Hope Community of Shalom, Inc
Hope Community of Shalom houses many ministries
By Beth Pratt
Esther Moses did not have a good day on a recent Sunday.
Staci Gray/A-J Photo
From left, Neryan Thomas,
When she arrived home after overseeing the Fiesta
Domingo, a meal served Sundays at Hope Community of Shalom, she found
thieves had broken into her house and taken her television set, her washer
and dryer and her microwave oven.
But that same week, she was back at Hope on Wednesday
morning to organize Mom's Meals, a ministry to AIDS victims sponsored by the
Lubbock Inter-Ethnic Parish. Members of the inter-ethnic group are Agape,
Asbury, Korean, La Trinidad and
Mom's Meals are prepared at Hope, a 501(c-3) nonprofit
agency that owns the building given for neighborhood ministry by
Like many older churches in changing neighborhoods,
Asbury found it difficult to maintain the building but was reluctant to
leave. The church had been exploring options.
The Rev. Louise Schock became pastor in 2001, shortly
after Asbury had participated in a
workshop on options for the future in 2000.
Staci Gray/A-J Photo
Church members and volunteers say a prayer before serving the Fiesta
Domingo dinner at
"Options were do we want to close, merge, look at
building a new church or wait and let the last one still here turn out the
lights, or do we want to stay and be in mission in the community?" Schock
said.
"One thing we looked at was the Shalom Ministry Plan."
Shalom is a neighborhood peace program begun by the
"We looked at resources in the community and asked how
we could collaborate," Schock said.
The summer after she became pastor, she said, "Esther
and I walked the community and invited people to become part of the summer
Bible school."
Then, in January 2002, Asbury began an after-school program for children
attending
Staci Gray/A-J Photo
Sylvia Hill adds dressing to the salads at a recent Fiesta Domingo, held
Sundays at
"Esther took the lead in that," Schock said.
As more ministries developed, the Hope Community of
Shalom qualified as a nonprofit agency. The church donated the building to
Hope Shalom. In the agreement, Hope took responsibility for maintaining the
building. The church agreed to pay a building-use fee for continued worship
there and financed the salary for a secretary to serve the church and Hope
Community of Shalom.
"It took the burden of the upkeep from the church and
allowed us to continue," Schock said. "We said the church was not really a
building ... the church is the people. That's a hard thing for us to learn
sometimes."
One or two volunteers from each of the five churches in
Lubbock Inter-Ethnic Parish meet in that building quarterly to cook and
package 100 nutritious meals for those who are ill with AIDS.
Staci Gray/A-J Photo
Tamera Stewart provides music for guests at the Fiesta Domingo dinner
held at
The volunteers set up in assembly-line fashion in the
kitchen.
"We usually have six people," Moses said. “Some cook,
some label boxes, some pack and some help take (the dinners) over to
Other churches also use the Hope Shalom building for
on-site ministries such as Fiesta Domingo.
Moses also oversees Fiesta Domingo, a meal and
devotional time provided at
"Several different churches participate in the mission
opportunity," Moses said. "Those who need assistance from the food pantry or
clothing closet can come from 4 to 5 p.m. and then attend the community meal
at 5:30 p.m. Sundays.
"We average about 85, and we've fed up to about 120, some from the
neighborhood, some homeless, anybody who wants a meal."
Staci Gray/A-J Photo
Cydnee Prince provides music for guests at the Fiesta Domingo dinner.
The short, ecumenical service includes music and a
devotional provided by different churches in the city such as Trinity,
Indiana Baptist and
Asbury's United Methodist Women's group recently gave
Moses a mission recognition award for her role in supervising and scheduling
Hope Shalom activities. Moses also serves as the
Moses has an undergraduate degree in education and
child psychology, taught school one year
and served nine years in the U.S. Air Force. She was stationed at
Reese Air Force Base and decided to make her home in
Staci Gray/A-J Photo
Lary Gunset fixes salads for Fiesta Domingo at the
Her efforts to make
After school, children get a healthy snack and
education about nutrition, offered in cooperation with the Kids Cafe program
of the South Plains Food Bank. Asbury church member and volunteer Mary Jo
Saunders meets with children who need individual tutoring.
Mary Guetersloh, a member of St.
Guetersloh, a former vice president of the board of
Hope Community of Shalom, continues as a board member. She also helps with
Court Ordered Visitation and Exchange, providing a safe place for supervised
exchange or visitation when children have court-ordered visits with a
non-custodial parent. She organizes the volunteers for the program. This is
one of several ministries called Fellowship Ministries that share space in
the church building with Hope Community of Shalom and Asbury.
Guetersloh became involved when in June 2004, St.
Staci Gray/A-J Photo
Heather Doherty brings food down the stairs of the the Asbury United
Methdist Chrurch for Fiesta Domingo.
"That was me, and that's how I got involved," she said.
Guetersloh was formerly in the justice system as a
probation officer and understands the complications that arise when
protected visitation is ordered for children with a parent.
Volunteers and donors make the variety of programs
possible under the Hope Shalom umbrella. One of the newest projects is Books
for Kids.
One of the newest projects is Books for Kids.
Joe Reeder loves to give books to kids. He has three
suitcases with wheels that he fills with books he purchases from secondhand
stores.
Reeder pulls the suitcases around the neighborhood
looking for children who want a book.
"We have individuals and churches that support our
programs," Guetersloh says, naming occasional grants for bigger projects. A
CH Foundation grant will renovate the library and support the purchase of
new books to give to children who want them.
The retired Schock remains a board member for Hope
Community of Shalom, although she is attending
As the neighborhood goes, so goes the church. Asbury is
one of several
