Reaching out to neighbors in need
By Pearl Cantrell
Monitor Staff Writer
CHEROKEE SHORES–A movement is a foot in the largest subdivision in the Payne Springs area – an area often associated in the newspaper with drug arrests and police activity.
But this movement is one aimed at building community and fostering good will.
It’s called Love’s Outreach, and like many other Easter Eve activities, those involved sponsored an egg hunt, which drew about 200 people to Cherokee Shores main park.
What’s different about this gathering is it reoccurs every month, minus the egg hunt.
“We’ve been doing this every third Saturday for about a year and a half,” John Van Horn of First United Methodist Church in Mabank said.
“I just felt God was calling me to this. We wanted to reach out locally,” he said.

Monitor Photo/Pearl Cantrell
Allison Partridge (front) Larry DeLong, Chris Schoolcraft and John Van Horn stand in front of The Foundry House, a donated property for use by the First United Methodist Church of Mabank in its outreach to the residents of Cherokee Shores.

On the third Saturday, between 11 a.m and 1 p.m., about 40 people from the church and a few from Sinner’s Hope Baptist and Payne Springs United Methodist Church put on a hamburger/hot dog barbecue luncheon with beans and potato salad, cold drinks and dessert for 200 to 250 people.
They also invite helping agency representatives from the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the Friends of the Animals spay and neutering program, God’s Helping Hand program, among others to join them in passing out information and talking to the residents there, that often need help of some kind.
Some of the hosts, like Allison Partridge, organize games for the young people, such as flag football.
Others man a booth giving away free Bibles and devotional materials, or school supplies, clothing and food baskets, depending on the season.
“We come rain or shine,” Van Horn said.
“We picked this area because of the great opportunity and facility here on the park grounds,” he added. The fellowship is open to anyone who wants to join in building a community.
“Our main goal is to show God’s love and forgiveness and share with our neighbors God’s love and praise,” he said.
Mabank pastor Chris Schoolcraft said it’s all about forging trusting relationships and helping one another.
“They’ve come to know us and trust us. We can both just be ourselves,” he said.
Recently, the church has been able to open a house in the neighborhood for use by the community.
After school, it serves as a place where school kids can be supervised and helped with their homework. In the evenings, it will be used to house a Celebrate Recovery program, overseen by Larry DeLong.
“It’s a 12-step program to help motivated individuals to sustain freedom from drug or alcohol abuse,” he described.
“On Sunday mornings, we hope to use the house as a house church, too,” Schoolcraft said.
The house and its property was donated to the church and members have donated their time and money renovating it, he added.
“We want others to know what’s going on out here so they can join us in reaching out, or join in the benefits offered,” he added.
Though the members of the Mabank church have made and continue to make a significant commitment to the people of Cherokee Shores, it didn’t start with them.
It started on two fronts with two women of vision.
Two years ago, Jean Small of Payne Springs First United Methodist Church sent out 50 letters to area churches inviting them to join in an effort to establish a mission of sorts to help the needy in the area. The Methodist church in Mabank was one of the few responding to the call.
At first, the gatherings were held at the Lord’s Acre, but was later moved to be closer to those it hoped to reach.
Payne Springs church members Sharon and Mike McCraw have faithfully provided take home snack packages for all the children attending the Saturday picnics each month.
“I’m 92, and I go out there and just visit with the people who come and see how they’re doing and bring out clothes and different things they might need,” Small said.
She had become acquainted with the pastor of Sinner’s Hope, Tommy Merchant, and learned about the mission he was operating in the Dallas area early Sunday mornings and asked.
“Why can’t we do something like that here,” she said
On another front, Dorothea Guinn, then hired by the Cherokee Shores POA, had started an organization called AOK Fellowship, (AOK stands for Acts of Kindness).
Through her work, Lowe’s and Walmart and churches slowly made improvements to the park, building picnic tables and benches and erecting playground equipment.
“We picked this area for the great opportunity and the facility the park offers,” Van Horn said.
Anyone interested in learning more about Love’s Outreach should call the church at (903) 887-3691.