Community Service
Community Dinners
We serve two types of Community Dinners each year. Some of these dinners are fund-raisers. We specialize in roast beef dinners and spaghetti dinners. You won’t get better value for money anywhere, and everything is served with a warm smile and a hearty welcome. Money raised at our dinners supports a variety of missions and other projects.
We also serve Community Dinners to the needy in our neighborhood. We publicize these free meals at the local food pantry and other social service agencies. All of our best cooks and bakers outdo themselves to provide a wonderful spread of food. Last year we hosted a Valentine’s Day Dinner and a Harvest Dinner. People of all ages can help with this local mission. Speak with Mark Coleman to volunteer.
New Horizons Worship Service
On the second Sunday of every month at 2:00 in the afternoon we welcome our neighbors from the New Horizons Peer Support Center to join in a special worship service. The Peer Support Center, at 616 Lincoln Ave., welcomes people of all ages who have a mental health diagnosis. Our monthly New Horizons worship service is relaxed and conversational. People come as they are and freely share prayer concerns and participate in the Bible lesson which is interactive. Some members of the congregation are always a part of the service to welcome new people and to share in the fellowship or to provide special music. After the worship, we have an extended time of sharing snacks and stories together. All are welcome!!
Tutoring
We run a tutoring program for children in kindergarten and first grade who are struggling with the basics of reading. Christian Literacy Associates has provided us with a lively curriculum that teaches the alphabet and the 40 most common English words, and that introduces sentence structure and encourages reading and writing. This is one-on-one tutoring. The children come once a week for one hour after school. Training for our tutors is provided by Christian Literacy Associates. Speak with Cathy Purves if you are interested.
Visitation Team
Concern for people in local personal care homes inspired the formation of our Visitation Team. Once a month, on a Saturday afternoon, we visit two nursing homes: New Hope on Union Ave. and the Reformed Presbyterian Home on Perrysville Ave. on the Northside. We share songs, conversation, inspirational stories, and jokes with the residents, some of whom have few visitors. The Visitation Team is always warmly welcomed and greatly thanked for the time they spend with these senior citizens. Speak with Ted Szoch if you’d like to join the Team.
Serving at Pleasant Valley Shelter
For 22 years members of our church have been delivering a hot meal to the homeless men of Pleasant Valley Men’s Shelter on the Northside. On the third Monday of every month a nourishing meal is prepared in the church kitchen, enough to feed 36-40 men. The food is then packed up and transported to the Northside where we serve dinner to that night’s residents. We estimate that over the years 8,000 meals have been served to homeless men through this mission. If you would like to help, speak with Barbara A. or Al Gusew.
