Hands Across Lansing transformed the world on October 7 with paint and peanut butter.

KAY DEMOSS
Senior Editor-Writer, Michigan Area

The Lansing District held its first “Hands Across Lansing” event on Saturday, October 7, 2017 as part of the District Conference. The Mt. Hope STEAM School (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) in Lansing hosted the activities.

The theme for the day was “Reaching Across Barriers.”

The day of mission and service began with worship. Bishop David Bard preached from Isaiah 58, assuring the group that Christians are not called to do everything, but cannot accept doing nothing. He challenged participants to engage in ministry with their community and bring the love of Christ to the world even in the midst of sometimes overwhelming needs.

Hands Across Lansing participants painted student classrooms and picked up trash around the school and in the community. Teachers and students joined district church members in painting their classrooms.

Murals in the gymnasium and hallways had already been painted with the help of Sycamore Creek United Methodist Church; the congregation has been in relationship with the school for the past two years.

 

In addition to painting the school, the group also made 600 sack lunches which were then distributed to immigrant families at two locations in Lansing and to clients at The Homeless Angels, a street-based outreach in the city.

Churches were asked to donate one hygiene kit. All 120 hygiene kits were given to City Rescue Mission for their homeless clients. One congregation, Delta Mills United Methodist Church, donated 42 hygiene kits.

The Hands Across Lansing gathering collected an offering to support the students and teachers at the Mt. Hope STEAM School.

Mt. Hope STEAM School is one of six new magnet schools in the Lansing School District.

Last Updated on November 4, 2022