First Presbyterian Church

There's something exciting about a community of believers coming together for a common purpose. When that purpose involves kids, fun, and faith-sharing, it's a must-do event! Our second annual community vacation Bible school will be just such an event. Coming summer 2012, it will be held at St. Agnes school the week of June 24-28 from 6:00 to 8:00 each evening. Kids from four years through sixth grade are welcome.

Lions, hanging gardens, and friends who kept their faith through difficult times are all part of our Babylon VBS program. Kids will become part of a tribe as they go back in time to ancient Babylon. They'll have opprotunities to speak with Daniel and palace officials, play games, visit a Babylonian bazaar, and share their faith. 

Visit the following link to learn more! http://group.com/childrens-ministry/vbs/babylon

From Hezekiah's Hands to school supply give-aways, Towanda area churches are reaching out to the community at large. The emphasis of mission is to do what Jesus would do, meeting physical needs while sharing Christ's love. Many of Towanda's outreach programs have existed for years and new efforts are underway to reach out to families in need and to address the housing crisis in the area. 

T.A.C.O. food pantry, located in Wysox, provides emergency food supplies for families. Open Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, they served 5923 clients in 2010. T.A.C.O. is staffed by volunteers. They can be reached during hours at 570-265-4422.

Grace Connection, based in Trinity Lutheran Church, meets emergency housing needs such as paying for fuel oil when the individual cannot--as long as they have the funds to do so. They are dependent on private donations, and when requests exceed donations, they may have to turn clients away. All donations to Grace Connection are tax deductable, and all go directly to individuals in need. Like T.A.C.O., staffing is on a volunteer basis. Thier number is 570-268-0431.

Hezekiah's Hands started as a one week per year intensive effort at the Presbyterian Church to clean-up, fix-up, and repair homes in the community at no charge to the homeowner. Now they answer requests all year long, still at no cost. They have built wheelchair ramps, replaced roofs and toilets, drywalled, painted, and cleaned windows all over Bradford County. Again, it's an all volunteer effort.

The newest initiative by area pastors, Family Promise, is trying to address the growing homeless situation in Bradford County. As demand for housing has increased with Marcellus Shale drilling and rents have skyrocketed, more and more families are finding themselves without affordable housing. Families moving in with relatives or living under the bridge are becoming all too common. 

Those of us who call ourselves "Christian," cannot look the other way when we see people in need. While this is only a sampling of current efforts in the community, it gives each of us a place to start getting involved, financially, or by sharing time and skills. The Presbyterian church office at 570-265-5575 can give you more information about how to help.

Susan Pifer

Christian Education Coordinator