If you were enjoying a walk through Rothfuss Park last Saturday, you may have been struck by the sound of a ringing bell. No need to worry. That was our very own Browncroft Students Director Aaron McGinnis and fellow contestants wielding their hammer in a high striker strongman game.
And there was more!
Browncroft was blessed last week with the opportunity to partner with the Town of Penfield in its annual Good Neighbor Day. For the last 7 years, the town has organized volunteers to aid local seniors, veterans, and others in need of a helping hand with light yard work and spring cleaning. This year our congregation not only added people to those clean-up crews — teams with about 200 volunteers in total — we also supported the day with a first-ever celebration event to cap the morning!
Meeting in Rothfuss Park, this was a time everyone in the community could enjoy one another’s company. There was plenty of fun to be had — food trucks, mini golf, disc golf, and stations for kids to color and plant flowers (very popular the day before Mother’s Day). And, of course, there was that strongman competition that provided entertainment and excitement for the young and young at heart!
We also had opportunities to fellowship and get to know each other better. Many families at the park made their way over to the fun just out of curiosity. And Pastor Rob said he got the chance to meet friends and family members of Browncrofters that had never been to our church but were eager to come to this.
Now you may be asking why we decided to partner with Penfield for this Good Neighbor Day. Well, a couple Sundays ago, Pastor Rob pointed to 1 Peter 3:15 and challenged us to think about whether we are available and involved in the lives of those around us.
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have…
I Peter 3:15
Another verse we are learning from in this Reconciled series is 2 Corinthians 5:18, which says, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”
One takeaway from those passages for me is that we are called to be in relationship with others so that we can share God’s love. And I believe we need to start with the people God puts with us in our neighborhoods.
Hosting the Good Neighbor Day celebration was a great step undergirding the relationship between Browncroft and the Town of Penfield — and I pray it built friendships among individual neighbors as well. We can’t wait for more opportunities to show people in Penfield and beyond that Browncroft is a good neighbor they can know, trust, and engage with more and more. We are FOR our community!
