Why HFNY Sunday Motivates Churches to Serve Our City
Every year, we're eager and excited to inspire new volunteers to serve our Hope for New York's affiliates! To connect new volunteers with Hope for New York, our Mobilization Team hosts HFNY Sunday events and participates in Volunteer Fairs at our church partners.
This year, the Church Partnerships department within our Mobilization Team kickstarted HFNY Sunday in August, with visits to many of our church partners (with more coming soon). HFNY was also part of a Volunteer Fair hosted by Redeemer West Side about all their church-focused volunteer opportunities.
We asked our Church Partnerships team what encouraged them at the HFNY Sunday and Volunteer Fair events. Here's what they shared:
Redeemer's Family of Churches
Lincoln Square
"HFNY Sunday at Redeemer Lincoln Square marked the start of a new approach of church partnership, where we are calling and challenging our church partners to take more ownership of their mercy and justice goals for their congregations. Since May, we have been working to select church-focused affiliates by considering a number of factors: proximity to LSQ, pastoral staff affinity for population groups, and an analysis of where LSQ has already been serving. For 2019-2020, LSQ has committed to: Avail NYC, Open Hands Legal Services, Prison Fellowship, Safe Families for Children, St. Paul's House, The Bowery Mission, and The Open Door. Five of these Affiliates had staff representatives and LSQ volunteers who met interested congregants and encouraged them to consider what long-term engagement could look like. Coffee Hour was buzzing with people, and affiliates shared feedback that they were very encouraged!"
Downtown, East Side, West Side
"At both Downtown and East Side, we welcomed seasoned volunteers and recruited new ones. At Downtown, we were also given the opportunity to show our new video featuring three dedicated volunteers. And at East Side, we met Maggie, who was recently hired to be our interim Mobilization Coordinator!
— Sharon Baldessari, Manager of Church Partnerships
Redeemer West Side's Volunteer Fair
"We're very thankful for the way the whole Redeemer West Side service was geared towards responding to God's call to love their neighbors. From the presiding to the sermon, every moment set up people during the service as they made their way up to the fifth floor. Every volunteer who helped me field questions reminded me of our work to engage the body of Christ to serve our neighbors. I was so deeply encouraged by the way West Side talked about HFNY and advocated for the work we do in the city. I pray that God will move in the heart of Redeemer West Side to its commitment to be a church for the city."
— Peter Ong, Director of Church Partnerships
"We were encouraged by the church taking ownership in integrating its messaging with the call to love their neighbors and serving with Hope for New York!"
— Sharon Baldessari, Manager of Church Partnerships
Wellspring Church
"I left HFNY Sunday at Wellspring Church feeling so encouraged. The church's passion for being agents of God's renewal in the city intersected with HFNY's core values and desire for God's people to enter into the brokenness of the poor and marginalized. The church was able to articulate their desire to pursue mercy and justice in its own unique voice. During the service, the congregation prayed over and commissioned their Mercy & Justice team (below). It was awesome to see the church take initiative in the way. It felt like HFNY was truly acting as a support for Wellspring and the ways God has already called to the movement of mercy and justice."
— Tory Crowley, Manager of Church Partnerships
Emmanuel Anglican Church
"Emmanuel Anglican is a church that responds to Christ’s love by loving each other really well. The church feels like a family. It’s obvious that this love also extends to those outside the church. I am excited for the ways that the HFNY partnership will serve this body by helping them connect with people in the city who often go unseen, to reflect the love of Christ in a way that reaches some of he most marginalized people in our city."
— Tory Crowley, Manager of Church Partnerships
Want more information? Visit our:
- Affiliates page to learn more about the 58 affiliates we serve.
- Volunteer page to find opportunities to serve with our Affiliates.
- Church Partner page to learn how your church can work with us.
- Donate page to support our Affiliates through generous giving.