Island Lutheran Church is showing that you can be on an island without being like an island, cut off from the community.
ILC is on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, part of booming Beaufort County. The county population has increased from just over 120,000 at the 2000 census to about 200,000 today, and Kevin Duff, one of the pastors at ILC, said the congregation has welcomed a hundred new members in the past two years. To keep up with the growth and needs both inside and out, the church has Duff already in the position of Sharing Pastor, and is calling a Ministry Expansion Pastor.
As Sharing Pastor, Duff helps Lead Pastor Jeff Dorth care for the congregants, and he’s charged with helping discern the spiritual needs of the surrounding community so that ILC as a whole can share the salvation of Jesus.
“We want to prepare our congregation as well as we can to transform more lives for Christ, ” Duff said.
Much of that sharing is rooted in ILC’s community partnerships. One of its partners is the non-profit organization Neighborhood Outreach Connection. With NOC-SC, the church hosts up to 60 children four days a week for after-school tutoring.
“As a congregation we have taken hold of the opportunity to support these children through our site,” Duff said. “We consider our space to be a community center for the neighborhood.”
Duff’s favorite outreach ministry is ILC’s Comfort Dog ministry. As ILC looks for opportunities to have spiritual conversations within the wider community, their dog Zoara, who recently celebrated her eighth birthday, is a good point of entry.
“As people are petting the dog, we can say, ‘Hey we are representing Island Lutheran Church, and we are here to share God’s love’. People are intrigued by that. We can ask them, ‘Can we pray for you? How can we pray for you?’ We can meet people where they are, even if it’s not at church.”
He said the position of Ministry Expansion Pastor would add counsel and strategic planning.
As for what that might look like, he said: “Is there a need for a daycare? Should we consider a school or some sort of educational setting? We are looking. It’s interesting to see what the Lord wants to do.”
And with each passing day, whether it be current congregants or those out in the community, there are more people to reach.
Duff said, “The harvest field is white.”
These outreach spotlights are designed to encourage and inspire congregations to serve and love those who God has placed in their community. Got a story to share? Please email Robin Domeier.