Love Action Church is nothing that came out of man’s imagination or ambition. Love Action is a result of what God is doing each and every day. That is, seeing a need and meeting it.
“I will be uncompromising when it comes to the truth found in the Word of God.” Love Action Church Pastor Matthew Smith said, “But (I) will also remember our duty as Christians is to love.”
(The Bible says in 1 John 3:18). “Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.”
“That’s how the name Love Action Church came around.” Smith said.
Matt and his wife Sidney were attending a church in Delaware before coming to Crestline.
“God had lead us to my dad’s church in Delaware. In our minds we were going to take over his church.” Smith said, “But our ways are not His ways. He lead us to Crestline. This building was empty, we meet with the building owners from the previous church and during that meeting God made it evidently clear we were to launch the church here.”
“I was driving down the road.” Smith said, “I Knew God was heading this direction. I had a conversation with God. (Asking Him) What’s this supposed to be like? He dropped these two words. Love and action.”
“We have a lot of people who claim Christ and claim to love. But the Bible says we are to prove to the world that we are His disciples through Love and that is action. The first verse I read the next morning was 1 John 3:18, that was my confirmation on the name and also what the we as a church are to live out. Love in Action.”
In January of this year the church opened it’s doors with about thirty members who shared the same desires of living lives that glorify God and being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ.
“When Jesus walked this earth, it was more so the religious people who had issues with him and the world was actually following Him.” Smith said, “Not with how they were living their lives but they were literally following him as he walked this earth.”
“That’s what I want us to be able to do as a church is resemble Jesus Christ in such a way that we have the worlds ear.” he continued, “Because we know the truth which is Jesus and that truth will set them free. Churches are supposed to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ.”
We are living in a time where we not only need to evangelize the world by winning the lost, but we need to see “cultural Christians” and “congregational Christians” become “convictional Christians.” It’s at the point of living by conviction that true change can occur. Remember, the most exciting life is the one lived for Christ.
The church wants to step outside and share their love within the community.
“Take the Church to the people. That’s what Jesus did.” Smith said, “He went to the people and that’s we should do instead of confining ourselves to four walls. We want to go into the neighborhoods and show a movie, grill food and do games.”
Love Action plans on having a food pantry in the near future.
“The kitchen has plenty of space, there are cabinets everywhere and we even have a large storage space. God has provided what we need so we can start a food pantry and help people who need it.”
H.O.P.E. is a faith-based support group for those affected by a loved-one’s addiction, as well as those in recovery.
“We help a lot of people with addiction.” said Sidney Smith, Matthew’s wife. “I am visiting a girl in jail right now with addiction. If there’s a way to meet with people we will.”
Love Action Church strives to reach the lost, help the hurting and minister to all.
“As a church our prayer is that every person in this county could experience the same joy that we have through Jesus Christ,” Matthew said, “If not a single one of them doesn’t choose to make Love Action Church us we would so rejoice. (We just want them to experience the same experience we have with Jesus Christ.) Churches shouldn’t be competing just filling Heaven with Souls.”
