Where Love Lives
Stories of Faith in Action 2009
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INDIAN LAND, SOUTH CAROLINA
“I baptized a baby a few weeks ago—a first for us here in our new congregational building,” says the Rev. Jason Schafer, pastor of Crossroads Lutheran Church in Indian Land, S.C. “The baptism was a joyous occasion for the family as well as a symbol of new life for our congregation.”
The Rev. Jason Schafer, pastor of Crossroads Lutheran Church in Indian Land, S.C.
Crossroads Lutheran Church is a 2006 mission start of the ELCA South Carolina Synod. Indian Land is a rapidly growing community near Charlotte, N.C., with many new families moving into the area each day. Only three adult members are South Carolina natives. Within six months of ministry, Crossroads’ attendance more than doubled.
Schafer says that in a mobile society, it’s important to make connections. At Crossroads, seniors, with family scattered across the country, discover a caring community. Mothers, busy and overstressed, find solace and friendship through Crossroads’ Wednesday evening Bible study. And children from the surrounding area discover the love of Jesus Christ, sometimes for the first time, through Crossroads’ day camp.
“Developing this vibrant, new congregation has been a humbling experience—something miraculous that I’ve never been able to fully understand,” says Schafer. “It’s powerful to see God at work in this way among us at Crossroads. The Kingdom is growing here in this place,” he added. “Crossroads truly is a place where love lives — a place where we meet Christ.”