In Portland, Oregon, the Healing Hope Adventist Church has been connecting with their local school for several years. But in 2024, they decided to make supporting the Glenfair Elementary community their official mission.

Over the years, Healing Hope Church has been able to show support in a variety of ways, from simply connecting through giving away popsicles in the parking lot and serving pizza at family nights, to donating classroom goods, snacks, clothes for emergencies and even adopting families at Christmas time. Romey Carta, the church secretary, shared that she has grown a fond friendship with the secretary of the school. “She will contact me and she'll say, ‘There's a need right now for something,” said Romey. “I put the request out there, I put it in the bulletin, and I put it in the newsletter, and it magically appears!”

According to Romey, Healing Hope Church is made up of 25-30 active members, while the elementary school hosts nearly 500 students. “This is the thing that's bringing life into this church,” says Romey. “We can’t do a lot of things, but God has enabled us to do this. He put us next door for a reason.”

Pastor Violeta Bilan, who serves as a district pastor for Healing Hope, said, “I think creating spaces where children can mingle and learn how to navigate life together and feel like they're one community would benefit all of us. I think it’s a gift.”

The Healing Hope Church has been able to impact many students, staff, and families through these acts of simple connection. “It's not about big projects or big programs, but small acts of kindness and grace with nothing attached,” shared Pastor Violeta. “It’s just to brighten their day.”

When asked for her advice on how churches might begin to connect with their own neighborhoods, Pastor Violeta shared, “I would invite everyone to think of the ‘little things’ that your church may have fun doing that would benefit the communities around them. It may not need to be something big or have a large budget, just something your church can invest in – even simply buying a box of ice cream and sharing it with someone. It may be simple, but it's a powerful ministry.”