God at Work on National Night Out
Beacon of Hope Church
Thank you for everyone’s help behind the scenes and on the frontlines for National Night Out. Thank you to everyone who showed up and participated and met our neighbors from around the church and in the community.
God was at work, Tuesday, August 5, 2025. God brought many people out from the community to the block party that we held. Gospel conversations happened. Folks from the community were introduced to the people of Beacon of Hope church. God was honored and glorified! The following are highlights of what took place.
Who Came Out
The block party brought together a beautiful mix of people from both our church and the wider community:
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Neighbors who received flyers
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Staff and families from New Horizon Academy (the daycare down the road)
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A nurse and her family from Regions Hospital
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Members of the Police Department
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Members of the Fire Department
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Three men from Christ Recovery Center (Union Gospel Mission)
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Three women and their children from the Union Gospel Mission Women’s Shelter
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A Muslim family from across the street (and their friends)
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A family from Payne Avenue who hadn’t even been reached in our canvassing
Conversation Highlights
God opened many doors for meaningful spiritual conversations:
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Nikki Del Rio had a great Gospel conversation with a local man.
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Faith and Crystal shared Christ with the Muslim family.
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A staff member from New Horizon Academy went home after work—then felt compelled to come back and join the event.
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A girl from the neighborhood stayed with our church family long after cleanup was over.
How the Neighborhood Responded
While canvassing, we learned that this event is deeply appreciated in our neighborhood. The man who used to organize it passed away a few years ago, and since then it’s been inconsistent. People were grateful that Beacon of Hope brought it back this year.
One special highlight came after the event when Kayli and I delivered prizes to the families who won the drawing. One winner, Sally, has six children. She spotted us from the bus and came over with all her kids. She even expressed interest in visiting our church in the future.
Moving Forward
We believe this is just the beginning of what God is leading us to do:
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Follow Up – We’ll reach out to those who gave us contact info through the drawing.
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Invite – We’ll personally invite them to our upcoming church baptism and picnic.
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Stay Connected – We’ll work to keep in touch throughout the year.
To God be the Glory
National Night Out was not just a community event—it was an opportunity for God to work through His church. We saw new relationships form, seeds of the Gospel planted, and Christ ultimately glorified.
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38)
God is at work! Let’s get involved in what He is doing!
—Justin Gilbert
