Area churches plan community outreach program Sunday

Eight local churches are coming together for a Community Reach Out Service Program Sunday. Created during a regular gathering of pastors, it was determined the group wanted to find a practical way to bless the community.

“We picked a day to meet and have a brief service in our own locations and from there go out and do some practical expressions of love and care for the town we love,” Community Heights Alliance Church John Patterson said.

The Newton Church of the Way, Community Heights Alliance Church, First Baptist Church, Our Savior Lutheran Church, The River, Assembly of God, The United Presbyterian Church and Christian Life Church will all send out volunteers throughout the city to complete projects.

“Just simple projects that we can do that would help individuals out,” Patterson said. “We’re doing everything volunteer and donations to care for all of the costs. It is just a way to bless people.”

The churches looked from within and contacted the city to find individuals who could use an extra hand on projects around their homes. Cleaning gutters, removing brush, hauling away trash and painting fences along with painting a couple of houses and repairing a porch roof are among the projects set for the more than 1,000 volunteers that are expected.

The volunteers will be meeting at their own churches for a brief service before setting to work from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Following the conclusion of work, all of the volunteers will meet at H.A. Lynn Stadium for lunch and testimonial.

A project that has already started is replacing sidewalks in front of 10 homes in town. Crews began work Tuesday breaking up the concrete in preparation to pour new sidewalks for the homes.

The churches hope this event becomes an annual occurrence, like Red Pride Day which is organized by the school district.

“It should be a great time, we are really looking forward to it,” Patterson said.