Skip church? Some in U.S. being asked to

By Michael Conlon, Religion Writer

CHICAGO (Reuters Life!) - Next month across the United States several hundred Christian congregations plan to tell their faithful to skip coming to church -- and head out into the community to help those in need.

Ministering to the hungry, sick and needy is a central tenet of Christianity and other faiths, but it isn't always visible and can become fragmented in today's busy lifestyles, backers of the church-closing effort believe.

"You can get so focused on your church trying to get a building built ... you have to remember it's about being one church and reaching out," said Rev. Kim Cott, senior pastor at the River of Life United Methodist Church, near Jacksonville, Florida.

Her new congregation of more than 200 is still trying to get its first permanent church building erected. But earlier this year they participated in a test phase of the church-closing project that planners are hoping will be deployed in a major way in October.

"We did a soup kitchen. We had a car wash to raise money for missions. We worked on the houses of some elderly people in the community," she said in an interview.

The congregation also contributed money to buy AIDS care-giver kits that World Vision, one of the sponsors of the project, distributes in Africa.

ENCOURAGING PEOPLE

Up to 200 people, including children and teens, participated in the effort, which has continued to bear fruit in the weeks since it ended, Cott said.

Some of the participants "are still taking turns at a soup kitchen," she said.

"We worked on older people's homes and found one that wasn't in very good shape," so volunteers supplied lumber to make repairs, she said.

In addition to World Vision, the global Christian relief organization, the Faith in Action project, is being backed by publisher Outreach Media Group and Zondervan, a Christian communications company.

"If Jesus were here on this earth what would he be doing? Getting to know people, standing by people who are hurting," said Lynne Marian, vice president for communications at Outreach.

While the program culminates in one weekend where churches are encouraged to cancel all services, it involves four weeks of preparation including readings, courses and education about social justice, she said.

"There are daily devotional readings about service, love and compassion," Marian said.

"But the Faith in Action campaign is not just about the members of the church. It's also about encouraging people from the community to come in and join," she added.