In early July, I had the opportunity to shadow our media director, Garrett Heath, as he filmed a documentary about a ministry at Living Faith church. Each week, the pastor, Mark Sentell, and a group of men from the congregation fix vehicles for a reduced price (and sometimes even for free) for low income families in their community. I had written about the garage ministry before, and I was interested in getting to watch their process in person. I didn’t anticipate understanding much, as all I know how to do with my car is put gas in the tank, but I was looking forward to it regardless.
Driving to the church that night, my expectation was that I was going to learn more about film from Garrett in hopes of adding another skill to my communications repertoire while getting to capture a great example of Christian outreach. I left with so much more than that.
An Evening of Surprises
Most of what I did that night was watch Garrett interview the guys from the garage. We started with Mark Sentell. I expected him to talk about how the ministry provides a physical service to the people in their community while also creating an opportunity to share the Gospel, and he did. What I didn’t expect was for him to talk about how the ministry fulfills a spiritual need for the men providing the service.
Mark explained that all of the men on his team come from different backgrounds, and many of them are fighting tough battles. What stood out to me the most from his interview was that the garage ministry has created a community for these men where they’re learning to come as they are and that they can serve Christ while feeling broken. When he said that, I remembered thinking I feel like that too.
Broken Cars and Broken People
I think everyone has felt that way at some point – that we need to fix ourselves before we can do God’s work - like we have to be perfect representatives of Christ before we can proclaim Him. But Mark reminded me that that’s not what God asks of us. God knows that we are sinful and imperfect. That’s why he sent Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice for us. Yet we all seem to have this subconcious barrier in our minds saying I can’t serve right now. If I did, I’d be a hypocrite. But that’s simply not true.
Of course we are supposed to prayerfully make an effort to be more Christlike, but brokenness shouldn’t stop us from getting involved in ministry. We serve God because we love Him and because He served us first. We help others because that’s how God asks us to honor Him. There’s no requirement in the Bible that says you have to be blameless to care for the poor or in order to help your neighbor, you first must ensure that you’ve never broken any of the commandments. In fact, the Bible is FULL of examples of God using broken people to accomplish His purpose. What matters is that we take accountability for our mistakes, ask for forgiveness, and make a conscious effort not to make that mistake again. We can still serve God while we are going through the process of repentance. I believe that voice in the back of my mind telling me that I’m too broken to serve is the tempter’s way of shifting my focus away from God’s plan for me and onto my own blemishes and insecurities.
Building a Community
The second thing that stuck with me when I was driving home that night was the camaraderie between the men in the garage. The building had become a safe place for the men to support each other in their own personal struggles and bond over a mutual interest all while serving Christ and their community. I remember thinking that I wished there was a place like that for me in my community where I could go to support and be supported by other Christians while doing good.
I grew up in North Sewickley Pennsylvania. I went to a small school and graduated with a class of 120 seniors in 2022. In a lot of ways, growing up in a small community was great. I always felt safe going for walks around the cul-de-sac. There was a small ratio of teachers to students, so I got to know them as people as well as leaders. I knew everyone I went to church with and I looked forward to the Ellwood City Fourth of July Festival every year where I knew I was going to see my friends whether we made plans or not because everyone ALWAYS goes. But honestly what I remember the most about my childhood is feeling overwhelmingly lonely. My family wasn’t originally from the area, and that isolated me in a lot of ways. Most of the friendships at my school went back three generations. It’s hard to fit into a place with so much history.
The thing is, I know I’m not the only person in my community who has felt like an outsider. There are lots of people who feel like they don’t fit in, especially in rural communities. The tight knit nature of small towns is a wonderful blessing, but it makes it all the more painful when you feel like you aren’t a part of it.
What I remember the most about the garage ministry is that it addressed this human need for community. Everyone was welcome at the garage. It didn’t matter whether you were coming from a broken place, or even if you had any experience working on cars. There was a place and a job for everyone in that building.
During my time in the garage I watched skilled mechanics teach people who had never worked on a car before how to tighten tires. I saw clients connecting with each other in the waiting area while their cars were being worked on. Mark Sentell told Garett and me about how older women from the congregation would come and make conversation with single moms while their cars were fixed. He told us about a teacher who washes their uniforms every week. Everyone had a place. Everyone was treated with dignity. Nobody was ignored.
Challenged to Notice
As I’ve mentioned, I know nothing about my car except how to drive it, but even as a stranger I felt at home there. I talked to one of the guys about the jobs he’s worked over the years and shared with him my experience being a student at Grove City. It was one of the few times I’ve gotten to witness people genuinely welcoming everyone into a community while reserving judgment. I felt the spirit of Christ in that garage.
The next day, I was washing dishes with my mom and telling her about the garage. I remember saying to her that if I had a place like that in our community, I might not feel so much pressure to move after I graduate. The people of Living Faith have recognized the loneliness epidemic affecting rural communities, and they’ve actually done something about it. As a person who has felt out of place in my community, it was really encouraging for me to see. Because of the garage ministry, I’ve decided to challenge myself to notice the people who go unnoticed and to look for ways to make people feel valued and welcome wherever I end up.
Emily Fox is a senior at Grove City College and a CRM Student Fellow. She grew up in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania and is studying English with minors in Writing and Digital Marketing at the college. Post-grad, she hopes to pursue a career in Public Relations.
