Florence Lutherans put their hands to use doing God’s work

FLORENCE, S.C. — Congregants of St. Luke Lutheran Church and Cross & Crown Lutheran Church set out to perform acts of community kindness as part of the ELCA’s annual day of service — God’s Work, Our Hands.

Members of the two churches spread out into the community to put their faith into action in service to the community, said Rona Ewart, event organizer.

“This is a national project by the (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and today is the designated Sunday throughout the country,” Ewart said.

“My passion is to serve and I like to see our congregations come together. They are amazing, very generous. It is a blessing to be able to coordinate people to do this service,” she said.

Missions varied from a crew that went to the Florence Area Humane Society to clean cat cages — and pet the cats — to the more crafty inclined that remained at St. Luke’s where they took fleece fabric and turned them into blankets for foster children the church sponsors.

“We’re visiting laundromats and sharing laundry pods and quarters and good news and pleasant conversation,” Ewart said of one church’s mission.

The church raised 1,000 quarters for laundry — $250.

Some put their culinary skills to work to fill goodie bags set to be distributed to first responders who serve around the two churches.

“We’re going to Pee Dee Gardens and singing some hymns and visiting the elderly,” Ewart said. “Packing bags for Help 4 Kids, sorting books at OM Ships, we also packing hygiene kits the Red Cross uses to distribute to disaster victims. We’re doing some cards for the military for the holidays.”

One of the church missions was designed to provide lasting benefit and put the carpentry inclined to work.

The Care House of the Pee Dee will receive cornhole games for the organization’s upcoming Toss & Taste fundraiser. Congregants Sunday were putting the finishing touches on them with sanding, decoration and a bit of shellac.