Rev. Christopher Bodley and Bethany, Detroit were recipients of Habitat for Humanity’s Faith Partner of the Year Award. The award was presented at a HFH red-carpet event in March. This special recognition dinner of community stakeholders, business partners, and state agencies acknowledges community development work in the city of Detroit.
The Bethany congregation has worked hand-in-hand with neighborhood associations who meet at Bethany at least three times a month. Bethany, in conjunction with Acts 2 Enterprise, has participated in Habitat for Humanity summer buildouts. Bethany has also provided housing for AmeriCorp teams on multiple occasions. These teams are made up of students who have been deployed to the city of Detroit for six weeks to engage in community projects. These students enter into a 3-year program to serve across the country. At the conclusion of their time, many enter college because they have service credit hours.
The members of Bethany are excited about the many opportunities which the LORD has opened as a result of wanting to build relationships with both the residents and community stakeholders.
Acts 2 Enterprise is a strategic and holistic urban outreach initiative of the Michigan District, LCMS based on the work of Jesus and His disciples in the early church as recorded in Acts 2:42-47. The purpose of A2E is for urban churches to reconnect with the communities in which they reside, evangelizing and discipling the cities with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Besides partnering with Habitat for Humanity, A2E reaches out with initiatives such as Jobs for Life and Sports Camps/VBS. To learn more about and contribute to the 2016 Sports Camps, click here.
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