Simple Acts of Kindness Evangelism, known as SAKE, is one of the Loma Linda Campus Hill Church's hallmark outreach ministries. Conceptualized in 2006 during lunch at Pastor Hyveth Williams's home by then-new members Emmanuel and Danilyn Angeles, the ministry is modeled after the book by Steven Sjogren, Conspiracy of Kindness.
SAKE is designed to show God's love in practical ways by accepting each person brought by God, killing misconceptions about church and encouraging church attendance after meeting people's needs and establishing relationships.
Church members showed kindness to shoppers during the past two Christmas seasons by providing free Christmas gift wrapping and car windshield cleaning at a nearby Wal-Mart, serving almost 2,000 people.
Last year, SAKE collaborated with Loma Linda University Medical Center's Healthy Neighborhoods program, directed by Ron Graybill, which supports residents in the local community. Assisted by more than 30 church members and neighborhood children, volunteers cleared tons of accumulated trash on three sizable vacant lots that were not only an eyesore but encouraged what local residents described as "drug-dealing havens."
After clearing each lot, members prayed for the community and its residents, and to this day these lots remain trash free. So significant was the transformation of the neighborhood that San Bernardino mayor Patrick Morris went to Campus Hill church to thank the members for it.
SAKE cosponsored a neighborhood health fair with LLUMC that attracted more than 300 visitors, including Morris. Loma Linda University supplied a dental van, and members provided various health screenings and games for children.
Subsequently about 90 families requested home visits, which resulted in members visiting families, distributing fresh fruits and extending invitations to Bible studies.
As a result of these early efforts, SAKE now conducts a weekly branch Sabbath school attended by upwards of 30 children and parents from the neighborhood, with Linda Valley Villa partnering with the church to provide transportation in its large van.
With an idea sparked by Hilda Estanque, SAKE hosted an elegant Thanksgiving dinner last fall for 116 guests from the once-blighted San Bernardino neighborhood. Nearly 30 members helped transport the guests to the church and serve the full-course dinner at tables set with fine china, silver, crystal and centerpieces on white tablecloths. A local restaurant, Pat & Oscar's, provided most of the food for a low price, and SAKE members brought the remainder of the meal. Children entertained their families with songs they learned at branch Sabbath school, and parents viewed a video montage of their children participating in activities.
Manuel Vitug, children's ministries director of the Southeastern California Conference, helped serve the Thanksgiving meal. He later thanked SAKE members, saying, "SAKE is setting a model for reaching out to our communities and reaching the lives of children and families. This ministry is truly building relationships with people and being intentional in meeting their needs. The Thanksgiving supper was an inspiration to me. Families were not simply fed, but they were served in a beautiful manner worthy of serving Jesus Himself as a guest."
SAKE continues to be strong and growing in the New Year. Volunteers are always welcome to assist in the branch Sabbath school with personal testimonies and life lessons about Christ's love for children.
