FREEPORT, PA (BRN) – On April 23, we served Harrison Township and partnered with the local commissioners to bless their Earth Day volunteers, after the commissioners approached us and asked if Harvest Church Allegheny North Campus would provide food for their volunteers. This was quite a breakthrough for us, since we are a new church plant in the Freeport, Pennsylvania community.
Though we originally planned to only feed 40 volunteers who were cleaning for Earth Day, the community organizers advertised to the whole Natrona community, which resulted in more than 200 people who came to enjoy the beautiful day with us.
We served hamburgers, hotdogs, baked beans, chips and cookies in the local park and enjoyed balloon art, face painting and an Earth Day-themed craft with the kids. Two members of our team walked around to invite others from the community during the entire event.
We saw many from this area with limited Wi-Fi and transportation access show up from a knock on their door, rather than the flier they had received. There were multiple gospel conversations (something we had earnestly prayed for), many invites to church and one little girl who listened to the gospel said she believed it and, although the atmosphere was chaotic, prayed right there! Her father and sister came to our church the following day.
We were also able to bring a meal back to a woman who was not able to leave her house because she could not walk. We invited her to Harvest and were able to tell her that we could provide transportation if she ever needed it. We walked away from this event confident that the name of Jesus had been made much of and the volunteers and community experienced his love for them through our efforts. This would not have been possible without the help from the Baptist Resource Network (BRN) and their generosity. Our request was last minute – and a little desperate – because we would not have been prepared to serve 200 hundred people without the BRN’s financial support. For that we are very grateful!
