This information is from:

Rev. Care Goodstal-Spinks

Associate Pastor

North Haven Congregational Church

The youth of North Haven Congregational Church have an active outreach ministry to the greater North Haven community and beyond.  Last November our youth worked in partnership with Columbus House to raise awareness of the problem of homelessness in the greater New Haven area as they slept in boxes and tents in VERY cold weather on our church grounds.  Not long after that, having been deeply touched by the harsh conditions that homeless people have to endure, having had that ‘sleep out’ event, they took up a collection of winter coats, hats, gloves, blankets, etc. to be donated to the needy folks that Columbus House serves.  During the week prior to the Super Bowl, our youth were again on hand to cook and serve breakfast at 5:00 a.m. (!) to the 12 homeless men that our church was housing and feeding for a week for Columbus House in a ministry known throughout the area as “Abraham’s Tent”.   In July they will be taking their love of neighbor to the poor, the elderly, the handicapped, and to local children in the Appalachian Mountains, near Beckley, West Virginia.  There they will be working with other senior high youth from a number of states, representing three distinctively different Christian denominations as they engage in light duty construction and home repairs, and provide leadership for a vacation Bible school type of ministry to needy children in that community.  From now through June the NHCC Youth Mission Team will be holding a variety of fundraising events to cover the costs of sending 11 youth and their adult advisors to Appalachia, and we invite the prayers of the wider community as we prepare for this faith building, and often life-changing experience.  The prayers of others will directly benefit this mission…and we receive them with deep gratitude.

Re attached photo:

Back row: Rev. Care Goodstal-Spinks; Kim Coughlin; Jesse Morrow; Lori Murphy; Katie Mulvey; John Tibor.

Middle row: Andrew Lynch; Joey Mulvey; Hunter Coughlin; Amy Morrow; Onalee Collins; Austin Smith.

Front row: Kenny Broccoli; Emily Crowther; Joe Burr, Jr.