BY MELISSA LAUBER
UMCONNECTION STAFF Recently the congregation of Christ UMC in Cumberland surprised itself. When approached by a homeless couple with six children looking for shelter, they never considered calling an administrative council meeting. They didn't crunch any numbers to see how the situation fit into their budget. There was no debate. 
JOHN A. BONE/CUMBERLAND TIMES-NEWS | | Tracey Northcraft hugs Carl Hockenberry as the couple and youth minister at Christ UMC, Jane Halterman, stand outside the church on Race Street. The couple and their six children are living temporarily in the Cumberland church. |
The church opened the youth room on its third floor, and the family moved in. 'We didn't ask permission,' said the Rev. Daniel Wright. 'We took a leap of faith. Just like in the Bible: ?When did we know you hungry, Lord?' It happened. We didn't preach. We did it.' Six weeks ago, Tracey Northcraft, Carl Hockenberry and their six children approached the church's youth pastor Jane Halterman. They had lost their home so took their tax refund and moved into a motel. They quickly went through the $1,500 and were preparing to be put onto the street the next day. 'Jane refused to let that happen. She would have taken them into her dorm room at Frostburg if she had to,' Wright said. The church and its partners in the Cumberland Unity Parish swung into action. The people of Christ UMC rounded up cots and inflatable mattresses. McKendree UMC donated blankets and sheets. Davis Memorial UMC provided a cash contribution. And a small independent church across the street, which Christ UMC has been assisting, provided food for the family of eight. The church is also taking an active role in helping the family navigate the maze of social service programs available to them and find a home of their own. 'Social services, HUD, all the agencies are doing the best they can. They're not shoveling us out the door,' said Wright, who explained that the size of the family, with four boys and two girls, makes it difficult to meet HUD and fire code regulations. 'If there were three girls and three boys they would have been into a house weeks ago.' The family has looked at at least 25 apartments and homes. None meet government codes and standards. 'Stress is growing,' said Wright. One person in the community has offered to sell the family a house for $18,000. But it needs a great deal of work. Wright wonders if a Volunteers in Mission team might be able to take on the project. He believes if people know about the family's ordeal, they will help. Seven of the eight children, who range in age from 3 to 14, are in school. Their mother often works 12-hour days, taking on two shifts to provide for basic needs. Their father does odd jobs when he can find them and takes care of the family. Watching a man carry laundry for eight people up three flights of stairs can give you a new perspective, said Wright. The family lives in a room next to the church's bell tower. Wright calls it the eagle's nest, and conjures up images from Isaiah. He looks upon Halterman as the mother eagle, protecting and caring for the family. 'With eagles, the female caregiver, the one who nurtures, is the dominant one,' said Wright, who also jokes about it being time for the family to fledge. While they are living in the church, Wright is providing counseling to the couple, who plan to get married. He has offered to buy the bride a wedding dress. 'They've become family,' he explained. Living next to the bell tower has sparked the imagination of one of the children. He tells people he lives in a castle. That makes Wright smile. It also provides him with the faith to tell people who are beginning to see the family living in the church as a problem that they are wrong. 'This is an opportunity,' Wright said, 'an opportunity for faith.' | 
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