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Hagerstown Area Religious Council

The Hagerstown Area Religious Council (HARC) is a coalition of churches and houses of faith in the Hagerstown area of Washington County.

News

Discovering a Path toward Greater Spiritual Understanding

Discovering a path toward greater spiritual understanding
Rabbi Mark Perman

The Interfaith Roundtable

Rabbi Mark speaks with Matthew Thiessesn PhD., biblical scholar and teacher, about Jesus’ Jewish roots and he welcomes Pastor James Brooks, who is a new minister in Hagerstown, MD at First Christian Church. Listen to the podcast

Pastors in a Post-Pandemic World – Free Webcast

In 2017, Barna released a comprehensive, whole-life assessment of U.S. pastors to see how they were faring in key areas of life.  The results were insightful and led to numerous practical takeaways, but much has changed since 2017…So we decided to take another in-depth look at pastors in our post-pandemic world.

On March 6th, we’re hosting a free webcast where we’ll share some of our findings and learn from a panel of guest experts.

  • Our goal for this event is to:
  • Give voice to pastors
  • Encourage them to lead flourishing lives
  • Equip them to form thriving churches

It’s a rare opportunity to understand how church leaders are doing and how congregations can come alongside them in this challenging season of ministry.

Click Here to Join Us on March 6th

 

 

God’s Grace Fund pledges matching donation for 2024 HARC Hike

This year’s HARC Hike for Hunger & Hope will get an extra boost – a matching pledge from the God’s Grace Fund.

This is an exciting opportunity to participants fundraising and individuals making a donation to support the HARC Hike for Hunger & Hope.  HARC Hike participants who raise funds beyond their $200 suggested fundraising goal will see any additional amounts raised matched 2-1.  That means with the match, donations can have triple the impact for HARC and the Micah’s Backpack program!  What a blessing at a time when the need for our services is ever greater! 

Please consider participating, fundraising and or donating to support the HARC Hike and help us make the most of this amazing opportunity!  With the help of God’s Grace Fund and YOU, our goal is to double the proceeds of last year’s event – for more than $74,000.

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Refugee Welcome Network seeks financial assistance, volunteers.

The Refugee Welcome Network (RWN), under the umbrella of HARC, continues to experience growth. For several months, we have been actively working with 8 Afghan families/individuals and one Haitian family. One family just received work permits and obtained a job – praise God! Several others still need our help with rent payments and other basics as they await their work permits and/or employment. Additionally, another two new families and an individual have reached out for assistance within the last week. RWN’s funds are low and more volunteers are needed to continue assisting current families, and especially to add the new ones. Can you donate or volunteer to help? Donations can be made on the HARC website (please add a designation note for “refugees”). Volunteers are also needed in the following capacities: Family Ally (work directly with a family), Procurement of furniture and goods (help coordinate setting up a home), Legal Team (help with asylum applications and other legal documents – with training!!), Welcome Team (first contact with refugees), Fundraising, and more. To learn more about volunteering, contact Kathy at director@harccoalition.org or 301-842-4272.

HARC 2023 Impact Report

HARC is pleased to share our 2023 Impact Report with members and the public. Download your copy here to learn about the work we did TOGETHER last year and plans for 2024. Please share with your congregations and friends. If you would like a printed copy, please contact Kathy at director@harccoalition.org or 301-842-4272.

HARC’s Annual Meeting blessed with new board members and Dr. Sovine of WCPS

HARC’s Annual Meeting was held Tuesday, January 23 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Hagerstown.  More than 50 people attended the meeting, including representatives of 20 member houses of worship.  Part of the business portion of the meeting included voting in four new board members (see video). Following the business, a short presentation was given on the Faces of HARC (see video, including pictures displayed). HARC also welcomed, Dr. David T. Sovine, Superintendent of Washington County Public Schools, who blessed us with faith story, professional background, and challenges he sees for children in our schools (see video). And our hosts shared about their faith tradition (see video).  The meeting was a great way to kick off 2024!

Interfaith Thanksgiving Service

Please join us for this unique service with participation and traditions across different faiths. This service will feature a community choir. If you’d like to participate, please arrive by 2:45 pm. Free and open to the public.

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