Our God-given mission at Eastside Church is to Love Everyone, Serve Anyone. Anyone includes our neighbors near and far. Some of our near neighbors are the families living at Evergreen East in Fairport. We are growing in our service to them by supporting events like National Night Out and providing fun opportunities like Trunk or Treat and Easter Egg Hunts.

We also support two families each year through Adopt a Family. Each month these two families will receive “blessing boxes”: groceries for the month, school supplies, toiletries, household products, Christmas presents, etc. Along with that, we see what kind of professional development we can assist with: whether that be interview preparation, resume enhancement, learned skills, and so on. The hope is that during this year-long partnership these families will be able to build resources in a sustainable way.

To get involved, keep an eye out for our next announcement or click below to let us know of your interest by filling out a Connect Card.

Recovery All Ways (RAW) is a nonprofit organization with a Mission to support anyone and everyone affected by substance use disorder, mental illness, and homelessness. Weekly outreach takes place every Sunday, rain, snow, or shine, and without shame or judgment, in the heart of Rochester’s 14621 neighborhood, an area hard hit by the overdose crisis. They also do outreach as needed across the city and county.

In addition to health and recovery resources, basic needs, and nourishment, RAW deploys a cleanup team to safely dispose of used needles in “hot zones,” (public spaces such as parks, parking lots, and playgrounds) and make wellness checks on unhoused neighbors who have sought refuge in vacant lots or abandoned properties. We also have a specialized team that provides certified Narcan training and community education.

Eastside Church has partnered with RAW by making sandwiches to be distributed on their weekly Cleanup & Outreach. We will make sandwiches at the Church on a Saturday afternoon for delivery the following morning. We will decide the frequency of these events based on engagement. Further opportunities to get involved may also develop. Point of Contact for Eastside is Rod and Brittany B.

In addition to the cold sandwiches, we also provide HOT Meals and winter clothing items during the frigid winter months. We collect SOUPS, CASSEROLES, CHILI, and other such HOT Foods. 

All children deserve a safe, comfortable place to lay their heads. In Rochester and across the US, too many boys and girls go without a bed—or even a pillow—to sleep on. These children end up sleeping on couches, blankets, and even floors. This can affect their happiness and health. After listening to a sermon on James 3,  Shawn and Donna Ritchie  felt led by the Holy Spirit to “put their faith into action”  and start a local chapter of Sleep In Heavenly Peace (SHP)  - a group of volunteers dedicated to building, assembling and delivering top-notch bunk beds to children and families in need, a great way to show God’s love to local families in a very tangible way .

Many at Eastside have joined this mission, by volunteering for one of the monthly bed builds, deliveries, or by donating pillows, sheet sets and blankets for the kids.  It brings us great joy to work alongside our friends and family to help out our neighbors in need. Won't you consider joining us?.

To learn more about this ministry, visit their Facebook Page, or contact Donna Ritchie, who leads our local chapter.

Samaritan's Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization that provides international and domestic humanitarian aid to people suffering from poverty, disease, natural disasters, war, and famine, with the goal of sharing God's love.

Eastside Church collects and provides Shoeboxes for distribution on Christmas, spreading the Love and knowledge of Jesus.
 
To learn more about this caring ministry, click below or let us know of your interest by filling out a Connect Card.

Our connection to Senegal began in 2018, when John Tassone attended a conference and met eight pastors who shared that they wanted to become part of the Free Methodist Church. After many conversations and much prayer, a new journey began! Since that time, the Genesis Conference has sent several teams to Senegal to provide theological and pastoral training and to build relationships with the growing church there. A leader from Senegal now oversees the pastors locally and keeps regular communication with leaders here in the States. In just seven years, the Senegal field has grown tremendously - now home to 8 elders, 36 ministerial candidates, 26 churches, and over 2,000 attendees. It’s been described as “building an airplane in the air” - creating systems and connections for ministry as the movement grows!

Currently, the Genesis Conference is working to form “Connected Communities” - partnerships between churches in the U.S. and villages in Senegal. Pastor Kathryn has been invited to travel to Senegal to do photo/video work, train pastors, and learn more about these new partnerships. Senegal is a 95% Muslim country, and the need is great. The average income is just $100 a month, and many families struggle to afford education and basic necessities. Through Connected Communities, churches can make a tangible impact by sponsoring children for $38 per month - providing tuition, books, uniforms, and meals. This not only impacts the child, but their family and community as a whole.

As a church, we’ve invested deeply in local missions through RAW and Evergreen East, and now we’re prayerfully exploring how to expand into global missions in Senegal. If you’d like to sponsor a child or donate toward Pastor Kathryn’s upcoming trip, we’d love for you to join us in this exciting new chapter of ministry!

To learn more about this ministry or to get involved, let us know by filling out a Connect Card.

ICCM is a global network of compassionate people who identify children facing some of the world’s greatest challenges. We empower that network to come alongside kids in very practical ways. Each child gets support suited to their situation. The approach is designed to supplement locally available resources across each country. You sponsoring a child could pay for school tuition, tutoring, residential assistance, food, etc.

To learn more about this caring ministry, click below or let us know of your interest by filling out a Connect Card.

The Free Methodist Church’s Bishops have a special designated fund for national or world emergencies they are able to use at their discretion. This fund has helped those in Myanmar who experienced a 7.7 magnitude earthquake, people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the wildfire victims in Southern California, and many more. As a part of the FMC, we are in turn aiding during these crises as well through donations to this fund. 

Eastside Church is partners with the Free Methodist family of churches. The Free Methodist mission is to "Love God, Love People, and to Make Disciples." By partnering with the Free Methodist Church of North America, we support missionaries and ministries around the world to build God's kingdom and to spread the Good News everywhere!