Urban Ministry Spotlight – The Porch
Today’s post highlights a great local ministry that Rez’ Urban Ministry Council supports. Several Rez member volunteer with The Porch each week, and Raj and Daniel agreed to share their testimonies with us.
Are you interested in learning more about this ministry and how you could be involved?
Contact Raj at 202.640.9909 or rajandkie@sbcglobal.net.
Raj Parikh
The Porch is a multi-church youth ministry that a number of Rezzers* have been a part of since the Fall of 2007. We have weekly gatherings and various special events with the youth.
We meet every Wednesday at Washington Community Fellowship from 7pm-9pm for worship, prayer, and small group Bible study. Over the past year, the Porch youth enjoyed a Christmas dinner at Old Ebbitt’s Grill, a lock-in, a Shrove Tuesday breakfast, and summer retreats.
As a small group leader, I have had the privilege to share God’s truth and love with 10th-12th grade guys. They have opened up to reveal a number of strongholds of sin in their lives, and we have all had the opportunity to “sharpen” one another. Getting the chance to introduce the gospel to some and encourage others in their walks has been an incredible experience!
We would ask for your prayer as each of the students face new challenges to their faith with a deeper walk with the Lord. Specifically, I ask that you pray for our focus this year to “dig deep” as we challenge students to look at how sin has affected their life so they might further embrace the freedom of Christ and deepen their relationship with God.
Daniel Son
I’ve really enjoyed the time I’ve had at the Porch. It is a unique ministry in that it brings together several churches in the Washington DC metro area as well as urban youth who live in the surrounding neighborhoods. The vision of the Porch to desire not only that these suburban and urban youth grow in Christ, but in relationship to one another is one that I resonate with very deeply. The hope for the youth of this city and our nation rests in community: with one another, and with Christ. The Porch aims to achieve this through worship, Bible study, small group teaching, games, retreats and extended times of fellowship, prayer and conversation – it seeks to engage youth at very formative and often vulnerable times in their lives. It has been a pleasure to participate in a small way to support and administer this vision for ministry in DC.