Church looking to serve community

THE BUILDINGS UNDER construction by the Christ Church Parish Church should provide wider service to the people living in the area.

Rector of the church, Canon Austin Carrington, made this point, speaking at a fellowship service for staff at the Community Development Department yesterday.

He said the leaders of the church were hoping to engage more in the ministry of education and training when the buildings were completed. "We are thankful for the efforts made at the level of the local community to offer courses which empower people of God, equipping persons with knowledge, skills and appropriate attitudes," Carrington told the congregation.

Taking the position that some people would rather remain unskilled and unemployed and enjoy life at the expense of personal safety sometimes, Carrington said people were called to be encouragers through "our word and deed to build up and uplift others".

"There must be loving words and action - helpfulness, kindness and generosity. We have our Lord's example - one who was among us to serve and not be served.

"We are called as well to strive for unity, healing, collaboration and co-operation and to engender a sense of hope versus a sense of despair, which appears to be pervasive among our youth, and to think of life beyond the here-and-now or the idea of living for the moment," he said. The theme for the sermon was A Serving Church and Carrington said service may be inclusive of the worship of God in Jesus Christ and extend as far as the things people do on a daily basis for their fellowmen.

Minister of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Community Development Steve Blackett talked about the various projects the department has been involved in for 41 years with members of the congregation.

These programmes include Community Dance Fest, the Community Art Career Programme, the National Lessons Assistance Programme (NLAP) and the Community Technology Programme.

Chief Community Development Officer Sandra Greenidge, in making a presentation to the church, said its resource centre had filled a void.

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Church looking to serve community