Over Labor Day weekend I had a variety of experiences.
Early on Friday morning, the family of Don Gulig, who has been an elder and a head elder in the Fairview Village church for a number of years, called with the news that Don had suffered a stroke and was being transported to a Philadelphia hospital Once he was situated in the Jefferson Hospital in downtown Philadelphia, I joined the family in the afternoon for an anointing service for Don. Their church was in-between pastors, so I sat with them for nearly 1 ½ hours until Don was stabilized in his ICU room, then we shared in a beautiful anointing service.
On Sabbath, I joined the Immanual Place Church Plant in Reading, to officially organize them as a Church in the Pennsylvania Conference. This is a lay-lead church plant that started with Spanish members working alongside of Amocetia Tabinar with her ministry to inner city children in the downtown Reading area. Before long there were enough Hispanic people attending, that they began a Hispanic church plant. Miriam Vargas is the lay leader for Immanuel Place. She has been a Literature Evangelist for many years and has much experience in soul-winning and sharing the Adventist Message. The members are very diligent in continuing to reach out to others in the Reading area. Jeff McAuliffe, our Pennsylvania Conference Church Planter Coordinator was also able to attend.
Sunday, Jeanne and I traveled to Philadelphia to join the Community Day organized by the Adventist Humanitarian Resource Center (AHRC), which is a ministry that is formed across the Pennsylvania and Alleghany East Conferences, and supported by several churches in the Philadelphia area that are from both Conferences. This ministry resulted from the Metro Ministry initiative sponsored by the Columbia Union.
The 2nd annual Community Day was held on the property of the Boulevard SDA Church, as it has an ideal location fronting Roosevelt Boulevard, a major thoroughfare in Philadelphia.
Darrel Stovall (at left with Vernon Bramble) is one of the prime movers behind this event and is the Chair of the AHRC.
Among the ministries featured at the Community Day were:
Lillian Torres’ booth registering Bible Study interests
Gary Davis at the Huntington Valley Christian Academy booth.
Face painting done by prospective Church members of Chestnut Hill Church
Chestnut Hill Church
Blue Mountain Academy
Fun for neighborhood kids.
A Prayer Ministry tent A Prayer Ministry tent led by Herman and Gretchen Valez.
Havertown Church ministry seminar registrations.
Bucks County Bible Study offers
Local Fire Departments
Washington Adventist University
PA Conference Adventist Book Center
Pine Forge Academy
A local Adventist Book store and health food store
Havertown Church Health Seminars
Various food booths
And a number of other ministries and community agencies.
This has been a wonderful way the different churches in Philadelphia from both Conferences have come together to connect with the community.
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