Sherry Hancock walked into the church with her husband, children, and a heavy heart. The new school year was days away, and her family’s ongoing financial struggles were weighing on her. The realities of raising three young children in a major city added another layer of concern.
So, the family accepted an invitation to Lights of Zion Ministries, a church and training center on Chicago’s southside, which was donating free backpacks to neighborhood families. Supplied to Lights of Zion by the Inner City Ministry of Cru®, the brightly colored PowerPacks® are filled with school essentials, including notebooks, paper, pens, pencils, erasers, crayons, folders and glue sticks. Every PowerPack® also included age-appropriate gospel literature.
Once inside the church, volunteers registered the children and gathered contact information for follow-up. From there, families were directed to seven themed stations offering access to a variety of activities, including games, quizzes and conversations — devised for interactive environments and various touchpoints for children and their parents.
By the time Sherry arrived at the prayer station, she readily shared their situation with the church volunteers.
“We prayed with her and her husband, offering words of encouragement and hope,” said Araina Mickens, the pastor’s wife. “The family was visibly moved by the care and attention we gave them.”
At two nearby stations, one focused on games and the other, Bible fun, Mickens noticed that the children’s “demeanor began to lighten up, too, as they laughed and engaged with the church volunteers. The parents’ joy widened as they watched their children play, visibly relieved to see them happy and carefree.”
‘The parents’ joy widened as they watched their children play, visibly relieved to see them happy and carefree.’
That was precisely why members of Lights of Zion intentionally created these moments of interconnection, a technique they learned through evangelism training provided by Inner City as part of the PowerPacks outreach. As a result, 15 volunteers were on site to distribute the 45 PowerPacks they received from Cru.
“The process was simple but impactful,” Mickens said, adding that the format of the event was designed to “engage the community in a meaningful and fun way while sharing the gospel.”
For instance, at one station, the children used thin leather straps and colored beads, each symbolizing a specific element of the Resurrection story, to create wrist jewelry. Not only did they learn how the colors apply to the story, but they were also excited to turn around and use their own bracelets to share Jesus with friends.
“Upon completing all stations, they received a book bag filled with school supplies,” the pastor’s wife said. “Throughout the event, we played uplifting music to create a welcoming and joyful atmosphere. This approach allowed us to connect with attendees on multiple levels, ensuring that the gospel was shared in both subtle and direct ways through conversations, activities and prayer.”
Because of the personalized attention, Mickens said she noticed Sherry’s countenance had changed dramatically since the family initially walked through the church doors.
“The family arrived looking a bit weary, clearly feeling the weight of preparing for the upcoming school year,” Mickens said.
‘The family arrived looking a bit weary, clearly feeling the weight of preparing for the upcoming school year.’
When the Hancocks arrived at the Conversation Station, Dad and Mom opened up even more about living with such limited resources.
“We listened, offering both practical advice and spiritual encouragement,” Mickens said.
Despite their reality — or because of it — the couple shared how moved they were by the love and attention they received during the outreach.
“The parents were overwhelmed with gratitude, their eyes welling up with tears,” she said. “They expressed that it wasn’t just the supplies that meant so much to them, but the kindness and attention they received throughout the event. They said they felt truly seen and cared for, something they hadn’t experienced in a long time.”
‘They felt truly seen and cared for, something they hadn’t experienced in a long time.’
That resulted in deep questions about the Christian faith, culminating in a major shift.
“Right there, they made the decision to give their lives to Christ,” she said. “The Hancock family left not only with the tools their children needed for school but also with renewed hope, a commitment to their new faith, and a desire to become a part of our church community.”
