Creation House ready for homeless family

The Holy Bible tells believers that the Creation took six days and heavenly angels were involved.

Creation House near Littlestown has taken more than a year and a half - but this creation was done by a multitude of volunteer "angels" who were earth-bound and working in their spare time.

The dedication ceremony of the newly refurbished Creation House just east of the Christ Church United Church of Christ near Littlestown was held recently, said church board president Dale Arentz.

Prior to renovations, the structure was deserted for years and deteriorating to the point of ruin, Arentz said. Many years ago the home had been the church sexton's house. Later it was used as a rental home, but then stood empty for more than a decade.

The idea of Creation House began more than 10 years ago when Pastor Doug Mummert, of Bethel Assembly of God in Littlestown, had a vision of developing a home where a whole family could live for several months while working through financial and personal crisis.

Mummert is the founder and director of that church's Homeless Christian Outreach, which takes its ministry to offer food, clothing and financial assistance for homeless men, women and children in areas stretching from Adams County to Baltimore.

"The Lord showed me a house where whole families could be together while working through their problems," Mummert said. "There are shelters for homeless men, and homeless woman and their children, but there are very few places which will take whole families so that they can stay together."

Although stalled for several years due to the lack of a location, the vision began to take on the look of reality in 2010 when Christ Church United Church of Christ, Christ Church Road, Littlestown graciously offered to provide their two-story farmhouse for the project, Mummert said.

With the blessings of his congregation, Senior Pastor Craig Arentz of Christ Church United approached Mummert to offer the house to be used for the homeless ministry.

The three-bedroom farm-type house is back a long lane, has a huge yard and space for a garden with several outbuildings. It is located off Route 194 between Littlestown and Hanover just south of the church at 65 Christ Church Road.

Dozens upon dozens of volunteers spent the last year and one-half tearing out old drywall, floors, wiring, plumbing, the heating system and even chimneys to create a wonderful "new" home for a family in need, Mummert said.

"We had to do a whole lot more renovating than we originally anticipated," he said. "But it's all been good. We are glad we went the extra mile."

The volunteer angels lining up to give their time to the project included members of many other area churches, community organizations, businesses, individuals, and entire families, Mummert said.

In addition to the "army of angels" volunteering their leisure time to work on the home, a bevy of angelic business owners also came forward with donations of everything from concrete and blocks - to kitchen cabinets and bathroom fixtures - to household appliances and furnishings, Mummert said.

Everything was done completely by free-will contributions, he said, with absolutely no local, state, or federal grants, or loans involved.

"It's incredible. It's done and it's all paid for - Hallelujah!" he exclaimed. "It took time, but if we hadn't had a partnership with everyone working together to one goal it would not have been possible."

Because everything was done by donation, there has not been a tally of exactly what the final cost would have been if it would have needed to be paid out of a treasury, Mummert said.

David Lawrence, a member the board for Creation House and the contractor overseeing the renovations project, estimated the project would have cost in the range of $70,000.

Now that it is finished it will be "rented" out for periods of three to six months, or even longer if necessary, said Mummert, to one family at a time that is currently homeless.

"We want to help people that are trying to help themselves," said Pastor Arentz. "They have to want to work and while they are there it will be required that they regularly attend church - any church.

"Our intentions aren't to uproot them from their roots but to reinstate them into society," the pastor continued. "No one knows what put these people in this position - but our concern is to get them back on their feet and rebuild their relationship with the Lord."

While the family "renting" the home will be expected to participate in religious services somewhere, said Pastor Arentz, Creation House participants will also learn such things as money management, get help finding jobs, and be directed to area programs such as AA that can help with personal problems.

Once the adult members of the family have jobs they will be expected to begin paying some bills, such as the electric bill, said Pastor Arentz, so that they can learn to once again become self-sufficient.

After the family has pulled themselves together, the Creation House board will also try to help them find another home where the adults will completely pay their own way - so the next homeless family can be helped.

"We want them to know that they are not alone," said Pastor Arentz. "A church can't have tunnel vision. We must always be looking beyond our walls to please the Lord. The real ministry is going on outside of the churches."