Day of Outreach: Born out of the Challenges of COVID

by Justin Clemente

Every Wednesday, New Creation Church, Hagerstown, MD partners with the people of the Presbyterian Church of Hagerstown, serving at their weekly Soup Kitchen. A Midday Prayer service that includes praise and scripture scripture readings is offered from 12:30-1 p.m. The prayer service also includes a short reflection from one of the Psalms. Finally, a time of healing prayer is offered immediately after the service. We offer prayer for physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental healing.

This "Day of Outreach" was born out of the challenges of COVID. Our church started praying Midday Prayer together in 2020. Once the soup kitchen re-opened at our church building, we began working hand-in-hand with the director —adding not only the midday service but also expanding the work of the soup kitchen itself! We now deliver lunches to a nearby public housing complex. We spend time in prayer, conversation, and evangelism with the people who live there. We are prayerfully asking God to direct our ministry in this place, asking him to show us what he wants to do there. We ask your prayers for this: our Day of Outreach!

The Rev. Justin Clemente is the Founding Planter & Parish Priest of New Creation Church in Hagerstown, MD.