UAServe Volunteers From Grace Baptist Church Serve as Part of "30-Hour Famine"

May 10, 2017 | UA News

Article by Urban Alliance staff.

On Saturday, April 22, a group of 14 teens and 5 youth leaders from Grace Baptist Church in Bristol volunteered at World Vision’s warehouse in East Hartford, as part of the World Vision 30-Hour Famine.

“Our church has been a partner with World Vision for many years now,” explained youth leader Cheryl Thibeault.  “In addition to many members…sponsoring children across the globe, our youth groups in particular have been participating in the Work Vision 30-Hour Famine for over 10 years. Collectively these youth have raised over $35,000 to fight world hunger!”

With encouragement from Galatians 5:13, the group felt that serving at World Vision’s warehouse was a perfect way for them to make a difference.

The World Vision warehouses a hub for receiving thousands of donated goods that are mobilized through Urban Alliance’s five initiatives. Churches and ministry organizations that participate in Urban Alliance initiatives and serve under-resourced children, families or the ill on a monthly basis are eligible to receive donated goods through World Vision’s Essential Supplies Program.

During the more than 50 collective hours that the group served at World Vision, they helped unpack, group and sort donations that will soon be distributed into our local communities.

“It was very encouraging to see brothers and sisters in faith serving the needs of the community,” shared Thibeault. “It was well organized and our volunteers came away energized.”

Thank you, Grace Baptist Church!

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The staff at Urban Alliance are familiar with Pastor Frank because he is a regular attendee to many of the trainings Urban Alliance provides on subjects like domestic violence, addressing childhood trauma, and better counseling techniques. โ€œThatโ€™s been so valuable to me to be able to bring that back, not only in my counseling but also in my teaching and preaching ministries, โ€œ shared Termine.

Pastor Frank was also one of the original members of the Micah group, a group of pastors that meets at Urban Alliance to discuss and strategize about challenging issues that face the church today. One of those earlier discussions on justice, incarceration, and returning citizens was particularly memorable. โ€œWe all lamented the fact that these men and women were coming out of prison into our churches and just kind of being thrown there,โ€ said Termine, โ€œWe could do better than this.โ€ That discussion planted the seeds that eventually led to the creation of Second Chance Churches – an opportunity for churches to provide support and mentoring to returning citizens that continues today.

When we asked Pastor Frank what he would say to another church that was unaware of Urban Alliance, he said, โ€œIf you are looking to get out in the community and make a difference in the community, Urban Alliance is a super way to do it. Weโ€™re a small church โ€ฆ we canโ€™t do everything. Urban Alliance is a pathway to get our people involved in ministries that are already doing it, doing it well, and just need extra volunteers.โ€

Pastor Frank Termineโ€™s story embodies many things we are trying to accomplish at Urban Alliance: supporting organizations in the communities they serve with training, resources, and opportunities to make a difference. Pastors and non-profit leaders face a wide range of challenges and, therefore, need a wide range of help and resources. Your support can help turn stories of struggle into stories like you find at Calvary Church.

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