ECDC and Churches Powering the Community

In Kane County, Illinois where there are more social services per capita than any other county in the country, 18 churches including Elgin EFC are partnering with a one-of-a-kind ministry known as the ECDC (Elgin Christian Development Corporation) to reverse the current of the community. Going beyond the government’s role of “sheltering and feeding under-resourced families without providing a plan to move them into their own home,” the partnership is taking under-resourced families to a whole new level, including their relationships with the church.

Church Hopping

In the past when a family needing financial assistance visited an individual church on the west side of Elgin, gasoline cards, grocery gifts or temporary housing arrangements would be provided to offer basic living assistance. When these resources were gone, the family would ‘church-hop’ to the next denomination facility in the community seeking help. From both sides of the equation this continuing pattern of behavior wasn’t leading to growth and change—it was a self-perpetuating dead end. There was no relationship built between the under-resourced and the church, no welcome or embracing of the gifts of these families into the church, and skepticism about faith and the church reigned from the point of those in need.

Juicing Up the Big “C”

“The local church may have different doctrinal views, but all agree on the need for the poor and under-resourced. ECDC’s goal is to have the ‘big C’ churches come together under a common theme and agreement to do something about the resources the city is lacking…and as partners we’re all focused upon God getting the glory through the efforts. We want to bring holistic change to the community,” Brian Heinrich, ECDC Executive Director commented. Helping the “big C” churches do more, the ECDC’s goal is to invigorate, inspire, encourage, exhort and engage churches to do work in the community together through deep compassion—doing person-to-person social networking, connecting, and building relationships that welcome the gifts of the under-resourced into the body of Christ.

It Begins with the Serve

As Pastor Elliott Anderson of Elgin EFC says, “Elgin EFC was one of the first churches to jump aboard getting involved with ECDC to impact our community.” Partnering with two other ministries to share the expense of leasing a bus, Elgin EFC is hosting the Sunday Soup Kettle Kitchen (providing a meal for any Elgin residents that can be there). “For us, as a church body that is historically well rooted in the Word and in our city, the partnership with ECDC has really grown tangible expressions of compassion,” Pastor Anderson said. “Several Elgin EFC board members and church families jumped into the blitz-build, (refurbing apartments for the under-resourced); we provide financial support to ECDC; church members serve as part of ECDC’s board of directors, and there are many volunteers from the church body. When we did a spontaneous food drive last Thanksgiving, our stage was absolutely full of food. We stocked a small food pantry at ECDC and other locations. This has really caught the hearts of the people/membership, not just to serve others across the world, but in our very own Elgin.”

In the last 4 years Pastor Anderson has seen a 40-50% increase in engagement and participation in compassion ministries in the community. At present a total of 18 churches from a collection of denominations (Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, and Bible churches) have joined together with the ECDC in the effort to begin serving in a new way.

Walk-In’s Welcome

Today benevolence needs for the under-resourced are centralized for the 18 partner churches. When the churches receive a call or visit from a needy family, they’re pointed to the ECDC. Heinrich said, “The focus is not so much about evangelism right off the bat. The focus begins with relationship, and through that the door is opened to the gospel. If the family knows the church helped them find a job, a place to live, or helped with daycare, they’re more receptive to hearing the message.”

Two Cases in Point

Renee, ECDC’s first staff person, is also a member at Elgin EFC. After hearing a sermon presented by Pastor Anderson entitled “Answering the Call,” she felt the call to walk away from her executive position at Sears to get involved with compassion ministries. Renee started by volunteering herself as the coordinator and administrator of the Sunday Soup Kettle Kitchen. Next she accepted the staff position with the ECDC. Even when ECDC funding is tight or delayed, she’s been faithful to keep working. In the midst of this intentional transition, Renee’s husband lost his job for almost a year. God transformed both of them through this trial, blessing them with a wonderful lesson about the needs of the people they’re serving.

EFC and ECDC partnership placed a current member of the church into a transitional housing program pointed toward the goal of owning a home. This is the beginning of a long term, healing, holistic process they’re working on together. After a failed marriage and failed attempt at living with a member of her family, Pastor Anderson received her crisis call as she was being evicted. He called a couple of guys from the church, who helped her move out. In the midst of this situation Pastor Anderson called ECDC’s Brian Heinrich. Brian and Renee met with her and began to take care of the situation at its roots. Through the grace of all involved she’s doing what she needs to do to reverse the situation.

Breaking the Cycle

As in the example above, part one of the partnership is ECDC’s role in figuring out why the person or families need financial assistance. Are they unemployed? Are there transportation issues? Is their budget out of control? Can the ECDC connect them to other agencies or services to help them stabilize? At this same time the people of the church step in to help—providing free childcare or transportation to job training or connecting the individuals to potential job openings. Relationships are built through the help and love shown to those in need. For many in need, the skepticism they had for the church is replaced by relationships with church members.

After understanding the individual situation, the ECDC creates a long term plan to move the family off government dependency and bring about financial independence. Clear expectations are set for job training or budgeting class attendance. Through a simple accountability approach the ECDC helps the families learn to build for the future. If a family is making good financial decisions, the ECDC will coordinate financial relief, for example, offering the landlords $100 a month if the family attends financial classes. If they do so consistently over a period of time the ECDC places them in a reduced rent apartment. The rent savings is then used to pay off their debt so they can qualify for a mortgage.

With the End in Mind

By starting with the physical needs of the under-resourced and then reaching beyond to provide the relationship and spiritual needs, the families are supported to a level of self-sufficiency. The ECDC’s long-range goal for each family is to bring them from a place of dependency on government programs to a place of overall financial independence. In the process of doing so, the ECDC points the families to Jesus where real spiritual needs are met Together with the churches they continue to be the hands and feet of Christ in each situation—even if a family never comes to know the Lord or attends a church. The overall goal stays constant to bring stabilization: financial, physical, emotional and spiritual.

Proven Results

Since June of 2007, ECDC and the partner churches have worked with almost 400 families from the west side of Elgin, extending a holistic approach to assistance. As Heinrich says, “A lot of people hear the call of God to do this work, but it’s hard and uncomfortable and they ignore it. The ECDC is an example organization available to support and encourage you in this calling.” Both he and Pastor Anderson feel a tremendous responsibility to multiply the proven method of community outreach. At the core it’s about providing the environment to allow relationship to be the precursor to a long term community focus.

Learn more:

Brian Heinrich, ECDC, Executive Director - www.elgincdc.org
brian@elgincdc.com
Elgin Christian Development Corporation
991 Deborah Ave.
Elgin, IL 60123
(847) 695-2493

Elliott Anderson – Elliott@ElginEFC.org
Elgin Evangelical Free Church
1900 Big Timber Rd.
Elgin, IL 60123
(847) 695-8812