Graciously using their gifts

Easter Sunrise service — temperatures hovering at 17°.

We’ve all heard it: spiritual gifts are given individually for building up the body corporately. At Elwood City FMC (PA), members are bringing these scriptures to life, lovingly drawing their community to Jesus.

Recovering alcoholic Dan Glover first received Christ after praying with an FM pastor. Then in 1990, he rededicated himself to the Lord following a stay in a DUI center for continuing alcohol abuse. Sober now for 18 years, Glover leads AA meetings at the church and has taken the initiative in another area as well.

His heart for kids has him ministering to children from “the projects.” He picks them up in a van for Christian Life Club (CLC) on Wednesday nights, and since many are from single-parent families, at Christmastime he takes moms and kids shopping with funds donated by the church. Some of the moms are now attending services too, and a group of 7th graders didn’t want to graduate from CLC, so Glover created and runs a special class for them.

Octogenarian Lenys Hazen loves her students.

Also reaching kids is gifted octogenarian Lenys Hazen. In contrast to Glover’s rather tumultuous past, Hazen has always been a Christian — the daughter of long-time FM superintendent and author R.R. Blews. A beloved CLC teacher, Hazen loves to love children into the kingdom.

During Lent, the church participates with other congregations in The Way of the Cross: Two large crosses (each takes three men to carry it) are driven from one church to the next, with the members following. The men set up the cross near the second church’s altar, then both congregations enjoy a service of singing, responsive readings and prayer. Each week the crosses “visit” two new churches, where they remain until the following week. The congregations hold Easter sunrise services together at a local cemetery (that also happens to be the highest spot in town). The crosses clearly demonstrate what Jesus has done, and symbolize the reason the church is building up the kingdom.

Dan Glover and his van-ministry kids. >