Covering the Land of Lincoln

Minister preaches ‘A Labor of Love’

CALEDONIA, Ill. (WIFR) – The director of Rockford Urban Ministries with more than 35 years of helping those who are oppressed preaches his labor of love in Caledonia Sunday.

Campbell feels that it’s fitting to share his labor of love message on labor day weekend and dozens of members of the Caledonia Congregational Church were inspired by the Sunday sermon.

A traditional Sunday service in Caledonia concludes with a sermon from Minister Stanley Campbell. With decades of experience helping those in need, Campbell tells churchgoers about sharing the love of god with those who aren’t as fortunate.

“Everyone has a certain gift that they can take counseling, working with children, fixing up a house,” says Campbell. “When you build a house in a neighborhood that’s dilapidated you not only try to reconstruct the house, but you try to reconstruct the family that’s living there.”

Campbell helped IV drug users cure their obsession by exchanging needles with drugs in them. Despite a controversy, Campbell says it was the best choice to help them recover.

“It is a miracle when someone overcomes the addiction. And if you can give them any type of assistance at all, to make that miracle happen. That is what we’re called to do as a church and as a community.”

Among the dozens inspired by his speech is church member Timothy Murphy. One of his takeaways is the people Campbell worked with: the least, the last, and the lost.

“We need to realize that we are all in this together and people need to be helped. We all need help sometimes, and I think Stanley’s message brought that out,” says Murphy.

Campbell says it’s easy to change people’s lives, but it’s the resources including experienced people who can turn a distressed community into a vibrant one.

“The more resources that we put into this type of work among the poorest of the poor, the greater the reward,”

Murphy says Campbell’s speech about labor before labor day is somewhat coincidental. Campbell is one of several invited to speak at the church to fill the time until the pastor returns from a break.

Almost 25 congregations in and around the Rockford region support the work done by Rockford Urban Ministries to help out the community.

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