By Carol Davis
The Canton (Ill.) Church of the Brethren doubled its community outreach by establishing a Little Library next to a blessing box installed six years ago.
The blessing box project had been a way to help the community based on directives suggested by Jesus. The congregation had decided that “feed my sheep” was something it could do. The box was placed on the church’s property at the corner of an intersection so that it would be accessible to those in need. Church volunteers stock the box each week with food and health items such as toothpaste, soap, and feminine products. The project has operated successfully since its 2017 dedication, and particularly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Little Library, designed and built by Josh Blevins, was added March 26. Church members, many of whom are current or retired educators, stock it with books for all ages, featuring a variety of literary genres. Now the congregation offers food for the mind as well as for the body.
In a dedication ceremony, members dedicated themselves to filling the library with thoughtful and inspiring materials and prayed for “the good of all who make use of its contents.”
Pastor Kevin Kessler prayed that the library would “be an instrument dispensing knowledge and wisdom in this community and beyond.”
This article originally appeared in Messenger. Subscribe to Messenger here.