At Forest Chapel United Methodist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, their Forest Park Kids Club and “Safe Place” for youth began as a way to engage, encourage, and share the gospel with children and young people in Forest Chapel’s community. The initiative, which received a 2023 Equipping the Local Church Grant from The Foundation for Evangelism, has done that and more, reaching the Bhutanese, Black, White, Hispanic, and Indonesian populations of their community and bringing about spiritual growth, community engagement, and cultural shifts!
Both clergy and laity participated in the planning and implementation of this evangelism initiative. This helped to bring diverse perspective and ideas to the table, and ensured that the needs of the community were being heard and addressed.
Challenges came up along the way such as language barriers when talking with parents who did not speak English. But these challenges helped the church better understand the community around them – and they learned that their school district serves 32 languages!
Their approach was to INVITE, not just with words, but with their presence. The excitement and encouragement came when the community began to respond. Over 200 children participated in Forest Chapel’s Easter Egg Hunt, accompanied by their parents. Additionally, Forest Chapel hosted a Community Spiritual Revival that attracted people from the community and opened the door for meaningful conversations about faith, through listening to thoughts and questions.
Forest Chapel UMC’s pastor, Rev. Dr. Kabamba Kiboko, said,
“These transformations have impacted the congregation’s vitality, unity, and overall effectiveness in fulfilling its mission and serving both its members and the wider community.”
Their evangelism initiative has also allowed relationships with new community partners to be built, and has strengthened an existing partnership with an early childhood education center. Other congregations in the area have also partnered with Forest Chapel UMC through this initiative.
The experience has enlivened the congregation at Forest Chapel United Methodist Church, and they are ready for God to lead them in the next steps.
