RALEIGH, N.C. — "I didn't get everything done in one day either," is a quote Pastor Mitchell Summerfield sees every day.
As omicron cases continue to skyrocket nationwide, COVID-19 testing sites are popping up across the Triangle and beyond
Word of God Fellowship in southeast Raleigh has opened its church parking lot to hundreds of people every weekday
Pastor Mitchell Summerfield says they've seen as many as 3,500 people in one day
He's thankful his church can continue to do God's work by helping people in this time of need
God's words, a reminder that anything great and worth doing takes time.
"The journey of life was not accomplished in one day," said Summerfield, senior pastor at Word of God Fellowship church.
Such goals, he says, are even harder to achieve during a global pandemic. Summerfield's sermons highlight that we can't lose sight of what's important.
"I want to encourage my church and anybody to fight for your sight. To fight for the things no matter what you are experiencing naturally, fight for everything you want spiritually," he said.
Summerfield followed in the footsteps of his father, who was the first pastor at the church. His parents couldn't have prepared him for these trying times, but they did show him how the church can help.
"I think that's what we all need. We need faith. We need hope," Summerfield said."I think that's what we all need. We need faith. We need hope," Summerfield said.
The word of God, he says, can be that guiding light. He referred to a passage of scripture, when the prophet Elijah hears something from God during a drought. Something, Summerfield says, nobody else hears.
"The pandemic represents the drought to me. I believe that even in the abnormality of what's happening in the world, I believe that God is about to do something miraculous," he said.
It's a thought lingering in Summerfield's mind as the church parking lot fills up daily with hundreds of people in line for a COVID-19 test.
"When this came about we just said this has to happen, and we were glad to be able to do it. We were glad to be able to have the space to do it," Summerfield said.
Summerfield is grateful the church can do a service to the community. That aside from spiritual help, they can provide something tangible.
"Do whatever you've got to do. Protect your loved ones. Protect your family," he said.
And even as we prioritize our health, Summerfield says we must not lose hope, and we must stay encouraged.
"In spite of everything that's going on you have something to be thankful for. If you're breathing and living, you have something to be thankful for," Summerfield said.
The testing site is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
It will be open until Friday, January 14.
