Clinton Thomas / St. Joseph News-Press

Brothers Josh, front, and Jonathan Wing paint a house at 623 Harmon St. Sunday as part of St. Joe Serve.

The church has left the building.

Volunteers from more than a dozen local churches carried their catch phrase into the streets Sunday to complete service projects across St. Joseph.

Some congregations held early services, while others simply moved the sermon into the community.

“We’re not out of church. We’re having church out here,” Matthew Lindley said.

Mr. Lindley’s college Sunday school class from Frederick Boulevard Baptist Church slapped a new coat of paint on 831 Harmon St. Mr. Lindley said that some people might not think of college students as community-oriented, and he hoped events such as St. Joe Serve could change that.

Brian Pettigrew came to Missouri Western from the Dallas area. Despite his limited ties to the area, he wanted to lend a hand.

“I really feel the need to help in the community and see lives change,” he said.

Mildred Caselman sat inside while another group of workers fixed up her house at 823 Harmon St. By the end of the day, Ms. Caselman’s home had a new front porch, new paint and some new windows.

“It’s going to look pretty different,” she said.

Jamie King, a church deacon for Frederick Boulevard Baptist, explained how houses were selected. He said that Harold Hamm, a former postal worker in the South Side, helped identify houses that needed work and submitted them to the city. The city met with homeowners, set up plans and provided St. Joe Serve with the materials it needed, according to Mr. King.

“We are so blessed in this country,” Mr. King said. “Our poor are considered rich in other countries, and it’s hard sometimes to identify who needs help. Once you find somebody (to help), it sure feels good to come together and improve someone’s life.”

Clinton Thomas can be reached at clintonthomas@npgco.com.