“Don’t Go to Church, Be the Church.”

That was the theme of a day of community service by members at Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church in Jackson Ward on July 5.

In lieu of holding worship services at the church at 14 W. Duval St., the Rev. Tyrone Nelson and about 300 church members fanned out throughout the community to perform “random acts of kindness.”

“We came and prayed, got our assignments and went into the community,” Rev. Nelson said.

Among the acts of kindness: Church members painted houses and performed yard work. They visited seven nursing homes. They went to area restaurants and paid for strangers’ meals. They provided between $100 and $200 each to 20 families from public housing communities for shopping trips to grocery stores. They hopped on GRTC buses and paid fares for riders. They picked up trash in Gilpin Court and Woodlawn Cemetery.

The church allocated $12,000 for the project, Rev. Nelson said.

The efforts were in commemoration of Rev. Nelson’s 10th anniversary this month as the pastor of Sixth Mount Zion.