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Faith, hope and necessities: Love INC celebrates its first year

JANESVILLE — Find a need.

Fill the need.

Pray for the person in need.

For the past year, Love In the Name of Christ has been quietly doing just that.

Twenty churches are involved in Love INC ministries, offering practical and spiritual assistance.

“Love INC’s mission is to mobilize churches to transform lives and communities in the name of Christ,” said Raejene Schlenke, executive director of Love INC.

Love INC is a national organization with 130 branches. The Janesville branch, located at 121 W. Milwaukee St., is the first in Wisconsin.

The non-profit organization evolved out of “Day of Compassion” events held in 2004 and 2005. Local churches wanted to continue Christian outreach to the community—without duplicating services already offered.

“We serve as a Christian clearinghouse,” Schlenke explained.

For example, instead of four churches running separate clothing give-aways, one Love INC church would serve as a host for that ministry. Other churches would offer other services.

When churches or agencies have a person in need, they can refer them to Love INC.

Heather Burnside, clearinghouse coordinator, verifies the need through phone or in-person interviews. Then the person is connected with a Love INC member church or with another social services agency.

Love INC also tries to identify “gap ministries”—places where needs aren’t being met. Before it opened in 2008, Love INC staff members surveyed community service providers.

“We wanted to see what they did and didn’t do,” Schlenke said. “We were looking for gaps in services.”

Once identified, Love INC and partner churches decided which “gap ministries” to take on.

“Transportation was a big one,” said Schlenke. “With Mercy in Motion no longer available, people were having trouble getting to doctor’s appointments.”

Volunteer drivers were partnered with people who needed help.

Sometimes, volunteers took clients grocery shopping or to the bank.

The service isn’t just about driving—it’s connecting with people.

“It’s all about relationships; we want people to know that we care about them,” Schlenke said. “Many people are so isolated; they just don’t have family or friends.”

Other gap ministries include foster care duffle bags, a bare necessity pantry and pastoral counseling.

Volunteers are encouraged to share their faith with clients—when the moment is right.

“It’s very non-invasive,” said Burnside. “It’s not like we’re out there with a bullhorn.

Burnside usually ends her conversations with clients by asking, “Can we pray about this?”

“It’s unbelievable. We have clients who say that nobody’s ever prayed for them—or with them before; or they’ve never been inside of church.”

Some people cry.

“We do have clients who say no—and one person hung up on me,” Burnside said. “But that’s OK because we’ve planted the seed, and that seed is incorruptible.”

Burnside is referring to a passage in 1 Peter 1:23, where the apostle refers to the word and message of God as being “incorruptible” and life giving.

Faith is a part of everything they do.

“We can do what we can for people, but ultimately it’s the Lord Jesus Christ who is going to help them,” Schlenke said. “If we can offer them nothing else, we can offer them prayer and the hope that the Lord will move on their behalf.”