About Rochester CareFest
If your church vanished, would your community weep? Would anyone notice? Would anyone care?
Since 2005, local evangelical pastors grappled with and prayed over questions like these found on the back cover of The Externally Focused Church (Rusaw and Swanson 2004). Rochester CareFest was conceived in prayer and borne out of our desire to more effectively reach out to our community with the love and truth of Jesus Christ. CareFest provides a great opportunity for the local body of Christ to minister to our community, demonstrating Jesus’ love in tangible and meaningful ways. Our desire is to serve individuals in need and 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 human institutions like government alone cannot solve the problems of our culture. Budget cuts and limited resources for cities and non-profits have provided great opportunities for us to fill in the gaps. How can we, as Christians, make a positive difference in our community?
Since Rochester CareFest began in 2006, God has mobilized each year 1400-1800 believers from over 30 churches to serve our city, showing them Jesus' amazing love by our cleaning, painting, fixing, and landscaping at dozens of sites. 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, hope-giving church. Author Eric Swanson aptly summarizes, “Good deeds make for good will, which makes for good opportunities to share the Good News.”