FRIENDSHIP, NY - Friendship churches are seeking to exceed the ton of Bibles, Sunday School materials, other Christian literature and toys which they collected last year for shipment to pastors and missionaries in need in other countries.
The What God in Doing in Friendship ny alliance of churches opened the door over the weekend to The Traveling Chapel, a ministry of PhotosforSouls.com of Alfred, Allegany County, which receives items throughout the year at various locations in the Southern Tier of New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania and then has them transported to Love Packages in Butler, Ill., for further shipment throughout many parts of the world where such items are difficult to obtain.
The Traveling Chapel, mounted on a trailer, is located on the front lawn of The Mission House at 28-32 East Main Street, the former site of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, with materials able to be dropped off any time by simply opening the door of the Chapel and placing them on the mini-pew or floor inside the structure.
The Friendship alliance has and is enhancing the church building, offices and rectory to help provide additional services within the community for individuals and families.
This is the second year that The Traveling Chapel has been a highlight of the local churches' Thanksgiving to Christmas holidays focus of A Friendship Christmas – Celebrating the True Message of Christmas.
In 2023, the Chapel received 2,206 pounds, or 1.1 tons of Christian materials from Friendship donors.
PhotosforSouls.com has collected over 25 tons of items in the Southern Tier of New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania since it started The Traveling Chapel ministry three-and-a-half years ago.
The greatest cost for the all-volunteer ministry, which transports the structure to various locations, sets it up, and collects the items for transport back to Alfred, is commercial shipment of the materials to Illinois.
Further information about the Chapel, including a video about its history and construction, is available at https://tinyurl.com/The-Traveling-Chapel, where there also are links about the umbrella ministry which makes available scenic and other types of photographs online that can be used for both appropriate personal and commercial purposes.
The Friendship churches holidays celebration will start in full with a joint Thanksgiving Eve service, starting at 6:30PM, Wednesday, November 27, at the Bible Baptist Church at 43 West Main Street, and the 7PM lighting of a new, life-size nativity scene on the front lawn of The Mission House on Saturday, November 30.
The Traveling Chapel will be in Friendship through the end of the year.
Details on these and other free activities through the end of the year, including an expanded Christmas Gingerbread House contest, children's cookie decorating and Family Day, a Christmas Sing-a-Long, holiday movies, Christmas Eve services, a New Year's Eve service and parties for both adults and children, and more are being finalized and will be available on the churches joint Facebook page at https://tinyurl.com/God-in-Friendship-FB.
Further information also is available about The Traveling Chapel and other Friendship churches activities at WhatGodisDoing@outlook.com or (585) 664-9989.
