Lodi Adventists
Team Up for Outreach
“I came to the clinic depressed. My teeth were shot! I was too embarrassed to smile. I had trouble eating. Look at me now. I can smile! I can eat!” “I hoped the dentist would do a couple of fillings, but he did all 10! I am so blessed!” “I liked the fact that you prayed for me. No one has ever prayed for me before.”
T
hese were just a few of the responses from patients at the Health For Lodi free clinic held on May 15 at Lodi SDA Elementary School. During the event, 180 volunteers served 250 uninsured and underinsured people. In all, 430 medical and dental procedures were completed. Guests also had the opportunity to receive a massage, Christian literature, wellness counseling, and spiritual care. The story of the clinic began in 2014 when three Lodi pastors—Fairmont church Senior Pastor Tracy Baerg, English Oaks church Senior Pastor Bob Mason and Lodi Spanish church Pastor Víctor Mérida—met to discuss their vision for evangelism and outreach in the region. “What would our community look like if we shared our resources to complement instead of compete?” they asked themselves. Their conversation led to the formation of a tri-church committee which included three board members from each church, the principals of Lodi Academy and Lodi SDA Elementary School and the president/CEO of Lodi Health-Adventist Health. The new team is named ALL4J, an acronym for Adventists Loving Lodi for Jesus, and its focus is on collaborative outreach within the greater Lodi area. After considering community needs,
the ALL4J team decided to partner with AMEN (Adventist Medical Evangelism Network)—a non-profit, faith-based organization—to create a free clinic, based on Jesus’ model of health ministry. The Lodi Adventist community planned to meet the physical needs of the people and then invite them to know Jesus. Mason summed up the motivation behind the effort: “All outreach is for restoration and reconciliation.” The churches and the hospital provided funding and volunteer personnel for the clinic. Physician George Chen and nurse Claire Lear served as boots-on-theground leadership for the clinic. “An event such as this one gives the Holy Spirit an opportunity to work through the body of Christ,” said Chen. Clinic volunteer Rick Schlenker, a Fairmont church member, agrees. “The Church became the hands and fingers of God,” he said. “This is Jesus’ formula for relational evangelism.” Dentist Daryl Payne, English Oaks church member, saw firsthand the difference that the clinic made in people’s lives when he treated a woman with such severe periodontal disease that her doctor wouldn’t let her undergo a needed hip surgery. “Once we had treated her, she was able to proceed with plans for hip surgery,” he said. “She was very grateful.” The volunteers were also thankful for the opportunity to serve. “By volunteering, I became a part of the larger family of Adventist outreach,” said Fairmont church member Tammie Rich. “I recommend this experience to everyone.” _____________________________ By Hannah Thomas, RN, a member of the Lodi Fairmont church.
(Top Left) People wait in line outside Lodi SDA Elementary School. (Top Right) Guests learn how to live healthier lives through wellness coaching. (Above) A volunteer checks a patient’s blood pressure. (Photos: Weimar College)
(Below Left and Bottom) Eye and dental services are popular at free clinics because many people are not insured in these areas. (Below Right) A guest receives a relaxing massage. (Photos: Weimar College)