God’s Love in Action, In Action

By Sam Parnitzke, Habitat Lakeside marketing intern
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It’s strange. Life, that is. How even when it seems so hurtful, heartless, or even just plain dull sometimes, it has this almost unbelievable ability to always work out and for the good to shine through even in the darkest moments.

That’s what I call faith. Faith is trust in something better. Faith guides many and often accomplishes feats that are unheard of. 

On the chilly morning of Saturday, Sept. 6, faith took a pile of lumber and one man’s instructions and turned it into overwhelming success. Members from First Congregational Church in Sheboygan came together to build the skeleton for what will be Habitat Lakeside’s 53rd home.
 
Their faith, along with countless three-inch nails, led them to give their Saturday to a common goal.  Instead of choosing to stay warm at home or even gearing up for a full slate of college football, they answered a higher call. By the time the sun poked out from behind the clouds, 30-plus volunteers had assembled the frame for the Ashford House. The love and faith didn’t stop there. They filled the blank pieces of wood with scripture verses and messages of kindness and support. 

“One cannot be a follower of Jesus without being of service to those around them,” says Julia Hollister, pastor at First Congregational. “Being a follower of Jesus means putting faith into action in being present with those who are in need.” 

As I sat in a local church parking lot on that chilly Saturday morning, I had a first-row seat to see Habitat Lakeside’s mission in full swing: Seeking to put God’s love in action, we bring people together to build homes, community, and hope.
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The faith doesn’t stop there. Some 32 years ago, Habitat Lakeside’s roots were established in faith. After a trip to Americus, Georgia, Habitat Lakeside founder Janice Nigh was moved by the volunteer work she saw at Habitat International. She watched as 20 houses were built in a mere five days. When Nigh returned to Sheboygan, she hit the ground running. 

In 1993, she became the first Habitat Lakeside president and began the plans to build the first house here in Sheboygan. The beginning did not come without trouble. A week before the start of the building, the construction manager unexpectedly quit. Faith didn’t take long to act, Jan remembers. “We had prayed and prayed, and soon someone called us to volunteer to be the manager for the project,” she recalls. “Faith means to this affiliate that we couldn’t have done it without God, there's just no way.” 

By God’s grace, 32 years and 52 houses later, we’re still here. Faith isn’t just in our roots; it’s the entire tree. We believe everyone should have the right to fair housing, regardless of their circumstances. Even today, we hold it true that we can do nothing without the help of God. We also hold that in our affiliates’ own Faith Outreach Committee, which makes sure that all actions follow our commitment. The faith committee also connects us with pastors and churches like First Congregational.

“This is the core of what Habitat does,” says RaeAnn Bebe, a member of our faith committee. “Working side by side with others, using the talents and resources we have been given to support another in home ownership or home repair,” she says. “Habitat builds community between the volunteers and the home buyers. Some of these relationships last long past the home being completed.”

One of these homebuyers is Michelle Schulz. There was no doubt that she saw the faith Habitat was able to provide her. “Each day it was undeniable, the way that faith and the Lord had worked within my life, but it was clear He had also brought these specific people into my life,” Schulz says.

Faith, by definition, is the complete trust in someone or something. We at Habitat for Humanity Lakeside firmly believe that God is present with us and guides us to do the absolute best we can. From church parking lots to brand-new build sites and critical home repair, from 1993 to the present day and many more years to come, faith has led us. All of us here at Habitat for Humanity invite you to see how faith can shape a life. 

A scene from the Sept. 6 wall building at First Congregational Church in Sheboygan. Photo: Adrienne Barrett/First Congregational Church