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 Ed has long had a passion for reaching out to “the least of
these.” He soon realized that “His Hands Outreach” was limited in
what they could do in Springfield as they only did the foot care
once a month. Ed says it was then that “we decided to do more
locally, and started a non-profit. We want to encourage people to
get outside the church buildings and reach out.”
Ed credits a quote by Craig Groeschel to show what the group is
trying to do. Groeschel wrote, “To reach people no one else is
reaching we must do things no one else is doing.”
Tibbits says “His Hands Outreach” is “trying to be Jesus’ body out
in our community. If he were here in the flesh, we believe he would
be hanging out in the poorest neighborhoods -- [outreach] doesn’t
happen within most church walls.” He wants to “communicate the love,
acceptance, and equality that comes from Jesus,” and says “[the]
number one thing is not programs, but people relationships. The kids
we picnic with on Sundays call us the church people. That’s alright
because that’s who we are! We want to provide a different experience
of Jesus than most people have seen before; who comes to where you
are, not expecting you to clean up on the outside and attend a
Sunday service before he will meet with you.”
 In the past several months, “His Hands Outreach” has been hosting
Sunday picnics at Ray White Park, praying with people who come to
the park, growing a community garden on Madison street, giving
vegetables from the garden to neighbors, providing children
activities at a community night hosted by the city of Lincoln, and
installing a new basketball hoop at the park.
Through the picnics and community garden, Tibbits and the other
members of His Hands Outreach have gotten to know many of the
neighbors in the area surrounding Ray White park. A relative of one
of the neighbors has been providing “gardening tips” and trying to
help “locate property for a community center” according to Tibbits.
Tibbits says God “has been closing doors and opening doors. . . We
don’t have money, but we have tons of love and support.” He notes
that “Our big need right now is a building for a community center.
Winter is on our heels and we have no place to gather. Building
relationships and trust without a building this winter will require
us to get even more creative and raise the bar of commitment. We are
intentional in this pursuit of chasing Jesus.” As part of this
pursuit, another goal is to eventually “plant a non-denominational,
non-traditional worship center with a relaxed coffee shop atmosphere
. . . [providing activities such as] community concerts events,
plays, youth nights, dances, karaoke, and open-mic night.”
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As we head towards thanksgiving, a few members of the group
expressed thankfulness for being able to reach out to others.
Don and Deb Hoover, who have worked with “His Hands Outreach”
since its beginning say, “we are thankful for the opportunity
for us to be a part of bringing the church into the neighborhood
and serving people in their own environment. We have been
blessed by the relationships that we have formed and are looking
forward to a neighborhood community center where we can all
learn and grow together.”
Julie Barger, who lives nearby, became part of the “His Hands
Outreach” group after members reached out to her while
picnicking one Sunday. She is equally grateful to be part of the
group, stating, “I was blessed to find new friends, some who had
been through things I was going through, which helped me know I
was not alone.” She continues by saying, “So always be nice to
strangers. You never know. It could be an angel.”
Tibbits also expresses his thanks for the many blessings he has
experienced by being part of this group as he states, “I am
grateful for the people God has put in my life. He has given me
the family I never had and an extended family that keeps
growing! I feel extremely blessed to be part of a community of
believers that really care about making a difference in our
city. God has blessed us all with a unique set of gifts -
abilities - quirks - and passions - that He wants to use. We are
learning how to work together and do the things He wants us to
do. We are “His Hands Outreach.”
[Angela Reiners]
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