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Go barefoot at church? Several churches are encouraging their parishioners to do just that next Sunday . Well, at least leave barefoot.

The churches are working together to buy new shoes or collect “gently worn” shoes for victims of natural disasters and those living in extreme poverty. In addition, some of the churches will participate, along with churches across the country, in Barefoot Sunday, where people leave their shoes on the altar or at the front of the church to be donated to those in need.

Local churches participating include First Lutheran, Congregational United Church of Christ, New Garden Friends Meeting, St. Paul the Apostle Catholic, Christ Lutheran, Sedgefield Presbyterian, Christ United Methodist and Community Lutheran .

Westover Church and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans are offering financial support.

The program is part of the Nashville-based charity Soles4Souls ’ efforts to provide shoes for those in need worldwide. Soles4Souls has distributed more than 4.3 million pairs to people in more than 125 countries, including Honduras, Uganda, Romania and the U.S .
Greensboro Urban Ministry will receive 25 percent of the shoes collected locally, with the remainder used nationally and internationally.

Frank Moore , director of community ministries at First Lutheran, said he and his wife plan to “step up” and clean out some shoes.
“I’ll probably walk out (of church) barefoot, and I imagine some of the children might,” he said. “We are having a picnic that day, so that may influence some people.”

This is First Lutheran’s first year participating in the program.

“We got involved because this kind of project gives people a way to serve, to help others, to show God’s love in action, with items they already have rather than asking them to buy anything new,” Moore said. “Given the economy, it’s another way to show that many have gifts they can share with those who need them without a big financial investment.”

For those who don’t feel comfortable leaving church barefoot Sunday, First Lutheran has placed shoe donation boxes around the church. First Lutheran also is the central drop-off site for those in the community who would like to help.

St. Paul the Apostle and Congregational United Church of Christ also are participating for the first time. St. Paul representatives already delivered a van full of shoes to First Lutheran’s storage trailer and are working to collect more.

“When our parishioners approach the altar to receive the body and blood of Christ in Eucharist, we believe that we are then called to go out into the world and be Eucharist to others, to live Jesus,” said Colleen Assal , director of outreach . “Collecting shoes is just one small way we can do this.”

Julie Peeples, pastor of Congregational , said her congregation is excited about participating, especially the children.

“Something as simple as giving away shoes in good condition makes a difference in someone else’s life and does our own spirits some good, not to mention our closets,” Peeples said. “And, there is something beautiful about a diverse range of faith communities joining in a common effort.”

Charlotte Stone , a member of the outreach team at Sedgefield Presbyterian, agreed.

“Churches must always move beyond themselves,” she said. “That is what it means to be a faith community.”

David Bills , pastoral minister at New Garden Friends Meeting , is hoping to fill up his pickup, which he plans to park at his church Sunday, with shoes for the collection.

“As Quakers, we don’t have an altar, but we plan to ask people to take off their shoes during meeting for worship and leave barefooted,” he said. “We expect the younger people to like this better than the older folks, but whatever happens, we hope to collect lots of shoes for people who don’t have them.”

Bills said members of his congregation already have been leaving shoes at the meetinghouse.

“I think it’s important for churches to participate in this event because generally we have so much more of everything than much of the world’s population,” Bills said. “I think it will raise the consciousness about human need for a lot of people.”

Contact Jennifer Atkins Brown at 574-5582 or jennifer.brown@news-record.com