Thank you to the 130 volunteers who served in our first, mid-year Mini-CareFest on Saturday, December 19, 2009. We cleaned at John Marshall, Mayo, Century, Kellogg, Willow Creek, and John Adams public schools. The Lord raised up the exact number of workers that school officials had requested, and all assigned tasks were accomplished with excellence. Praise God for the opportunity to serve our community, sharing a taste of the indescribable gift of His Son Jesus.

CareFest Report … making Jesus’ mark in 2009!

God told His ancient people who were transplanted to Babylon, Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare (Jeremiah 29:5). The timeless principle remains for us that our heavenly citizenship should make a real difference in Rochester today. Our city should be a better place to live because Christians are here.

On June 20, 2009, nearly 1500 of you made Jesus’ caring presence known throughout Rochester. Through your good works offered in His name, the city of God extraordinarily intersected with the city of Rochester. You served at over 60 sites including 18 schools, 20 parks, and 17 homes associated with the Salvation Army, Bear Creek Services, or other people-helping agencies. Our bright, lime green t-shirts could also be seen at the Boys & Girls Club, Seasons Hospice, Camp Victory, Crossroads College, Friendship Place, New Life Family Services, PossAbilities, Graham Park, and a private residence.



The work done this year focused on much needed cleaning in the schools (lockers and desks) and parks. Our largest project included some 200 workers landscaping and refreshing the county fairgrounds. Other work around the city included such diverse tasks as power-washing, landscaping, painting, building a fence, shelving unit, and storage shed, reroofing a home, concreting a curb and driveway, and refurbishing broken doors and dented walls.

At the residence of an elderly couple, large trees were removed and the septic system repaired on the outside, while inside old carpet was removed and important home repairs made. The owner remarked, "I can’t believe that people would do this for people they don’t know!"

The consistent feedback from this fourth annual CareFest mission to Rochester again highlighted your outstanding quality and great attitudes as together we experienced God’s Spirit orchestrating the event to the glory of His Son. Thanks to our leaders and all who served to make Jesus well-known in our city; He promises to reward you (Revelation 22:12)!

Please keep your eyes open for late-summer and winter projects at the schools! Also, Lord willing, next year’s CareFest is scheduled for June 19, 2010. In the meantime, let’s continue to contribute to the health of our city, making Jesus famous in all we say and do (Colossians 3:17)!

Here is a video capturing the day:

Click here to see the pictures taken by Scott and Jen Elder and the team at Midwest LifeShots and Josh Thoreson and Wade Beavers.

Note: Your project site leader will notify you of the project you have been assigned and the items to bring on June 20. CareFest will not be canceled or postponed due to rain; please bring clothing and rain gear appropriate to your worksite.

CareFest 2008 Applies TLC to Rochester

“It was our first time to participate and everything about the day was just wonderful. God is so faithful,” said volunteer Louise Paurus. A single mother recipient of CareFest said, “This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.” A public school leadership team wrote, “Thank you so much for all the cleaning, painting, and other work you did for us over the weekend. The red stripe along the hallway is gorgeous. We really appreciate your efforts.”

What was the cost of serving a widow, a single mother, or a fiscally constrained school district or ministry? Perhaps not much in dollars, but significant personal investment of time and energy in planning, preparing, and carrying out the mammoth amount of work accomplished all over Rochester on June 14. But the return on our investment is incalculable in terms of the lives touched.

1500 volunteers from over 20 churches served at 60 sites as diverse as the History Center, Season’s Hospice, the Women’s Shelter, Boys & Girls Club, Crossroads College, Friendship Place, and the Lower Room clothing ministry. More than a dozen homeless shelters, seven personal residences, six parks, Studio Academy, and 21 public schools also experienced Jesus’ love first-hand.

Reviewing the reports of what was accomplished is absolutely stunning! School tasks included cleaning lockers, furniture, and windows; painting in 16 halls, 3 gyms, and 63 classrooms; weeding, mulching, landscaping, signage, and installing 30 bookshelves. Work on the other sites included landscaping, maintenance such as painting, making repairs, gutter cleaning, and insulating; not to mention a total reroof of one residence, the demolition and replacement of a trailer home, and the cleaning and detailing of a car soon to be presented to a needy single mother. New this year, volunteers donated clothing, household items, and small appliances to the Salvation Army’s “Fill the Truck” event at our CareFest staging center. CareFest’s largest site this year was a facelift of Graham Park which saw over 200 gold shirts buzzing over the fairgrounds landscaping, scraping, and painting the grandstands and in a number of other buildings, and even repainting the main fairgrounds sign.

Berean Church led us to the throne of God in fitting worship at our day-ending celebration barbecue at Graham 1.

Our theme verse this year was from Galatians 6:9: Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. Our volunteers’ faces and deeds reflected Jesus’ love for our city in profound and diverse ways that few will forget. Thanks to each of you; may God reward you now and in eternity!

Click here to see the pictures taken by Shawn and Michelle Fagan of Fagan Studios and Dean Riggott of Dean Riggott Photography

Click here to view other pictures submitted by CareFest participants.

Take a look at the video done capturing the day. Photography done by Dean Riggott and Michelle and Shawn Fagan of Fagan Studios. Music performed by Jill and Dave Pearson.

Rochester CareFest provides a great opportunity for the local body of Christ to reach out to our community, demonstrating Jesus’ love in tangible and meaningful ways.  Our desire is to serve Rochester community-enhancing organizations like the schools, parks, and other people-helping non-profits.  The core of Rochester CareFest embraces the faith and beliefs of the World Evangelical Alliance http://www.worldevangelicals.org/aboutwea/statementoffaith.htm.

History has taught us that our government alone cannot solve the problems of our culture. Budget cuts and limited resources for cities and non-profits have left great opportunities for us to fill in the gaps. How can we, as Christians, make a positive difference in our community?

Since CareFest began in 2006, God has mobilized 1500-1800 believers from over 25 churches to serve our city, showing them Jesus' amazing love by cleaning, painting, fixing, and landscaping at dozens of sites each year. By reaching out to our community and giving of ourselves selflessly and unconditionally, we model the love that Jesus so freely gives to us. We also create a spirit of trust and understanding that transcends the social, cultural, or economic barriers that often divide us.

Many cities have found this kind of event to be a catalyst for wonderful new opportunities: congregations are energized as they see the real impact they can have on others through helping them and through the friendships that are consequently formed, and non-Christians have new reason for hope as they interact with a loving church.  Author Eric Swanson aptly summarizes, “Good deeds make for good will, which makes for good opportunities to share the Good News.”