Dover First Brings Hope Downtown

Story by Evan Knott

The Dover First church recently brought public evangelism to the heart of Delaware, holding tent meetings just steps from the State Capitol on the Legislative Mall. The “Hope for Today” series featured guest speaker D. W. West, assistant to the president of Adventist World Radio. Meetings were held on the Legislative Mall during the first week, before concluding at the Dover First church.

The series combined Christ-centered messages with a compassion campaign designed to meet practical needs in the community. Each evening, guests received free items such as diapers and wipes, toiletries, health care kits, sneakers and winter coats. The giveaways, supplied in part through partnerships with nonprofits like It’s From the Sole and One Warm Coat, drew more than 200 people on some nights.

Javier Scharon, pastor of Dover First, says the church felt called to host the meetings in Dover’s central gathering place. “Legislative Mall is a central  location in our city,” he says. “Everybody knows it, and whenever something is happening there, people always come to see what’s going on.”