Sometimes the best gifts are the ones that are a surprise, especially if they are touched by God’s providence … and sometimes found through a yard sale.

That’s what happened to St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Fountain Hill, and Iglesia Cristiana Shekinah, Bethlehem, which have formed a partnership that will officially take effect Oct. 1.

Both churches believe the partnership is a gift.

Aurea Ortiz, wife of Pastor Josue Ortiz of Iglesia Cristiana Shekinah, said their church was having a yard sale on a Saturday in early June at a parishioner’s home on Delaware Avenue, across the street from St. Paul’s.

Traffic whizzed by on busy Delaware Avenue, but no one was stopping to shop the yard sale. The large church across the street caught her eye.

Pete Seaman was mowing the lawn at St. Paul’s when Ortiz approached him and asked if St. Paul’s was renting space, because Iglesia Cristiana Shekinah needed space to expand.

Seaman said yes – he knew St. Paul’s needed that partnership.

It was the answer to a prayer for both churches.

“My heart started to melt into this when I saw his face,” Ortiz said.

Seaman gave Ortiz the phone number of St. Paul’s Pastor, Marlene Werkheiser, licensed lay minister, and they came to St. Paul’s the next day, Sunday.

Iglesia Cristiana Shekinah – an independent church that comes from the Pentecostal teachings of the Assembly of God – had been formed four years ago during the pandemic and was renting from Christ Church United Church of Christ at 75 East Market St.

“It was a good place for us, but because of space constraints we couldn’t expand our outreach programs,” Ortiz said.

“They came to see us that Sunday when we were going to be in discernment whether to close,” Pastor Werkheiser said. “We had the space, but our membership had dwindled with the pandemic and an aging congregation.”

The two congregations began talks about forming a partnership in late June.

“God had something bigger for us – sometimes we ask things and need to take that extra step,” Ortiz said.

“That’s why the Lord sent us here to the yard sale where no one was stopping,” Beatrice Rodriguez, board president of Iglesia Cristiana Shekinah, said with a smile. Rodriguez is a retired social worker in HIV/AIDS with Lehigh Valley Hospital.

Ortiz said Iglesia Cristiana Shekinah had been renting from Christ UCC for almost four years, and was grateful to be able to be there. “Our petition has always been, ‘God, move us where the need is the most.’”

At St. Paul’s, “we will have better outreach in this area for seniors and families.”

Though there had been some previous discussion with the Borough of Fountain Hill about St. Paul’s becoming a community center, “We wanted to remain a church,” Pastor Werkheiser said.

“For most members, St. Paul’s is the only church they’ve ever known,” Werkheiser said. “By the grace of God, now we can remain a church.”

St. Paul’s was founded in 1890 and moved from the Keifer Street building to the current location at 1059 Delaware Avenue in 1968.

As a church, it’s about more than coming to worship, Pastor Werkheriser said. It’s getting out in the community to serve.

“Now we can work together to do it,” she said. “We’ll be able to be more active as a community of faith.”

St. Paul’s offers a drive- through spaghetti dinner twice a year that is free to anyone, and hosted its third annual Community Day Aug. 31.

Looking to the future, St. Paul’s is working with the Borough of Fountain Hill and the Coalition Committee to possibly host a second veterans/first responders breakfast this November.

Pastor Werkheiser said other ideas include a day care, adult day care, and adult get-together place and after school programming.

Pastor Werkheiser said Ortiz’s knowledge will be of great benefit as St. Paul’s delves into serving the community, as Ortiz retired in 2023 after many years as community district office director for Pennsylvania State Rep. Steve Samuelson, a role in which she focused on community work with seniors and families.

“I enjoyed the work,” Ortiz said. “We are to share the talents God gave us.” Her husband, Pastor Ortiz, recently retired from Mavis Discount Tire, Allentown.

Pastor Werkheiser said some of the parishioners of Iglesia Cristiana Shekinah have come to worship at St. Paul’s. “It’s nice to have that bond right away.”

“We’re looking at doing some joint services,” she said.

St. Paul’s Sunday service will be held at 10 a.m., and Iglesia Cristiana Shekinah will worship at 1 p.m.

“We are blessed,” Ortiz said. “We hope and pray to be a blessing to someone else.”