Easton church’s next step: 40 days of community

EASTON – Come May, the Rev. Patrick Matthew Maxwell wants to line the front of the church sanctuary with overflowing baby cribs.

Members of Easton Wesleyan Church, where Maxwell is pastor, are buying portable baby cribs and filling them with disposable diapers, pacifiers, wipes, powder, ointment, booties, bottles, blankets and other items new mothers will need.

The church will present them to Pregnancy Care Center of Aroostook on Sunday, May 7, to be used at baby showers for its clients.

Earlier this year, the church adopted the center for outreach ministry as part of Easton Wesleyan’s participation in the Rev. Rick Warren’s program 40 Days of Community, the pastor said earlier this week.

“We did the 40 Days of Purpose program in October 2004,” he said. “We had such success with it that we decided to take the next step.”

While the program is designed to focus a congregation on God and God’s purpose, the community program helps a church put that purpose into action in its local community.

Members of Easton Wesleyan began the program by taking a small step, according to Maxwell.

“We asked people to show their appreciation of somebody who is serving God in the church,” he said. “People sent thank-you cards to the teenagers who take care of the nursery on Sunday mornings. The guy who runs our soundboard arrived that Sunday to find a goody bag next to his console.”

The community program is similar to the original program, according to Maxwell. Church members view Warren on a video, then meet in small discussion groups using text and workbooks just as they did in the 40 Days of Purpose program.

“The 40 Days of Community program is designed to show those inside and outside the church what those of us who are called to the body of Christ are here for,” he said. “It shows us that we are better together at carrying out Christ’s mission and sharing his love.”