By Jess Wigney, Hope Community Church
We are a small church nestled in the heart of our ever-growing community, with a BIG heart for the people around us. We are always praying and seeking the Lord for ways to serve our neighbours in practical, meaningful ways.
About 18 years ago, the Lord led us to drag a burn barrel to the end of our driveway, creating a warm place for people to gather on a cold fall evening while they were out trick-or-treating. With prayer and consideration, we added hot dogs from our BBQ and hot chocolate, and a simple act of hospitality became a much-loved community tradition: “Light the Night” was born.
Over the years, God has continued to grow this event. Our local volunteer firefighters, who once set up their trucks at the nearby school to hand out candy, were invited to join us at the end of our driveway, bringing even more excitement and light to the evening. This partnership has created a wonderful opportunity to connect with our community year after year.
We have seen God’s faithfulness through the relationships built, old friendships renewed, and new connections made with neighbourhood families. As someone who grew up in this community, it is especially meaningful to reconnect with familiar faces while welcoming new families. Through something as simple as a hot dog, hot chocolate, or a friendly conversation, we can share God’s love in a fun and practical way.
This year, we are preparing to serve around 500 people! One of the greatest blessings is seeing every generation of our church involved. Our kids ministry helped pack goody bags for children and prayed over each one. Watching them joyfully serve and pray for something their friends would take home was a beautiful reminder that God is working through all ages.
What began with a burn barrel has become a treasured opportunity to love our neighbours. We are grateful for God’s faithfulness in every season and excited to see how He continues to work in our community.
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