The Rev. Matthew Rivers (left) with Mayor John Tecklenburg at Unity in the Community at St. John’s Chapel on November 2.

On November 2, St. John’s Chapel, a mission church of our diocese and one of St. Philip’s home mission partners, had its first community fundraising event. It was well attended and a huge success!

The purpose of the event was to bring people together to share a meal while raising funds for security cameras for selected homes on the Eastside. I am pleased to share that the St. Philip’s Home Missions Committee was able to donate the funds to cover the cost of two cameras.

Along with over a hundred other people, including Mayor John Tecklenburg and Solicitor Scarlett Wilson, my husband Robert and I were blessed in sharing a great lowcountry meal and hearing beautiful Christian music being sung on the church portico. It was wonderful to see so many people from other churches and neighborhoods joining the festivities in support of Pastor Matthew Rivers’s efforts.

To further foster unity in the community, Pastor Rivers is making plans to go block by block and invite the people living in the Eastside to a meal and fellowship together. Many do not know one another since the makeup of the neighborhood has changed a lot over the years. If you would like to help with this effort, please contact St. Philip’s Home Missions Committee chair Ben Hagood at benhagoodjr@gmail.com or (843) 709-9801.

Please pray that the next outreach will be equally successful in uniting the community.