For the past three years, St. Joe Serve has made one Sunday a year a little bit out of the ordinary.

Instead of adhering to their normal schedules, more than a dozen churches throughout the city have moved or canceled their morning services the second Sunday in October in order to serve the community through projects such as home restorations and city clean-up projects. And this year will be no different — other than that St. Joe Serve has now expanded to include Saturday, as well.

Three St. Joe Serve churches — McCarthy Baptist Church, New Hope Foursquare Church and The Edge Christian Fellowship — have partnered to host Family Fest ‘09, a carnival intended for families with children who attend Hosea, Hyde, Lake Contrary, Pickett and Skaith elementary schools, which are located near these three churches. The event, which will be rescheduled if today’s weather doesn’t cooperate, will take place today at Hosea Elementary School and, in addition to free games, rides and food, will offer resources for families. These include not only material items such as school supplies and winter coats but also CDs with Bible studies addressing family issues.

“It’s hard to raise a family today, and we’ve been wanting to do something for parents for a while,” says the Rev. Jim Morgan, pastor of The Edge. “So many young families make mistakes God’s word addresses, because we live in a time when biblical illiteracy is huge and many people don’t know what God’s word has to say about marriage and parenting. ... I believe God’s word can radically change a person’s life and radically change a family.”

Alongside the bounce house and cotton candy and other carnival festivities, Family Fest ‘09 also will include a tent where people can come with prayer requests, says the Rev. Dan McLaughlin, associate pastor of McCarthy Baptist.

“We want to make a connection with people,” he adds. “ ... The whole idea of St. Joe Serve is to get out in the community and do something for somebody, just to do it.”

This is what will be happening Sunday, as well, when other churches set out on work projects throughout the city (Some projects have been postponed until next week due to weather). Each church also has partnered with an organization in need of donations or volunteers, the Rev. McLaughlin says. And during a service the St. Joe Serve churches will have at 6 p.m. today at Wyatt Park Baptist Church, checks will be given to several non-profit organizations that applied for grants.

These local efforts coincide with a national event, Faith in Action Sunday, that will have church congregations across the nation serving their communities on Sunday — and sporting T-shirts with slogans such as “Don’t go to church. Be the church.” Part of the purpose of this outreach is to demonstrate that churches care about more than what’s going on within their own walls, according to Faith in Action’s Web site, www.putyourfaithinaction.org.

“Many unchurched folks believe that we church people are only in business for ourselves,” adds the Rev. Paul Gaug, pastor of Brookdale Church in St. Joseph. “They feel we meet in our buildings, collect money, learn about the Bible and compete with other churches — all out of a religious form of self-interest. We hope this is a small step in changing their minds.”

In addition to those mentioned above, the churches involved in St. Joe Serve are Wellspring Community Church, Frederick Boulevard Baptist Church, Green Valley Baptist Church, Living Hope Church, Word of Life Church, Mitchell Park Christian Church, Riverside Church and Central Christian Church, according to St. Joe Serve’s Web site, www.stjoeserve.com.

Despite the number of churches involved, St. Joe Serve really is an opportunity to practice unity rather than division, the Rev. Morgan notes.

“It’s a chance to not just believe but to act on that fact that there’s only one church in town,” he adds, “the Church of Jesus.”

Lifestyles reporter Erin Wisdom can be reached at ewisdom@npgco.com.