1022 Floyd Street, Lynchburg VA

Today’s visit looked a little different from my usual posting… no pulpit, no pews, no choir robes or stained glass. But make no mistake, this was church.

This week I had the privilege of visiting The Blessing Place, a ministry that has been faithfully serving our community for seven years under the leadership of Barbara Gardner and Andrea Reid.

And though it meets in the building of Westminster Presbyterian Church which humbly provides this space at no cost to serve the community, what happens there is more than a program, it is a living, breathing sermon of compassion.

Shawn Hyska, the Pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church has been such a blessing to my life. Ever since our paths crossed from my first visit there, he has stayed in contact and prayed for me more times than I can count. I can’t even begin to tell you how much that means to me.

I first stumbled across this ministry a couple of weeks ago when I showed up late in the day, but even in those few minutes, I could sense something holy. So today, I went back early, before the doors opened to see what God was doing up close.

“Love One Another, as I Have Loved You” — John 15:12

As I watched Ms. Andrea set up signs and tie bright balloons on the front door, I was struck by how simple, and yet how sacred, her work was.

She greeted everyone waiting outside, not as strangers, but as family.

And then, right there on the sidewalk, before anyone stepped inside, she lifted her voice in prayer over every person waiting.

She didn’t pray short or shallow prayers, she prayed with fire and tenderness, asking God to bless each soul, to meet their needs, to remind them they were seen.

Inside the doors, The Blessing Place came alive, room after room filled with items to meet practical needs and spiritual ones. Every room has a name that preaches its own sermon:

The Faith Room (everything under $2)

The Joy Room (everything under $4)

The Peace Room (everything under $6)

The Love Room (everything under $7)

The Kindness Room, where everything is marked down to bless those with the tightest budgets.

Every room is more than a store. It’s an altar of generosity. A space where dignity and hope are restored.

This is a Labor of Love!

Make no mistake, this is not easy work…
It takes long hours, sore backs, and strong faith to do what these women do.

Ms. Barbara and Ms. Andrea collect, organize, pray, clean, greet, and love, week after week with no spotlight and no paycheck. They run this ministry through donations alone, and every dollar raised goes right back into serving others, community meals, school partnerships, block parties, and annual outreach events like the Children’s Gift Shop in December and the Seniors Giving Tree.

Just last night, they hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for the community, catered cooking, serving, and loving people who simply needed a warm meal and a reminder that they matter.

This is what ministry looks like.
It’s faith with dirt under its fingernails.

When I spoke with some of the folks waiting outside before the doors opened, many said something that pierced my heart.

“This is our church.”

They weren’t talking about the building or a Sunday service.
They were talking about the love that shows up.

And I thought of what Jesus said in Matthew 25:40:

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me.”

This is the gospel, not only preached, but practiced.

I was reminded of my own childhood, a time when I often longed for kindness like this. I knew what it was like to wonder if I mattered. And standing there in that hallway, watching Ms. Andrea hand out hugs and carry boxes, I saw what redemption looks like when the body of Christ gets it right.

This ministry is church in its purest form,
Feeding the hungry.
Clothing the broken.
Loving the lonely.

If you are reading this, I challenge you right now, show up.

Bring your donations. Bring your time. Bring your prayers.
There is a place for you in this story and maybe God is calling you to pick up where someone else’s strength runs out.

The next Blessing Place openings are December 6th and December 20th at 1022 Floyd Street, Lynchburg, VA. If you can give, donate, or help, call 434-847-6655. And, please visit Westminster Presbyterian on Sunday. You will glad you did.

Even if you can’t go, pray. Pray for Barbara and Andrea and Pastor Shawn, for their strength, their continued passion, and for every soul who walks through those doors.

I will never forget the way Ms. Andrea handed me a small Christmas gift, free of charge with the kind of smile that only comes from Jesus. I supported the ministry with purchases for others that day, but truthfully, I left richer than I arrived.

The Blessing Place reminded me that we are all the church not because of what happens in sanctuaries, but because of what happens when love moves beyond the walls.

And I can’t help but believe that when Barbara and Andrea and Pastor Shawn open those doors every other week, heaven opens too.