, or piece of furniture, but the group meets needs every day. Nestled in a small town in Michigan, this Love, INC chapter is one of 122 across the United States. Love, INC acts as a clearinghouse for their local network of churches, connecting needs to appropriate ministries. They take the time to get to know the individuals asking for assistance, and often are able to meet deeper needs than those originally presented…

Pastor John “Chip” Boyd recalls that prior to 2011, Journey Church’s ministry focus was almost 100% internal. With a small church of only 130 members, they did not expect to change their predominantly poor urban neighborhood in Joplin, Missouri. When a devastating tornado ripped through their town in 2011, they were jolted to consider how they could help their neighbors. This question was amplified by a Wisconsin-based missions company that used Journey as a platform for a short-term mission trip to assist with tornado rehabilitation.

Kyle is a young man who has been mowing the yard for Mary over the past two summers. Mary is in her sixties, suffers from depression and anxiety, and is on disability. Kyle and Mary were introduced through Neighbor Connect, a program of Watered Gardens Ministries that cares for the local community by connecting one neighbor’s need to another neighbor’s skill. By databasing and categorizing the services volunteers can offer, Neighbor Connect took Kyle’s willingness to volunteer mowing services and paired it with Mary’s lawn care needs.