By Brian Marchetti
Villager Contributor
A faith community has formed at Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church. The Joy Life Center, led by Pastor Bobby Lewis, looks to maintain joy with God at the center of one’s life. His ministry hopes to guide people to find their true purpose in life while forming healthy relationships with others and the greater community.
The Joy Life Center started in the auditorium at Clissold Elementary School. Construction on the building led Pastor Lewis to look for a better site. He met with Pastor Jennie English-Dumont of the Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church. They agreed to share the space. The center has held services there for the past 2 ½ years.
Lewis’ ministry finds inspiration in Nehemiah 8:10, which reads in part, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
“In practice, the idea is that joy is always around us,” Lewis said. “Joy is a consistent spirit that allows us to maintain connection with each other and God that gives us power, focus and strength.”
Through this focus, Lewis hopes to help people find purpose which not only gives their lives meaning but inspires others to find meaning in their own. Discovering one’s own calling leads to greater joy and a stronger spiritual bond with God.
“God has a calling for us outside the narrowness of what the world expects,” Lewis said. “Understanding God’s calling can break us into new frontiers, new pathways, when we’re open to those things.”
Like many communities of faith, tithing – the practice of giving one-tenth of one’s income to the church – is an integral part of their survival. At the Joy Life Center, tithing involves more than monetary donations. It calls forth members of the community to share their talents with each other which in turn strengthens the community.
“We find joy in ourselves when we bring our resources together to help the community,” Lewis said.
Last year, Lewis said that the Joy Life Center gave away 500 meals to needy families for Thanksgiving and donated toys at Christmas. They offer a wide range of services that include marriage and relationship counseling, coding classes and help with homework during the school year. On Sunday, Oct. 11, they plan to have an event at Sutherland Elementary School, 10015 S. Leavitt St., with a big screen TV to watch the Bears take on the Packers. BBQ will also be provided.
Services of the Joy Life Center take place every Sunday at Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church, 9401 S. Oakley Ave. Coffee and doughnuts are served at 9:30 a.m. and services begin at 10 a.m. People of all faiths are welcome.
For more information about the Joy Life Center and to get on their email list, please go to joylifecenter.org.
