At LoveCanton, we believe we are called to live in these same relationships!

If you are seeking a way to becoming more INvolved, we’d love to talk with you about serving with Children’s Ministries, Student Ministries, Celebration set-up crew, Sound/Tech teams, and Worship teams. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact us at info@lovecanton.com.

A great deal has been happening with /agape! For those who attend LoveCanton Celebration Services, you’ve been able to see live testimonies and story sharing each week. As a church body, we’ve found this the most powerful and effective way to share stories in our community. With the “light weight, low maintenance” philosophy of LoveCanton, it’s a perfect fit!

Additionally, God has opened doors for partnership beyond what we ever dreamed possible. If you visit First Friends, First Christian, and Rivertree Christian, you’ll notice the red /agape couches spread out in their churches. /agape has expanded throughout the Canton area! We are thrilled to announce our partnership with these communities. The stories of God at work being shared in these bodies are beautiful. The partnership of /agape with LoveCanton, First Friends, First Christian, and Rivertree is a true picture of what it means to be “one body and one Spirit… one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.”

Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to see the red couches throughout Canton in this capacity, but I am humbled and thrilled to see how God is moving in and through the /agape ministry. As we move forward, expect to see use of a joint story-sharing YouTube channel used by all /agape partners, as well as a magazine sharing stories from all our partners in one place. We are in search of writers, designers, and photographers to join the /agape team at LoveCanton. If you’re interested, please contact agape@lovecanton.com.

I look forward to seeing all God has in store for us!

Keep sharing His work in your lives. We’re listening. What’s your story?

Agape,

Rachel

Move From Success To Significance from RiverTree on Vimeo.

But the amazing news is this. While at Rivertree, Greg surprised us all by having folks at all 3 services give a special offering for Laundry Love. The grand total: $7,780.30!!!!!! Wow! Read more about the whole experience here: http://ohiolaundrybycurrent.blogspot.com/2012/03/7780.html

Thank you all for your support and for everything you do. This past weekend was proof that God is capable of anything. Never forget that my friends.

-Corey

Upcoming Dates include:
Saturday, March 17th
10:00 am
Professional Coin Laundry
1816 9th St. SW Canton, OH 44706
Saturday, March 24th
10:00 am
Orr Suds Laundromat
252 Cherry St Orrville, OH 44667
Saturday, March 31st
10:00 am
Canal Fulton Plaza Laundromat
2014 Locust St. Canal Fulton, OH 44614
Saturday, April 21st
10:00 am
White Rose Laundromat
3019 Cleveland Ave. SW Canton, OH 44707
Saturday, May 19th
10:00 am
Bubbles & Bleach
1127 12th St. NW Canton, OH 44703
Saturday, June 16th
10:00 am
Professional Coin Laundry
1816 9th St. SW Canton, OH 44706
Saturday, July 21st
10:00 am
White Rose Laundromat
3019 Cleveland Ave. SW Canton, OH 44707
Saturday, August 18th
10:00 am
Bubbles & Bleach
1127 12th St. NW Canton, OH 44703

Gatherings of the Laundry Love Project through the end of 2011 will be held:

• September 17th at Professional Coin Laundry (1816 9th St. SW Canton, OH 44706)
• October 15th at Profession Coin Laundry
• October 22nd at White Rose Laundromat (3019 Cleveland Avenue SW  Canton, OH 44707)
• November 19th at Professional Coin Laundry
• December 3rd at White Rose Laundromat
• December 10th at Professional Coin Laundry

The Laundry Love Project (LLP) is a non-profit organization run by Corey Easterday that operates solely on donations. “It costs about $250- $300 dollars to run each project,” says Easterday. “Part of our ministry is not only to pay for the laundry of those in need, but to also supply them with all the necessary items to do their laundry,” he explains. With the addition of the White Rose Laundromat, the Laundry Love Project is welcoming anyone desiring to give to their efforts to send donations to:

Small glimpses of community are apparent when you walk down the streets of Southeast Canton. If you spent some time here you would see that neighbors look out for each other and care about the business of the Southeast. You would see organizations like Lighthouse Ministries and Tiqvah Hands of Hope who are trying to impact kids with the love of Christ and give them an opportunity to succeed through their after school programming. You would see projects like the Community Outreach Of Love (C.O.O.L.) which brought hundreds of people together to clean up yards, build relationships and make a difference in the name of Jesus. You would see countless churches in the area, some who celebrate into the evening hours, their praise songs spilling out of their open front doors and into the street.

