Last week a team of 22+ volunteers arrived in Atlantic City to serve along side Pastor Santo and New City Fellowship Church. Little did we know that this summer’s theme was “UNITY” (1 Peter 3:8). We exampled this theme by being one team made up of 8 different churches [Life Chapel Assembly of God; Calvary Presbyterian; Redeemer; Grace Bible; True Life; Bethany, NC’s Mississippi intern Hannah and New City]. Serving together reminded us all of what Jesus is truly desiring of His followers. […make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. – Phil 2:2] How important it is for all of His followers to come together in the name of Jesus Christ, showing His love and mercy while serving His people… and that is what was done.
Unity of spirit was evident from the first mission meeting we had back in Point Pleasant to the last good-bye in AC.
We were blessed each morning to worship together and receive a devotional from New City that pointed us to Jesus and prepared our hearts to serve. We were blessed with two work sites; a Sandy house that still didn’t have its CO and Pastor Pete’s house (from New City) which needed to be ready to move into by the end of August. Pastor Pete, like Santo and Dave before him (from New City) are all now living right in AC, becoming part of the community that they serve in.
The days were extremely hot, with heat indexes in the low 100’s, yet no one complained, no one sat on the side lines and watched the rest of the team work. Jesus’ hands and feet were busy doing His work to accomplish His will.
Carver Hall is a housing project that SOFM has gone to twice before to do Bible Club and this year we requested to go back. Each night was filled with so many memories. The worship filled the air as adults looked on from their windows, waving, taking pictures and singing along. Other adults visited us around the tarp, asking questions, saying thank you and letting us know that Carver Hall will never be the same. The gospel was presented not just in song, but through skits and crafts and finished with a snack. Children prayed to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior and our team was amazed with not only the amount of children who came to the tarp (42 on the last night) but the ways in which Jesus showed Himself to us each night.
Friday, after all work projects were done, we had the privilege of taking 7 children and one dad from Carver Hall to the beach. It was a great way to end our trip by loving and playing with those children that we had been with through out the week.
If you have never joined us on our AC Mission Trip, please consider doing so next summer, you will never be the same. Next year’s trip is being planned for Saturday, Aug 5 – Friday, August 11th.
Thank you for your prayers and support for this team and please continue to pray for New City Fellowship as they continue to be Jesus to the community of AC.