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| DAVE BURNS and Friends perform this month at a unity picnic at Island Park in Wellsville, hosted by Allegany County churches seeking community transformation. A second public gathering will be held Sunday, August 13, at the same location. |
Friday night prayer sessions and a second summer families
unity picnic have been scheduled by Allegany County churches that have joined
together for an area-wide Journey to Community Transformation initiative, with
other county churches also holding community prayer gatherings during the week.
The series of public events are continuing a focus on
combating issues of addiction, abuse, racism, suicide, poverty, family
dysfunction and more that pastors say are extremely serious issues throughout
this area, the United States and the world.
Public prayer meetings are slated for 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on
Fridays, August 4 at Yorks Corners Mennonite Church, 3350 County Road 29,
Wellsville; August 11 at Almond Union of Churches, 11 South Main Street; August
18 at Belfast Free Methodist Church, 11 Chestnut Street; and August 25 at
Andover First Baptist Church, 14 Elm Street.
The dish-to-pass picnic and praise and worship night, to
include a live band, will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, August 13,
at Island Park, West Dyke Street, Wellsville.
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| DOZENS OF Allegany County families are expected to gather again on Sunday, August 13, in Wellsville for a public dish-to-pass dinner, praise and worship, prayer, and messages on community transformation from pastors of county churches seeking to overcome various issues of negative area impact. This scene is from a similar July event that saw an overflow gathering of church-goers and others. |
In addition, community prayer meetings are being held from
6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. weekdays at Knights Creek Evangelical Methodist Church,
2987 County Road 9, Scio, and from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wednesdays at the Belfast
Free Methodist Church location.
A previous picnic on July 9 resulted in an overflow crowd of
adults and children experiencing worship music by Dave Burns and friends, a
Biblical message by the Rev. Kevin Ross of Ross Family Ministries of Raleigh,
N.C., who also provided a magic show for the kids, and prayer by area pastors
and lay persons.
The initiative continues a renewing of minds and hearts of
individuals and families for county and communities renewal. Churches earlier this year joined together
for a three-evening and one full-day training by the international Sentinel
Group that helps equip church leaders for transformation.
In May, some 120 church-goers participated in a follow-up
Solemn Assembly gathering involving worship, declaration of community needs, corporate
repentance and prayer. The weekly prayer
sessions also have been occurring on a regular basis.
Further information on the transformation initiative and its
individual components is available from Dan Kenyon, pastor of Wellsville Bible
Church, at wbc@ne.twcbc.com or (585)
593-6471 or most area pastors.
