On March 11, members of Gilroy’s New Hope Community Church, 8886
Muraoka Drive, launched an exciting program they called
”
Forty Days of Community.
”
On March 11, members of Gilroy’s New Hope Community Church, 8886 Muraoka Drive, launched an exciting program they called “Forty Days of Community.”
Based on a book by the best-selling author and prominent Southern California pastor Rick Warren, their goal was to grow spiritually and in practical service to residents of South County.
Each Wednesday for six weeks, nearly 100 members met in small groups. Using Warren’s book “Better Together,” they followed these steps:
– Spent some time in conversation and fellowship.
– Watched a video in the series, each session focused upon a different theme: “What Matters Most,” “Reaching Out Together,” “Belonging Together,” “Growing Together,” “Serving Together,” “Worshiping Together.”
– Held a discussion of the video and study questions.
– Began to develop a project that would show love to the community.
Each group showed creativity as it decided on a project and followed it through to completion. Bill Hawkins, Outreach pastor of New Hope, emphasizes that the purpose “was not to promote New Hope Community Church, but to show God’s love in a practical way with no strings attached.”
The projects were wide-ranging:
n Refreshments were delivered to Gilroy fire and police stations. Members offered to pray with the public safety workers, expressing their gratitude for their service.
– A festive breakfast was served at the Gilroy Apartments on Murray Avenue. Pancakes, eggs, sausage, fruit, juice and coffee were enjoyed by some 200 residents, and clowns provided the entertainment.
– A Gilroy family whose father had suffered a stroke was given the gift of a yard make-over (weeding, trimming, planting, mowing) to welcome spring.
– Hot dogs were served at Los Arroyos Park to some 200 residents. Face-painting was offered to the children participating.
– Graffiti abatement was provided at various locations around town.
– Water bottles were distributed at the new Gilroy Sports Complex and Christmas Hill Park on a warm, busy weekend.
– More than 50 packages with treats and messages of encouragement were sent to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan in cooperation with Operation Interdependence.
A gala culminating celebration was held during worship services on April 18, when participants reported on their projects and showed video clips. They expressed their feelings of joy at being able to help so many people in such a variety of ways.
On May 3, the church engaged in another outreach effort, one aimed at local youth. In cooperation with Major League Baseball, NHCC hosted nearly 300 youth ages 7 to 14 at a Pitch-Hit-Run competition, a free one-day nationwide skills assessment program.
Winners from each age group will be allowed to continue on to a regional competition later this spring and the national finals will be held in July in St. Louis, Mo.
Although a longtime supporter of St. Joseph’s Family Center, Gilroy’s ecumenical program to aid the homeless and poor, NHCC is beginning to institute a vision of Senior Pastor Malcolm MacPhail and provide a “New Hope Compassion Center.”
As of now, the food pantry is temporarily housed in the church facility, but plans are to rent or purchase a small building to be dedicated as a drop-in center where people in need can go to get food and clothing assistance on a regular basis.
More than 50 families have received help so far this year, and Hawkins urges readers to consider making donations of goods or money to this cause.
NHCC worship services and classes are held Sundays at 9 and 11 a.m. and Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call (408) 842-4857 or visit www.nhccgilroy.org.
