Church Members Serve Calera Community Through Story Time

Julie, Darren, and Nate Wilson are a young couple actively involved in the Church at Shelby Crossings and with their community. One of the exciting new community outreach ministries of the church body is the “Story Time” ministry. Throughout the summer, you’d find Julie Wilson and her friends huddled every Wednesday morning in a Calera park with neighborhood children, reading stories, munching treats, and most importantly, sharing the gospel. As Julie notes, “story time is not about books and games; it’s about reaching the community for Christ. That fact that our kids at church get to come out and have a good time is just icing on the cake.”

Julie was nudged to action by God after studying the book of James and taking to heart the words “faith without works is dead.” Julie adds, “I was living life for me, was very selfish about giving my time in particular. God opened my eyes to the need around me.” God put a single mother who worked at Sonic in Julie’s path and mind, and Julie decided that she needed to react to the peoples’ need that she saw. The idea to start “Story Time” occurred to her in May and so things had to be organized in a hurry to begin early in the summer. There were a lot of good reasons why it might not have been possible to start in the summer of 2011, but Julie knew what God was asking her to do.

 

The result of God’s prompting is a lively ministry that has grown throughout the summer. Julie is delighted that more and more children from the Calera community are coming to the story time. A former school teacher and librarian (8 years in the Calera public school system) with a house full of good children’s books, Julie has been able to use those story books as a natural way to lead into a discussion of moral lessons and the Gospel. While Julie was able to use her experience as an educator and librarian in the ministry, things like canvassing the neighborhood and promoting the program were not natural to her. She is quick to reveal that she turned to God and prayed, “This is scary to me to think about giving up my routine. I trust You; You’re going to have to change my heart.”

 

Julie is extremely grateful for the enthusiastic support “Story Time” has received from the church staff, from the church body, and from her husband Darren. “Darren has been my leading encourager and cheerleader. His selfless approach to ministry has been an inspiration to me.” Julie, Darren, and Nate make the twenty minute drive to The Church at Shelby Crossings for a variety of reasons. She said that they began at TCASC because of the lively music and preaching, but she and Darren and Nate have come to feel at home in the wonderful environment of the church. They love the “relaxed, laid back, come-as- you-are atmosphere” and the kind people.

 

Asked what word of encouragement she might offer to others feeling the gentle nudge of God to take the Gospel to their community, Julie added, “Don’t let time, or money or anything get in the way of what God’s put on your heart!”