The Wooster (OH) newspaper is currently featuring a ministry initiative of the Grace Brethren Church of Wooster (Robert Fetterhoff, pastor). Here is an excerpt–to read the entire article, click here.
Wooster’s Sowing Hope House will have a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday
Church is letting ‘these people know we are there’
By STEVEN F. HUSZAI Staff Writer
WOOSTER — Roughly six years ago, pastor Ivanildo Trindade tried to establish a presence in downtown Wooster to help families and children in need. The program, dubbed Sowing Hope, will take up residence today after a ribbon cutting ceremony at the home purchased by Grace Brethren Church.
“The vision with the house is we wanted to be present in the community and show that we are there to stay,” Trindade, the associate pastor of outreach ministries at the church, said.
Most of the work performed under the auspices of Sowing Hope has taken place along South Street around the Wooster Towers complex.
Programs include the Homework Club for children and a Thursday women’s group. Meals and a variety of activities between the church members/volunteers and families take place as well to “let these people know we are there for these kids and families,” Trindade noted.
So it made sense when the church purchased the house at 329 South St. and cleaned it up to serve as its south side outreach hub.
“This house used to be a drug house … it was a unit with three apartments and when we came in it looked like one of the buildings you would have seen in Lebanon during the civil war,” the pastor said, noting during the time volunteers worked to spruce up the house they actually needed to jack up the structure from the basement to reinforce the foundation.
With the work rebuilding the house complete, an open house will take place today at 6 p.m.
The Homework Club was started three years ago by Jessica Artrip, church staff member.