At the end of July, Lanham Grace Church in Lanham, Md., completed some much-needed renovations in their building with the help of a team from Grace Polaris Church in Columbus, Ohio.
A few years ago Lanham Grace entered into a revitalization partnership with Assist Church Expansion. At that time Eric Smith, who was serving as the youth/associate pastor, was hired as lead pastor. Early on in the revitalization process the church realized they needed a physical revitalization as well and they began raising funds. The church, which is over 50 years old, hadn’t had a serious update in 35 years. Among other cosmetic needs, the pews and carpet (both green) were in terrible condition. Eric said, “We asked people to pray for a new day for our church ministry. Our vision for this project was to prepare a space that would glorify God in our community many years to come.”
Eric’s connection with Grace Polaris came about through a family at Lanham Grace, Jeremy and Maria Lee. Maria grew up at Grace Polaris, and her parents, Jeff and Kristi, still attend and are actively involved there. At a birthday party for Jeremy and Maria’s son, Eric was talking with Jeff and Kristi about the Charis Fellowship. Eric shared updates on their church about the revitalization process. Jeff asked Eric if they would consider doing the renovation work themselves and offered to bring a team to help with the work. Jeff shared about the warehouse ministry at Grace Polaris, something Jeff has been involved in for decades, and other projects they have assisted with in the past.
“The conversation was a huge answer to prayer,” Eric said. “We had started raising funds to renovate the sanctuary, but we had no plans. In addition, the amount we raised was nowhere near what it would take for a contractor to accomplish the work. (In the end it was exactly the right amount to cover the cost of materials.) Over the course of several months, we started discussing the idea and began making plans.”
The total project in included the replacement of the carpet in the church lobby, sanctuary, offices, and nursery. The offices (4 smaller rooms) and nursery were also painted during this time, and the stage was also renovated. The team, led by Jeff and Kristi Shaw, worked for five long days to complete the planned work, plus a few additional projects.
“Seeing God’s hand in this project from the work that was completed to those that volunteered to go was unbelievable,” Jeff said. “May the work that was completed bring glory and honor to his name in the years to come.”
Eric said, “For me, this project is a reminder of God’s faithful provision for His people. God opened every door that we needed from the moment our church set out to pray and raise funds to renovate our space. Even the arrival of our new chairs came exactly when they needed to…they arrived later than expected, during the week of the renovation. This turned out to be a blessing, because we needed a lot of extra help to get them off the truck. This entire project has been an answer to prayer.”
The team from Grace Polaris consisted of 25 people, ranging in age from toddler to mid-70s. Lisa Anglea, a participant on the trip, said, “For me the Lanham ministry trip was a road on my journey to healing from the negative thoughts planted by my adversary. God brought victory through serving others, forming new relationships bound in Christ and encouraged through teamwork. What an amazing opportunity to help others and serve our brothers and sisters at Lanham Grace Church!”
“Beyond just the work, the team was a huge encouragement to me personally and our church family,” Eric said. “The group was full of such wonderful and godly people. While I was glad for the work to be finished, I miss spending time with the group from Grace Polaris. We now have many friends in Columbus, Ohio!”
