Car Clinic

For StoneWater member Wayne Goller, God’s calling for him to serve is simple:  use the skills you’ve got.  For Wayne, he not only uses his God-given skills to earn a living, but he also uses them to be the hands and feet by extending his expertise as an offering in a community wide program called the Car Clinic.

Wayne, along with Pastor Justin Sprayberry, saw a need and wanted to show God’s love in serving that need.  Together, the two spearheaded the Car Clinic in November of 2010.  Wayne describes the Car Clinic as a community outreach both ways;
the team of five volunteers from different churches come together to serve anyone in the community who needs help with their car.  “Our main goal is to get people to work,” Wayne explained.  It’s simple.  When your car doesn’t work, how are you getting to work?  The Car Clinic, who meets from 10 AM – 1 PM the last Saturday of every month at the Ruth’s Place location in Oak Trail Shores, takes two steps toward meeting this goal:

1.  Assess the car and give the owner a diagnosis of the problem with quality information

2.  Find a solution for the owner by either giving him/her an idea of the cost, help find reasonably priced parts, and sometimes even provide the labor necessary to fix the problem

Helen Best, the director of Ruth’s Place in Oak Trail Shores, helps the Car Clinic by informing residents and neighbors about the clinic and seeking people who desperately need the help.  What surprised Wayne was that most of the people who came to the Car Clinic are unsure about seeking help; they seem fearful of being given the wrong advice and thus spending more money than necessary- money that is already tight.

Wayne recalls one man who came to the Car Clinic for help.  This man had worked for a year and half trying to get his to run.  Not only had spent a lot of time trying to get it to run, but he had also invested a lot of his money into the vehicle.  Wayne and his volunteers were able to help him out.

Another family came to the Car Clinic in February.  Their car had been broken-down since Christmas, and the entire family was suffering from the loss of the car.  At the same time, God provided a car that had been donated to the church, and the match was perfect- a family for the car, or a car for the family- either way you look at it, God took care of this family.

Rhonda, a woman who visited the Car Clinic in March, wrote to StoneWater staff about her experience,

“Meeting you and getting some things fixed on my car -- (they said come back next month, and they'll try and fix a few more things),--it's already has been a thoroughly awesome experience….Those mechanics, like I've already told a couple of people, are just short of being miracle workers !  I'm serious, I've never seen anything like that in my life.   They're not only good at almost instantly diagnosing the problem, but then almost as fast as that by fixing the problem .  I could never have afforded what they've done already for me, not at least for a very long time if ever.....God is good , and this ministry has already helped us so much, it's unreal, I couldn't tell you how very much needed, and appreciated it is….Thank you again, and God bless you, these mechanics and your church!”

It’s evident God is using the Car Clinic team to show His love to people who need help and hope.  The Car Clinic is coming up on its sixth month of being in operation and they still need help in order to serve as many people as possible.  Here are ways you can help:

1.  Spread the word.  Although they meet at Ruth’s Place in Oak Trail Shores, this is simply a meeting place.  It is community wide- anyone who is need of car repair advice is welcome to come.

2.  Give financially.  There is an allotted budget for the program already, but the more we are able to offer to those in need, the more people we can serve.

3.  DONATE A CAR.  So far in this ministry, there has been two times a car has been beyond repair and a replacement was needed.  Both times, God orchestrated a donated car and matched a family to the car.  The more donated cars we have, the more families we can serve.

4.  Volunteer.  Whether you’re an expert or a novice, if you feel led to serve in this ministry, join the team at the Car Clinic.  As of now, there are five volunteers and they will be losing one (who has come every month so far).  The more help they have, the more efficient they can be.

Through this ministry, Wayne said the people who visit the Car Clinic “at least walk away with an idea of what’s going on with their car.”  But what they’re also walking away with is a small picture of our God’s love.  Glory to God.

God put it on Wayne’s heart to use His gifts to minister and help others.  If you want to talk with a staff member about starting a serving ministry like the Car Clinic, email us at info@stonewaterchurch.com and let us know what God is putting on your heart.