Weekend of Service | Year 1 

n June 15, 2024, members of Living Hope and Gateway set out to love and serve the city that they live in. It was an opportunity to do something we haven’t done in a while, partner between churches in Abbotsford to show that we are people of the same kingdom, working together. Through stormy weather, serving hands from different churches sought to be salt and light as they removed invasive weeds in local parks, did clean-up for those impacted by the flood, and helped with landscaping projects in our partner organizations. We even had a crew cutting vegetables at our local Gleaners, who prepared soup mix in areas in the world were relief work is needed. The day finished with the groups coming back together and sharing a meal with each other. It was a gift to sit with people who served in varied areas in the city, swapping stories, and enjoying new connections made between churches. This year we are planning on doing this for a second year! This time around, Living Hope will be providing team leaders and hosting a few of our own service projects as we look to team up with Gateway once again in serving the city together. If you are interested in being a crew leader, let Pastor Steve know!

What was it like volunteering?

A note from an Invasive Species Removal Group 

The crews serving with invasive weeds got to learn how stubborn ivy can be! This invasive species really glues itself to trees and weaves its way through the undergrowth in the forest, preventing anything else from being able to thrive. We also learned how quickly we could remove sections of this when we all worked together. While just a couple people would hardly make a dent, having a crew of 20 or so people meant that we really got to see our progress. Kids, young adults, parents and grandparents all worked alongside each other as we helped the plants and trees breath as we removed the ivy. Working outside felt like one continuous downpour and we joked that it would lighten up as soon as we finished for the day. Sure enough, as some warm coffee and hot chocolate arrived to signal the end of our day – the first glimpse of sunlight started poking through the clouds enabling us to warm up from some chilly hours of serving. We enjoyed coffee and conversation with our new

A story of God’s Provision 

As we partnered with Gateway on this, we wanted to contribute financially to some of the costs. Unaware of the total budget and funds available, the deacons decided on a number. On the morning of the event, Gary Veeneman delivered a cheque on behalf of Living Hope. It turned out that the cheque was exactly the amount that was needed to cover the remainder of the costs for the service opportunities. Praise be to God for the way he works in answering prayers and giving us glimpses into the variety of ways he is at work behind the scenes!