(above) Service for Service volunteers rev up to pack 118,000 meals for Feed My Starving Children at Evangel Church in Scotch Plains that will ultimately feed 324 children in need for just over a year. The project was just one of many held throughout the day.
Service for Service Spend a Day in Scotch Plains
Submitted by Ann Willets
Evangel Church of Scotch Plains sent approximately 1,200 volunteers out into the streets of Scotch Plains, Plainfield, Fanwood, and Woodbridge as part of Service for Service on Sunday, October 13, 2019.
Hundreds of volunteers packed over 118,000 meals for Feed My Starving Children, which will feed 324 malnourished children for just over a year. Other volunteers helped build two homes with Habitat for Humanity, while local first responders were treated to surprise lunches.
Another group of volunteers went to three public schools to paint, while some went to visit patients at the local veteran’s hospital and nursing homes. In addition, over 50 local homes received some much-needed handiwork. Yet another group of volunteers helped rehab a room and kitchen at the Plainfield Cultural Arts Center. In total, over 30 projects were completed.
Birthed out of the havoc wrought by Superstorm Sandy, Service for Service volunteers give up one Sunday service every other year to take part in community service projects throughout the area. The idea is to show God’s love in action.
“One of our core values is that We Live on Mission, and Service for Service is a living example of this. It was so exciting to see our congregation mobilize to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our communities,” said Evangel’s Senior Pastor, Chris Morante.
Anyone was able to sign up for Service for Service. Leading up to the event, Evangel Church sought recommendations for local community projects, such as residents who needed handiwork help.
“We asked God to lead us to our neighbors that needed to be reminded of His love. Our partnering organizations helped us identify projects that would have maximum impact. Service for Service creates opportunities to live out our value, ‘We Row Together,’ and this year, we really felt the power of it in action,” Pastor Morante added. “I believe that the momentum will continue to build as we are faithful to love our neighbors in Christ’s name.”
About Evangel Church:
Over the past hundred-plus years, Evangel Church has grown from a small German-speaking church in 1914 to a large and diverse community with people from nearly every corner of the globe worshipping together in 2019. The church’s vision is: “changed lives, changing communities.” For more information, please visit evangelchurch.com/about-us.