You would also see a red couch in Hartford Middle School, a couch that encourages conversation, community, and change; a place for students to share their stories and a place that brings hope to a school that surely needs it.

This red couch is located in Mr. George Dunwoody’s office, a staff member and community worker at Hartford Middle School. His passion for this red couch and the idea behind it is quite evident when you walk into his office.

“The red couch provided an identifiable place for students and staff to reflect, talk and seek help and encouragement. When the red coach suddenly appeared, people were intrigued by it. Once the purpose was shared, we began to see active use by the school community including students, staff, and parents,” said Hartford Middle School’s Vice Principal Andrea Ramsey.

The red couch was placed in the school through the efforts of LoveCanton. “We were very pleased to be a part of this initiative, and I will admit that I have had my share of cups of coffee in that very spot,” Ramsey said.

Hartford Middle School and the rest of the Southeast Canton community has seen its ups and downs this school year. From threats of shutting the school down to the February shooting just down the road, the future of the students residing in this part of town was and still remains uncertain.

“We are very hopeful that we will continue to see increases in student achievement during the coming year. We have put a very aggressive improvement plan in place as well as committed ourselves to working collaboratively with students, parents, and community stakeholders to support our students,” Ramsey said.

Ramsey and the rest of the Hartford staff will continue to encourage their students through college visits, career speaker days, vocal and instrumental music programs, the 21^st century after school program and an annual youth academy trip to New York.

If you walk a block down 3^rd street from Hartford you will see the remembrance of a life that was lost on February 28, 2011, in the form of a small memorial on a small front lawn. This cluster of artificial flowers is a reminder of a shooting, of violence, of death and of life. That night a 30 year old was shot and killed due to drug related activity and physical and verbal violence.

Hannah Ramsburg, program director of Lighthouse Ministries and resident of the home where the shooting took place, recalls the night that everything happened and what it meant for her and the community she invests her time in.

“Even now, though the emotions are lessened, I still feel a sense of sadness as I think about finding Rashad that night,” Ramsburg said in reference to Rashad Williams, the man who was shot and killed. “The words that come to mind as I think about his death are ‘significant’ and ‘tragic.’ A human life was lost that night and that has ramifications on both sides of eternity.”

Ramsburg also remembers the candlelight vigil that was held a few days after the shooting.

“It was amazing to see so many people come out in support of Rashad’s family and neighborhood peace at the vigil that was held in front of our house. If those people will use this tragedy as the motivation to go out and spread God’s peace and love throughout our neighborhood, the transformation will be amazing.”

This event has reinforced several things for Ramsburg personally, and for the community as a whole. Ramsburg is especially passionate about the Southeast and the young men living here. She realizes that these boys have almost every odd stacked against them. “I feel like crying when I think about one day hearing that one of my boys has been shot or is in prison. Praise God He is bigger than statistics! We have a neighborhood full of boys with potential to do great things in the kingdom of God and for their community. They are smart, strong, funny, and resilient,” she said.

The shooting only created more passion in Ramsburg to continue serving with local organizations. “It is easy for children growing up in a neighborhood like the Southeast to think that they are powerless, or that nothing good can come out of [here],” she said. “That is why it is so important to empower the local community by highlighting and supporting all that is positive. People don’t need to be ‘rescued,’ they need to be encouraged and empowered. They are the capable leaders who will continue to spread God’s peace.”

The night of the shooting, as police cars and detectives patrolled the area, Ramsburg said that she walked back into the house feeling a mixture of emotions. Picking up the Bible in hopes of finding some sort of comfort and clarity in the situation, she turned to Psalm 141.

“But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge – do not give me over to death. Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, from the traps set by evildoers. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.”

Ramsburg and Ramsey both said that safety has nothing to do with location, but with the presence of God in our lives and with efforts to create a sense of community and pride in the neighborhood. God surely was and is present on 3^rd Street SE, at Hartford Middle School, in all of the surrounding after-school programs and countless churches, and in the hearts of those living in this community.

“The Southeast section of Canton has a very vibrant history as a place where businesses thrived and people had a strong sense of community and commitment to each other. Unfortunately, this is not always what we see in this area during this era, but I believe it can be reestablished,” Ramsey said.

“I believe that if we all communicate, pull together, and stay focused, things will change for the better.”