Ablaze! in the Northern Illinois District

by Karen Kogler

Statistics support what is easily noticed in most congregations: women outnumber men in Christian churches. The low ratio of men to women is often even greater when measuring people involved in ministry. One local congregation is changing the numbers a bit through outreach ministries using skills and activities commonly enjoyed by men.

The Oil Change ministry at Cross Lutheran Church, Yorkville, Illinois, is headed by Harry Rothaug. Harry and his volunteers provide free oil changes to people in need. Twice a year, they spend half a day changing the oil, checking fluid levels and tires, and in general giving cars a good looking-over.

"They're very grateful," Harry says of the people whose cars are serviced. The customers, single mothers and others with financial hardship, hear of the service through the county welfare office and through the church office. "We're often asked what organization we belong to," Harry continues. He tells them about their church and invites them to visit if they don't have a church home. "I don't push it," he says. "People don't like that. This is just a first step."

The owner of the service garage plays a key role by providing a place for the volunteers to work. If the guys notice that the car needs additional work, the owner often includes a discount in his estimate to the customer. The customers also seem to appreciate knowing an honest repairman. "It's hard to find someone you can trust," they often tell Harry.

Although most of us no longer change the oil in our own vehicles, it's a task still enjoyed by many, particularly men. Harry has no trouble finding volunteers. "Lots of people are willing to help out," he says. Four volunteers work the half day. Working in teams of two, they service two cars every half hour. "The guys enjoy it," he says. He realizes it may be a first step for them, too. "It's something to do that they might not have done before. They also enjoy meeting other guys within the church."

"It's nice to do something for people in need," Harry says simply. His advice for others who might feel moved to start or join a similar ministry: "If you feel in your heart to do it, do it. Don't wait for someone else to do it for you."

When Harry and his crews are doing an oil change, they often tell people about Cross's Handyman Ministry, another outreach to people with needs. Paul Mueller, who coordinates the Handyman Ministry, and the 28 involved volunteers are looking for people to help. "People, especially the elderly, don't want to call us. They think they're bothering us. But they're not. This is what we want to do."

They patch a leaking roof, replace a broken faucet, or repair a railing. They might replace a broken window or make an electrical repair. Most often, they're helping the elderly or single mothers. Their work is free. If people wish to make a donation, it's put into a fund for those people who can't afford to buy needed parts.

The volunteers on Paul's list have specified their areas of skill: plumbing, electrical, carpentry, etc. Some of the volunteers are in the trades; some simply enjoy do-it-yourself projects. Most are men, but 3 or 4 women are among the workers.

Karen Hardecopf, Director of Care Ministries at Cross Lutheran, and Lisa Dickey, Director of Loving Arms Childcare Center located on Cross's North Campus in Oswego, refer people to the Handyman Ministry when they learn of a need. When someone calls Paul, he calls a volunteer with skills that match the need. The volunteer then calls the individual and makes arrangements to survey the problem and to fix it. "We've helped probably 50 or more since we started 3 or 4 years ago," Paul says. "Most are very appreciative."

Paul notes that the elderly who need their services are often lonely, and appreciate the human contact as much or more than they do the repair service. He recalls one volunteer, who, after making a repair for an elderly person, returned other times, and commented to Paul how much he enjoyed the relationship. "He's a quiet guy," Paul says of the volunteer; that relationship "helped him open up a bit."

From her staff perspective and her involvement in care ministries, Karen Hardecopf sees even more of the connections that result from these ministries. She tells of "a long-haired young man" who helped install a ramp for an elderly couple. The ensuing friendship continued through the death of the elderly man and the marriage of the young man. The elderly woman "was a godly woman and I can only imagine how God used her mature faith to help this young man through some struggles in his life."

Karen relates another story. "Just this last month, I referred someone in the community to the Handyman Ministry. She left me a voice mail as soon as the man walked out the door. She was crying and thanking us, not only for the plumbing repair, but for the kind words of the man who came into her apartment. She asked if she couldn't do something for Cross, even though she has some disabilities. Part of serving others is giving people the same opportunity to be blessed by serving. So I took her something that she could do from her home, some postcards. The man who went to her apartment was blessed, she was blessed by his service, and she was blessed by serving through working on the postcards."

"It's a neat thing," Paul says, "to take the ability God gave you and to be able to go out and use it to help someone," confirming that men, too, want to use their abilities to serve.