REGION: Church volunteers put action where their faith is

By Shahrazad Encinias - For The North County Times | Sunday, April 27, 2008 7:55 PM PDT ∞

Rob Bauer was one of several volunteers from the Rancho Bernardo Baptist Church that helped out at the Buckheart Ranch Outreach facility that was damaged in the Witch Creek fire last year. The church group was part of a national movement on Sunday by churches nationwide, to cancel church services so that some of their members can go out to the community to do good deeds. Photo by Don Boomer - Staff Photographer

Mike Sullivan and his son, Ryan, were part of a group of volunteers from the Rancho Bernardo Baptist Church that helped out at the Buckheart Ranch Outreach facility that was damaged in the Witch Creek fire last year. Photo by Don Boomer - Staff Photographer

Many churches in North County closed their doors Sunday so members could volunteer in the community as part of the nationwide campaign Faith in Action.

Established in 2007 by Christian group World Vision, Outreach magazine and Zondervan publishing, Faith in Action is a national initiative that encourages worshippers to volunteer and help the less fortunate members of their communities.

“It’s important for people to congregate at church, but it’s also important to be a church and bless people the way that he has blessed us,” said Josh Silva, 17.

Silva is one of the many people receiving help through Faith in Action. He is a mentored youth at Buckheart Ranch, an establishment for high-risk male teens that was in the heart of the Witch Creek fire in October.

“We’re getting things back to (the way they were) before the fire,” said Chuck Dilts, founder of Buckheart Ranch. “We’re blessed to have this help.”

More than 60 volunteers from Rancho Bernardo Baptist Church and Rancho Bernardo Presbyterian Community Church showed up Sunday to give a helping hand at Buckheart Ranch.

Marty Klusmeier, a member of the Presbyterian church, volunteered at the ranch Saturday and Sunday.

She was excited about helping and was also having fun meeting new people from her church.

“(My church) is so big. At church you don’t get to talk, but here that’s all you do when you’re working,” Klusmeier said. “I’m meeting new people that go to our church that I didn’t even know ---- it’s a blessing.”

Rancho Bernardo Baptist Church also had volunteers at other locations. They were doing ground maintenance at Buckheart Ranch, making pancakes for Latino day laborers and putting together military care packages and kits with medical supplies for people with AIDS.

Anne Subia, outreach coordinator of World Vision, said she was impressed by the members of Rancho Bernardo Baptist Church because that church was also affected by the wildfires in October.

“It was amazing,” Subia said. “It still smells like smoke in their sanctuary.”

She was also excited by the age range of those who volunteered.

“It’s wonderful to see little ones help out,” Subia said. “(Volunteering) is something anyone and everyone can do.”

Pastor Dan Maxton of the Baptist church volunteered to make breakfast for the day laborers.

“We wanted to be the church instead of going to church,” Maxton said. “We’re happy to cancel our worship hour to help others out.”

Maxton said Faith in Action is important because it shows that churches do help members of the community.

“We just wanted to show love and care,” he said.

The next nationwide Faith in Action event will be held Oct. 12. For more information, visit www.putyourfaithinaction.org.

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