While most of Federal Way’s church-goers sat in their pews Sunday morning, a group of nearly 400 took to the streets for an annual Faith in Action community service event.

Three local churches participated in the event this year: Family Life Christian Center, Christ the Bible Fellowship and New Community Church. The volunteers participated in 13 community service activities throughout the city.

Don’t go to church, be the church — that is the group’s mission, said Justin Westcott, a youth pastor at Family Life, who helped organize the event.

“We want to give to others. We want to go out and be the church,” Westcott said. “That’s living life — out in the community giving to others.”

Among the community service projects were working for Habitat for Humanity, cleaning up litter on roadways and schools, hosting a barbecue for the homeless, performing random acts of kindness and washing cars.

“I think it’s cool going out and helping the community. It’s more fun than a lot of things,” said 17-year-old Austin Gibbs, a member of New Community Church who worked to remove blackberry bushes and weeds from Stan Thomas’ yard in the Spring Valley Mobile Home Park Sunday.

“I’ve got arthritis really bad. It seems like I can’t do anything anymore,” said Thomas, 73, adding that he was grateful for the help.

Church members who participated in the Faith in Action event said they were doing God’s work.

“As a Christian, I believe we are made in the image of God,” said Phil Griffin, of New Community Church. “If we just sit in our churches and say we’re Christians, how is that reflecting the image of God?”

Griffin also said he hoped the churches’ efforts would show community members God’s love.

“God doesn’t just love people who are in church every Sunday,” he said. “He loves everybody.”

Contact Margo Hoffman: mhoffman@fedwaymirror.com or (253) 925-5565.