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A Heart and a Burden for Bon Ton
Prestonwood members and others "salt the community with grace"
After rakes, brooms, gloves, shovels and trash bags were distributed to some 800 volunteers who showed up for Clean Sweep on Saturday, July 15, the servants dispersed into various neighborhoods to “salt” the Bon Ton community for the glory of God.
Pastor Jack Graham welcomed the volunteers—young and old, black and white, returnees and first-timers—to the 90 Days of Blessing service project outside of Turner Courts Gym in south Dallas.
“Jesus said, ‘You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world,’” Pastor Graham instructed. “That’s why we’re here today—to salt the community with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Nearly 300 youth from Guaranty Bank’s basketball association joined volunteers from The Beck Group, Manhattan Construction Company, the City of Dallas and more than 20 area churches.
For many, the service project became an affair for the whole family. Matthew and Suzette Snyder from Prestonwood brought their three young children, two of whom took part in the 2005 Operation Clean Sweep and were excited to return.
Last year, said Suzette, “was a neat time to get out of the North Dallas sphere and start to help people.”
Their friends Chad and Julie Lunsford also brought their three children.
“We’ve helped with some families from the Hurricane down here and have a heart and a burden for them,” Julie said. “And (we) wanted to teach our kids about serving.”
Eric Akins from The Potter’s House joined other members of his church for the Saturday cleanup project. Accustomed to reaching people for Christ through the Acts 2 Evangelism ministry, Eric believes Clean Sweep is just another way of touching people’s lives.
“This is what Christianity is all about,” he said. “This is what Jesus tells us to do.”
While passing out Bibles on a street near Turner Courts, Prestonwood members Rhett Broussard and Michael Fechner visited with a man relaxing on a shaded porch. The man didn’t share any prayer needs, but as the pair approached the fence to leave, his cousin asked them to come back. She had just gotten an apartment and was scared and nervous to be out on her own, and wanted prayer for her two children. After praying, the men invited her to the church service at Turner Courts.
While making their way down another street, Dennis and Magye Starnes from Prestonwood approached a group of neighborhood youth who were mocking the cleanup efforts, but eventually came away from their porch and joined the couple on the sidewalk to talk.
“They all knew Jesus as their Savior,” Magye said, “but needed some encouragement…to grow in the Lord. So we left here with some new friends.”
Magye, who will minister at a women’s prison for yet another 90 Days of Blessing project, is confident that although much was accomplished that Saturday, the ministry of service didn’t end in Bon Ton.
“I think this is just God’s preparation for more work,” she said.
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