God has been doing big things in Fishing Creek Salem United Methodist Church. Lives are being changed, lost people are finding Christ, and people in need are finding hope. This church isn’t new, but founded in 1842. These congregants have been doing the work of Christ for 170 years. They’ve seen generations come and go. They’ve been through good times and tough times. They made it through the Great Depression, both World Wars, and 9/11.
They’ve maintained their course and keep their focus on Jesus and His mission. Fishing Creek wants to be the hands and feet of Jesus. For the past few years, they’ve followed Jesus’ lead and reached out to needy families. A small group of young mothers desired to bless the community so they gathered together their gently used clothes and children’s toys and started giving them as gifts at Christmas. They’ve collected so many clothes over the years that they have a room filled of tables of clothes sorted by size and gender.
A Heart for their Community
Fishing Creek looks for ways to serve and bless their community. Each year members install yard signs throughout the area, letting the community know that Neighborhood Fun Night is coming soon. Fishing Creek provides food and refreshments to attendees as the neighborhood comes together to play games and win prizes. They also bring out the previously mentioned clothes and toys for the event, allowing people to take what they need.
They’ve started a Salem Employment Connection page on their website to help people find jobs, and they even have a Canines for Christ Ministry that provides an opportunity for dog owners, and their pets, to show Christian love to those who reside in nursing care facilities.
Everyone in town knows Fishing Creek due to its tenure in the community and its reputation as a giving church that blesses the community.
“I was attracted to Fishing Creek because I found so many people that walk out their faith. I continue to love “this church,” meaning the people, because they truly serve and love. I thank God and my sister, Lisa, for bringing me here. I can’t wait to get back!” – Joanne, from Fishing Creek‘s Facebook page
Keeping Things Simple
As new developments rise out of the farm fields, the church maintains their focus, and can’t afford to get distracted. Recently, they needed a new database. Their old database was built by one of their members. It worked well, but his time of service was complete. They needed something that would be easy for multiple people to maintain. They didn’t want to purchase an expensive server to run it. They wanted something in the cloud. They loved the flexibility the cloud offers and use Google Drive to share documents and files.
A team was put together to find the right program. They opted for Realm. It’s cost effective, easy to use, and full of features that make ministry work. They don’t have to worry about losing data if their server crashes. One person doesn’t have to bear the load alone because multiple people can input and access data, so church staff can spend more time and energy on the things that matter most.
Realm is easy to set up and easy to learn. They didn’t have to set up a complicated program on an expensive server and train people to use it. They can focus on the lesson that God is teaching them. God is leading them to spread the Gospel. They focus on being like Jesus on earth so that they can spread His word by their actions.
The best way to get to know Realm is by using it. Hop on a live demo to learn more!
