Multi-Church Inasmuch Transforms VA Community

            “Oh Wow!  What a blessing!”
            “We were one people; one church; one religion.”
            “What an awesome experience!  Not only the project itself, but the fellowship as well!  All of us on the Planning Team, and others, have been blessed and have felt the Holy Spirit working through people.”
            Such are some of the comments of the more than 500 people of Essex County, VA, who participated in their initial Operation Inasmuch in April, 2008.  None of the churches in the county had ever conducted an Inasmuch, but the Essex Churches Together group (an interdenominational group of 20 churches) was looking for something to energize their organization and impact their community of Tappahannock, VA, at the same time.  One of the ECT leaders learned of Operation Inasmuch from another VA congregation while attending a funeral, brought the idea back to Tappahannock, contacted David Crocker about the model of community ministry, and in the Fall of 2007 decided to undertake an Inasmuch in April of this year.
            In January David conducted a training event for the ECT churches at which 1.2 % of the total county population attended!  “That was when I first felt the Holy Spirit was on our side,” says Alice Roye, one of the ECT leaders.  One of the participants at the training said:  “it kick-started all the churches and gave good feelings among church members about working together.” 
            Inasmuch in Tappahannock was 20 churches and one parochial school mobilizing 500 volunteers working together to minister to their neighbors in about 40 compassion ministry projects.  These included a number of home repair projects, visits to nursing homes, a laundrymat project, and a Free-for-All—a free rummage sale including a food giveaway and blood pressure checks. 
            In an evaluation meeting, members of the Planning Team offered the following assessment of their experience:

• More people (than before OIAM) can speak openly about their faith
• Trust has grown in the community
• Many have realized that painting or sewing can be ministries for the Kingdom
• There has been an awakening that church is not about serving me, but about serving others.

When asked if they would like to see Inasmuch again in their community, the Planning Team unanimously said, “YES!”

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