When Opp’s First United Methodist Church Pastor Jimmy Allen issued a challenge to his congregation recently, he didn’t know others from around the community would join the project.

Members, along with others from throughout the community, skipped church Sunday and instead took to the streets to serve the community and spread the message of God’s love.

Allen said about 85 people worked in some way during “Faith in Action Sunday.”

The goal of the project was to send a message to the community that FUMC is here to help, and that’s exactly what happened, he said.

“We had people who are not members of our church join in the work day,” he said.

Allen said those in attendance divided up to do multiple tasks throughout Opp and Andalusia.

“We worked on six yards with our yard crews,” he said. “We prepared and delivered 190 care packages to the Opp Nursing Facility and Woodmore Assisted Living.”

One group traveled to Andalusia to do work for the Sav-A-Life ministry.

“We also had a crew finish painting nine rooms, sorting clothing, doing some cleaning and bundling diapers at Sav-A-Life,” Allen said.

While other groups prepared meals for the day’s workers and those the church served, some volunteered at Mizell Memorial Hospital and others did “whatever it took to keep things going,” he said.

Allen said one group was able to help a woman who had fallen earlier in the week with her yard work as well as give her some medical attention and care for her.

“It was a great day all the way around,” he said. “We hope to do it again in the near future.”