St. Mark’s connects with the town of Shelby in many ways, some of them very invisible. Here are a couple of the more public connections.
Ignited Ministry
For several years, St. Mark’s has been a supporter of Ignited, a residential ministry which aims to spark hope in the lives of women struggling with addiction or battling life controlling problems. Our church building has a small apartment building attached, where several of the women live, and we are able to provide some financial help as well.
The Old Spokes Home
If you look at the side of our building which faces West Whitney Avenue, you will see a sign which advertises the Old Spokes Home Bicycle Shop. It is not a conventional shop—you cannot simply walk in with cash and ask for an inner tube. Instead, the project is to rehabilitate junk bicycles (police departments often send them to us) and give them away. Several retired men put in hours of volunteer work every week, and the result is sixty or seventy bicycles given free to children every year.
In addition to the give-away bicycles, Old Spokes has given rise to a bicycle club. About a dozen of us ride every week, weather permitting. It is not a race—most of us are over seventy years old. But we do have fun. Our bicycle week usually starts with breakfast at 9:30 Monday morning at the Milk & Honey Coffee Shop on Main Street. (BTW, the coffee shop is a project from Ignited.) If you want to be part of Old Spokes, just show up.
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