By Hayward Chappell – Vandalia, Ohio
In September 2019, I retired from my job with Ohio University, and my wife Nancy and I moved to be close to our church community at Christian Family Fellowship.
I say retired but, more accurately, I have refocused my work as I still seem to stay busy with things for my wife, home, church, and community projects.
Get Involved
More and more, I’m seeing the godly impact we can all make by getting involved in our local communities. I hope to tickle you to consider new ways you might engage in your own towns and neighborhoods.
I also want to encourage those of you who are already making these connections to keep going. I realize that, being retired, I have more time than some to take on a variety of projects, but even with a full time job, there are often opportunities to get involved that won’t require a lot of your time.
About 15 years ago, I felt compelled to find ways to minister more directly in my community.
“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27 NKJV
I asked myself, “What am I doing in this area?” We were not in a position to adopt, but I tried to find something in this context. I decided to become a Big Brother and worked with a young boy for several years.
When we lived in southeastern Ohio, Nancy worked with Habitat for Humanity. I gained respect for that organization, so when we moved and I was looking for ways to engage locally, I decided to volunteer for the nearby Habitat Center.
I worked there once a week for several years and then felt I needed to move on to something else.
We live near the Aullwood Audubon Center, and we connected with a woman who facilitates a program called READS in which adults mentor third and fourth grade children who need help with reading through hikes, presentations and structured reading projects at the Aullwood Nature Center and Farm. I volunteered as a mentor and am completing my third season in December.
Partnering with Others
Through our local church community at Christian Family Fellowship, we have connected with a variety of believers who already have ongoing projects in the community.
We have partnered with them both financially and by attending some of their functions in the community.
For example, Jon and Sami Hagar started Troy Skate Church which ministers to young people at the skate park in Troy (and is now getting their own building for winter skates!). Nancy and I went to one of their Friday cookouts and helped grill burgers.
Jade Brown, Michael Burrows and Casey McPherson started Prayer Tent Ministry, which stages pop-up tents offering prayer at local community outdoor races and other events. This summer, I went to a race they sponsored in Tipp City to be a part of the prayer team.
Look for Opportunities
Several years ago, I was inspired by a woman in our church who ministered for the Dayton Police Department as a spiritual resource for their work in the community.
Earlier this year, I watched a video in which a pastor in California mentioned a city with over 40 volunteer chaplains on the police force.
Then one day, there was a patrol car sitting in front of my house monitoring traffic. I walked out and tapped on the window and asked if the Vandalia Police Department had chaplains.
The officer said yes and gave me the name of the lieutenant who coordinates the chaplains. I met with him, went through some background preparation and became one of three chaplains.
I am now working to get to know the officers. I ride around with individual officers for an hour or so on his/her shift, attend meetings and police outreach events, and respond to calls if they request a chaplain.
I have not been on a lot of calls yet, but all I know is to keep making myself available and looking to God to open doors. I keep reminding myself, as you should too, that my presence with Christ in me makes a difference.
There are also shorter local community events that you can get involved by volunteering or just by showing up.
For example, downtown Tipp City has hosted free, outdoor, First Friday Concerts for many years. Several of us from local churches have helped by serving, selling raffle tickets, or sharing the opening prayers.
For the past two years, local churches have worked together to present a downtown community meal in Tipp City called “Thankful Thursday.”
I learned about these at a home fellowship and was referred to the facilitator, who works with numerous local churches to facilitate the meal twice a year. After we met, he invited Pastors Tonia and Jeff Shroyer to meet, along with Nancy and me.
Plans were made to partner with the other churches to provide tents, food and servers for their fall meal. The result was a joyous occasion.
Although the meal was designed to be outdoors, the local Methodist church graciously offered to host the event in their community room when the weather turned cold.
Hayward (in the middle), Casey, and Jade man the prayer tent at Tipp City’s Thankful Thursday.
The Prayer Tent offered prayers as people arrived and individuals from the community and local churches engaged with one another and enjoyed a thankful meal together.
We are truly one Body.
“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
For in one spirit we were all baptized into one body – Jews, Greeks, slaves, or free – and all were made to drink of one spirit. For the body does not consist of one member, but of many.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 ESV
So, the next question is, what is God working in YOUR heart? How can you get involved and serve in your own community?
Pastors Hayward & Nancy Chappell met doing musical theater. They served in full-time ministry, then Hayward worked in sales and later as a small business counselor.