BUOY - Building Up Our Youth

Do you have a heart for Jesus and our area youth?  Do you have 2-4 hours a month to invest in the life of a young person?  The Hope Center has launched a new faith-based ministry called B.U.O.Y. (Building Up Our Youth) to partner adult mentors with area youth.  Through B.U.O.Y., mentors will become an encouraging friend to students through one-on-one activities, texts, calls, or notes of encouragement.  A buoy is used to keep someone or something afloat. Are you being called to do just that?  “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”  Matt 9:37.  The need for male mentors is especially great!   For more information, contact Linda Schwyn by email at mentoring@hopecenterohio.org or by leaving a message at the Hope Center 937.303.4209.

Community Thanksgiving Dinner
The Community Thanksgiving Dinner has become an annual way to reach out to those who would not otherwise have such a feast on Thanksgiving Day.  The meal is provided for our county’s seniors, shut-ins, and those families who are struggling this season.  In past years, more than 800 meals were provided to our neighbors.  We also serve lunches in the Cornerstone Cafe for anyone interested.

This community outreach cannot happen without people like you!  Here are some ways in which you can help:

- Send a monetary donation                     

- Food donation (pies, cakes, rolls)        

- Drivers to deliver meals

- Volunteers—cooks, set-up servers, food preparation, clean-up on Friday morning

Prison MInistry

The Prison Ministries of Kairos, Epiphany and Embark offer the redeeming love of Christ to the incarcerated through weekend spiritual retreats and providing transitional support from prison back into the community.

The ministries of Kairos, Epiphany and Embark serve a powerful purpose in offering the redeeming love of Christ to those our society would term "the least of these".  Many in our church are active in prison ministry through these ministries as well as weekly Bible studies in the prisons.

Financial contributions to these ministries make it possible for individuals in our church to serve on spiritual weekends through Kairos and Epiphany.  Contributions also help Embark to provide the necessary resources for their reentry program, including: curriculum, transitional housing, food, clothing, bus passes and more.

To find out more about how you can get involved in with these ministries you can contact Bill Foreman, Mike Belli, Kent Money or Linda Brown or calling the church office at 937-642-4712. 

Case De Misericordia Orphanage

Piedras Negras, Mexico is a border town of countless orphans.  Parents attempting to cross the border leave their children in the city with no means of support. Many of the children become homeless without a family to provide food and shelter.  James 1:27 calls us as Christians to minister to the orphans and widows.  The House of Mercy (Casa de Misericordia) is designed to provide this care both physically and spiritually.  The House of Mercy will provide temporary housing for 106 children, Food, Clothing, and Christian Education.

Cuba Partnership

In November of 2017, the paperwork got completed and the purchase of the house for the church was completed. In early 2019 there will be a small team headed down to Cuba to visit our partners in ministry, our sister church! 

ECHO

Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization (ECHO) in Fort Myers, FLorida:

Approximately 925 million people in the world are hungry. ECHO empowers small-scale farmers to increase their harvests, and the nutritional diversity of their crops. We educate, equip and share sustainable solutions to hunger!

Good Works, Athens, OH

The vision of Good Works is to create a COMMUNITY OF HOPE with and for people who are struggling with poverty and homelessness in rural Appalachia. As a Christian community, we are seeking to grow in our love for God and for our neighbor. We offer contexts through which people in need can experience biblical hospitality, access practical assistance, and share their gifts with others. In doing so, we facilitate ways for people from all walks of life to build relationships of love and service with their neighbors.

• Empowering and transforming lives
• Providing shelter for people experiencing homelessness
• Offering life-changing opportunities to love our neighbors

Good Works exists to connect people from all walks of life with people in poverty so that the kingdom of God can be experienced.  

Operation Christmas Child

We collect all year round for Operation Christmas Child. Donation bin is located in the BFLC entrance or coat closet. The list below is a suggestion; please feel free to donate any other items you would like. However, no candy, gum, or toothpaste is allowed.

For questions, contact Contact Kathy Titmuss-Smith (937) 243-0192.