“Faith Coalition is a Christian organization united in love and truth. Our mission is to be Christ’s hands and feet in our local community and beyond. Our goal is for our area (Edwardsville / Glen Carbon, IL) churches, united through Christ, to be one body with many members in selected common missions.”
Let’s break that down:
We are “a Christian organization”—Our members come from several area churches, and our work is motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ, and his commandment to serve “the least of these”(Matthew 25:40). We ALSO WELCOME participation from persons of other religions, and of no particular religion, who embrace our mission of service to others.
We are “united in love and truth”—Our goal is to unite local churches in our common purpose, seeking fellowship and understanding with each other. Jesus prayed that we may “be one” as He and the Father are One(John17:22). We strive to focus on our common faith and purpose, rather than our differences.
Our mission is to “be Christ’s hands and feet”—(from the poem attributed to Saint Teresa of Avila) We seek to manifest the love of God through service to His people. We are open to local needs that can be met through the combined efforts of area churches.
So what does Faith Coalition do?
We have done several projects, including:
- Rehabbing the house at 922 Grand Ave, Edwardsville for resale with proceeds to benefit our local Habitat for Humanity chapter
- Travelling to Moore, Oklahoma in 2013, and to Brookport, IL in 2014, to help repair tornado damage
- Publicizing projects of our member churches and encouraging participation from outside their own congregations
What does Faith Coalition plan to do?
This is where YOU come in! Faith Coalition’s direction is determined by the participation of its members. We are actively seeking input from local congregations, which will suggest areas in which Faith Coalition can serve our community.
On this website, we plan to compile a list of existing service opportunities in the Edwardsville / Glen Carbon area. This list can be a resource for individuals and groups who are seeking ways to serve. It can help churches publicize their activities and recruit new members. It can also be a way for members of different churches to meet others who share their calling to particular areas of ministry; this could be the springboard for developing NEW programs and services.
How can you get involved?
- Check the “Volunteer” page of this site to see opportunities for you to help others.
- Check the “About” page to see if your church is already participating in Faith Coalition. If not, talk to your pastor or Mission Team leader about getting involved, OR just watch this site for our meeting times & places(usually the first Thursday of every month) and show up!
- Let us know—on the “Contact” page—about service opportunities in your congregation or civic group; we’ll post them on our calendar!
- Share your thoughts—on “Comments” to this blog, or on the “Contact” page—on how we can work together to benefit local needs. Let’s keep this conversation going!