Doctors, nurses, pain management specialists, Pathfinders, and Northeastern Adventist Academy Queens Campus educators came together on the South Ozone Park church lawn in Jamaica, New York, to host a community fair. Over 100 guests, including members, visited the various expos to obtain free oral cancer screenings, free blood pressure screening, natural/homeopathic pain management solutions, or to receive prayer and information about Adventist education.
The church’s aim for the fair was to provide physical and spiritual healing for the community in the Borough of Queens through various outreach activities. Ellen G. White wrote in The Ministry of Healing, “Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me.’” Following this example, South Ozone Park members were encouraged to take church outside the building to provide comfort and healing.
One of the guests came to the expo out of curiosity as they passed by. They walked away with gifts, information about high blood pressure, and lunch. “Thank you for inviting me to walk through the various displays,” the person exclaimed. “What had its greatest impact on me was that someone from your prayer team prayed for me!”
Throughout the event, Easton Marks, South Ozone Park senior pastor, walked the grounds, encouraging guests to visit a booth, while the Blazing Stars Pathfinder drum corps entertained the guests with a few drills.
“This is just the beginning of our outreach,” said Marks. “We have other expos planned for November and December, and we want our community to know that we are here on the corner, on this side of Queens, and available to help meet their needs!”
________________________
—Lorraine Archie, communication secretary, South Ozone Park church
