The Thanksgiving Offering has been designated to support Hope Church’s participation in Washington School Neighbors, a program initiated in collaboration with Good Samaritan Ministries and its Neighborhood Connections program. The intent is to create and nurture relationships among our neighbors so each can share his or her gifts, a shared vision can emerge, and strength and resilience are built within the neighborhood. We are nearing the end of the second year of our original commitment to three years’ support for the start-up; our hope is that Washington School Neighbors will continue to develop roots and become a sustainable organization.
Andrew and Kallie Spidahl are our current ‘community connectors,’ whose role it is to assess needs within the neighborhood, create opportunities for connection, and help residents gain access to each other and resources to improve their lives.
Our participation in this program demonstrates that the neighborhood around us is part of our identity and God’s plan for our lives together. Acts 17:26 says that the Creator has placed people where they live, having determined the “times… and the bounds of their habitation.” Your Thanksgiving gifts will address the root causes of poverty, injustice, and instability through the power of community.