CRYSTAL LAKE – In these trying economic times it’s comforting to know that there are people willing to help their fellow man. Sun City resident Carol Gates of N.14 is one of these Good Samaritans. She is the senior pastor of Living Waters Lutheran Church and is running a lecture series titled, “Doing Life Together.” This series will give experts on the welfare of the community a chance to respond to people’s concerns. The topics that will be discussed range from understanding adult depression, to keeping our children safe, to utilizing the miracle of laughter in order to downplay stress.
“My passion for serving people and meeting them where they are at [is the main driving force behind the Doing Life Together series],” said Gates. “Meeting people where they are at [means] accompanying them on their journey through life…. As you walk with them, you begin to see and discover that we are not all the same, and we all have different needs.”
Understanding that each person has his or her own specific difficulties throughout life led Gates to ask herself what the church could do to meet these people where they were at in their lives. What was the church being called to do?
“The call of the church is to respond to people. So, for example, if people are facing issues of homelessness then how can we [respond] to their concerns, and what services can we provide [to help them]?” said Gates.
To figure out the best way to help, Gates went to the leaders of the community. “[The leaders of the community] had a plethora of [experts] that [would be able to put a finer point on the obstacles being faced by people in the community]. These were the people who could stand up, and talk about the issues. [When asked if they would be willing to speak], there was no hesitation,” said Gates.
The Doing Life Together series will be held Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings between Sunday, February 19 and Wednesday, March 28 at the Living Waters Lutheran Church located at 1808 Miller Road in Crystal Lake. To learn more about the specific topics and what dates and times they will be discussed, please go to www.livingwaterschurch.com and click on the upcoming events tab on the left side of the screen. You may also contact Living Waters Lutheran Church at 815-455-2424.
“Meeting [people] where they are at means listening to their stories and then providing [them with] resources and ways to help them,” said Gates.
