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U-Nite 2018: Celebrating a Decade of Partnership and Impact

May 10, 2018 | UA News

Hundreds of people gathered at U-Nite 2018: 10 Years Together on April 26, to celebrate a decade of impact that has been made by listening, responding, and building relationships to help people in our local community.
 
Colorful, large-scale displays welcomed each guest at the event, which provided snapshots of the unique ways that Urban Alliance has strengthened and supported local outreach programs run by churches and parachurch organizations.
 
While many enjoyed taking the time to explore the displays, others relished in the opportunity to interact with fellow attendees and meet the leaders who run the dozens of UA-supported programs that are helping tens of thousands of people in our local community each year.
 
“UA nurtured an atmosphere of fellowship and unity,” shared pastors Joel and Karla Cruz from House of Praise and Worship. “The opportunity to connect built a bridge to each of our hearts.”
 
Whether catching up with old friends or meeting new acquaintances, U-Nite provided plenty opportunities for building meaningful connections.
 
Joshua Somma, youth pastor at Higher Ground Christian Church, shared, “U-Nite was an awesome experience. I made tons of connections. I enjoyed the fellowship and unity of all the ministries, pastors and churches coming together and I felt like I was at home. Higher Ground Christian Church is brand new to Urban Alliance but it felt like we have been a part of it since the beginning.”
 
“It was very easy to network with other UA supporters,” added Robert Fortgang.
 
The pool of guests represented many of the 87 churches and parachurch organizations that are a part of the Urban Alliance network, or were from community-minded organizations, schools, businesses and corporations collaborate with Urban Alliance by contributing resources and expertise, were UAServe volunteers, UAGive donors, or were community members interested in the work being done through Urban Alliance.
 
The evening concluded with a time of prayer for our community led by UA network leaders. For many, this was the perfect way to celebrate ten years of positive impact and to look forward to the years ahead.
 
Pastor Esther Karanja of International Gospel Fellowship Church shared, “It was a dream come true for me to see members of the body of Christ come and honor God and pray in unity of the Holy Spirit.”
 
Thank you to all who celebrated with us and a special thank you to the volunteers who made U-Nite: 10 Years Together a success.
 
Mark your calendars! U-Nite 2019 will be held on Thursday, April 25, 2019.
 

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. “That’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, “ 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. “We all lamented the fact that these men and women were coming out of prison into our churches and just kind of being thrown there,” said Termine, “We could do better than this.” 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, “If 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. We’re a small church … we can’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.”

Pastor Frank Termine’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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