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| Individuals and families pray at Island Park in Wellsville last year at one of two summer unity picnics of Allegany County churches. These will be continued this year, with the first to be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 8, at the same location |
Allegany County churches have scheduled the first of two
free summer unity picnics this weekend to bring individuals, families and the
public together to celebrate an ongoing Journey to Transformation focus
throughout the area.
The first gathering will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday, July 8 at Wellsville's Island
Park, with a second to be held at the same times on Sunday, August 12.
The events renew two Mission Genesee Valley-hosted summer
gatherings last year that drew overflow participation for dinner, praise music,
worship and prayer for community revival and transformation in Allegany County
and beyond.
The Guthries, an area worship band, will lead worship. A dish-to-pass or dessert is welcome, with
table service and beverages being provided.
The event continues an initiative of renewing of individual
minds and hearts to combat issues of addiction, abuse, racism, suicide,
poverty, family dysfunction and more that pastors say is growing throughout
this area, the United States and world.
In January 2017, churches joined together for a three-day
training by the international Sentinel Group to equip church leaders and
attendees about the process of revival and transformation of communities,
including information on locations throughout the world where this has
occurred.
In May of last year, dozens of church-goers also
participated in a followup Solemn Assembly gathering for prayer, worship,
testimonies and declaration of community needs.
Since that time, twice-a-month Sunday night praise, worship
and prayer gatherings have been held around Allegany County, often focusing on
specific topics such as families, schools, veterans, economic vitality,
substance abuse, and more.
The second July Sunday gathering will be from 6 p.m. to 8
p.m. July 22 at Wellsville Presbyterian Church, 68 North Main Street.
The Journey to Transformation prayer focus also includes
weekly rotating community prayer sessions from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays. These are part of a growing multi-church
emphasis toward renewal of minds and hearts of individuals and families for
county and communities transformation through prayer for the host and other
churches and Christian organizations, individuals, the community, county and
more.
July gatherings scheduled to date include July 6 at the
First Baptist Church of Andover, 14 Elm Street, and July 13 at Belfast Free
Methodist Church, 11 Chestnut Street.
A third set of community prayer gatherings for individual
and general concerns are held from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. each weekday at
Knights Creek Evangelical Methodist Church, Scio; 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wednesdays
at Belfast Free Methodist Church; and 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays at the
Power House Youth Center, 23 West Main Street, Fillmore.
Further information about these activities and the Journey
to Transformation initiative is available at
www.facebook.com/TransformationJourneyUSA, or from Pastor Dan Kenyon of
Wellsville Bible Church, Mission Genesee Valley chair, at wbc@ne.twcbc.com or
(585) 593-6471, or most area pastors.
