New Around the Mission
Tragedy Spurs New Vision for St. Matthews in Lapeer, MI
March 29, 2011
After five long months St. Matthew’s rejoices in
their new downtown location. Photo by Nancy Elliott,
Lapeer County Press.
After a tenuous six months, St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in Lapeer, Michigan, rejoices in the ownership of the former National City Bank building in the center of downtown, fulfilling a dream to establish a vital Christian presence focused on community outreach. While they sign on the dotted line to finally claim the historic building, it is a bittersweet moment.
The closing coincides with the funeral for one of their own, nineteen year old Joshua Wood, who died of a drug overdose, a heartbreaking event that also provides a moment of clarity among church leaders.
Drug use has escalated in Lapeer County, especially among recent high school graduates. As St. Matthews makes plans for the use of their new facility, Josh’s death sparks ideas for a new ministry on the horizon. A memorial fund established in Joshua’s name will aid the community in drug prevention and treatment and the Rev. David Hudspeth joins others in Lapeer to form an action team on the issue.
“Josh had problems with drugs for about nine months and was starting to make some progress,“ reports David. “He couldn’t get into residential treatment due to lack of insurance, but he was taking advantage of limited free counseling. Just before his death, he expressed to his mother that he wanted to help the church communicate about how bad drugs really are.”
Taking up where Josh left off, David notes, “We’re now in the perfect location to be visibly present and want to be part of helping to educate kids about drugs. This will become one of our primary ministries and doing this didn’t even cross our mind until Josh died.”
Parish Administrator and Rev. David Hudspeth
stand in front of the bank vault, their new
sacristy. Photo by Nancy Elliott, Lapeer County
Press.
Dating back to the 1880’s, the 15,000 sq. ft. building with intricate woodwork and high ceilings gives the church broad ministry opportunities. Plans include turning the vault into the sacristy and the rear bank windows into a coffee bar. The second-floor boardroom, complete with fireplace, adjacent bathroom and kitchen, provides multi-use opportunities for a community conference room, prayer chapel and nursery.
Reaching out to the community isn’t something new for St. Matthew’s. The church joins other congregations in Lapeer to partner with The Refuge, an intake and coordinating center for the homeless, to assist in providing a week of meals and a warm place to sleep from 6PM until 7AM in the cold months of November through March. They hope to do even more in their new location. “Our concern is that there is no place for the homeless to be during the day, and they end up hopping from place to place. When the weather is bad, this is especially tough on families with small children,” says David.
As donations of office furniture and pews funnel in, plans are underway for the opening worship service in the new location on Easter Sunday. Summing up their presence in Lapeer, David notes, “It’s all about the Great Commission and Great Commandment, making disciples for Jesus and loving God and our neighbor.”
For more information visit St. Matthew’s.
Posted By: Cynthia P. Brust
Categories: Faith in Action
