Spreading Shalom in East Dayton
Hello again friends!
The picture you see above is from the night we set up for this spring's recovery-focused tent revival. That night more than forty volunteers from our church and from two partner ministries showed up to erect that tent, share in some good food, and pray for the hope of God to reach our neighbors through this work. To hear how the revival turned out (it was great!) and about a bunch of other things happening here at EDF right now, please check out the video below. The video is an interview of our associate pastor, Susan Liller, by a member of the Church of the Brethren (one of our two denominational families). Below that video, I'll include a few extra pictures and a link to an article I (Zach) wrote recounting the story of a remarkable moment that unfolded recently in the same church yard you see above.
Here's the video:
2022.05.05 Video for Oct 2022 COB District Conference - YouTube
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The volunteer crew who set up for the revival tent.
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The tent the night before services began... (things were too busy for me to remember to take pictures the nights of the services!)
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That's some of the bulk waste we collected the weekend of the revival... the pile grew considerably from there over the next couple of days as we permitted neighbors to dispose of their bulk waste there ahead of pickup.
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I wrote for the Brethren in Christ magazine - Shalom! - about a recent incident of violence on our property and how God used myself and a complete stranger to intervene and protect a young woman who was being attacked by her boyfriend. You can read about that on page 7 of the issue, which you can find here.
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Finally, I want to invite you to consider supporting us by doing any of the following: praying for us, giving to our work (info on that below), or by coming here to visit / volunteer. You might even consider relocating to join us in this work!
If you're able to give financially, it would be a great help to us. Making a church work in this neighborhood requires us to be creative and collaborative financially. We seek and secure grants, pursue financial partnerships with other churches and outside individuals, and do a lot of praying! Myself and Susan both retain part-time only pay and receive no benefits from the church, keeping our payroll costs as low as possible. Still payroll, the building itself, and our outreach and benevolence ministries require significant investment - investment God keeps providing through the sacrificial giving of our members and regular attenders as well as through folks like yourselves. If you're interested in becoming a recurring donor or making a major gift, or if you're interested in visiting us or even in relocating - please reach out to me at zach.spidel@gmail.com or 937-430-5116. I'd love to talk with you!
You can give online through a fund that is managed for us by Fairview Brethren in Christ Church. Go to this page and make sure to select the East Dayton Fellowship fund from the drop-down menu before you give.
Thank you and God bless you!