Worship event will overflow with fellowship

The school-supply giveaway specifically targets students in five school districts.

STAFF REPORT

NEW WATERFORD — Abundant Life Fellowship, 46469 state Route 46, will use its 25 acres for a weekend of fun, food, fellowship and freebies Friday through Sunday during an event called August OverF.L.O.W. (Fresh Levels of Worship).

Friday coincides with the conclusion of the church’s community vacation Bible school program and its monthly Friday night F.L.O.W. service. Children from the VBS will participate in the 7 p.m. service, which will feature Bill Themelaras, a worship leader from Covenant Church of Pittsburgh. Events will conclude with an ice-cream social.

Saturday events will include a soccer clinic, softball games, Bounce-A-Rounds for children, teens and adults, cornhole and volleyball tournaments, school-supply distributions, free haircuts, clothing giveaways, an outdoor staging area for music, drama and speaking and free food.

The school-supply giveaway, scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. and co-sponsored by The Way Station, specifically targets students in Crestview, Columbiana, East Palestine, Leetonia and Beaver Local schools. Parents who want to receive school supplies must bring a driver’s license and a recent report card showing their child’s school. Some larger school items will be given away in drawings later in the day.

The clothing giveaway, also from 1 to 4 p.m., is being coordinated by the 4C’s, an outreach organization made up of the six churches in the Crestview School District.

Special guests taking part in stage events, planned between noon and 8 p.m., include Bill Themelaras of Pittsburgh, Michael and Sally Kelley, worship leaders from New Life Fellowship of Louisville; Danny Whittenmeyer of Lisbon; the Real Life Assembly drama team; Pastor Jay Radman of Lisbon Community Church; and Pastor Ricky Riggs of River Christian Fellowship in Empire, Ohio. The Abundant Life youth worship band also will participate.

Games for children will be from noon to 5 p.m. and include a bungee run, giraffe jump, obstacle course, cow milking and golf challenge. A tent area for kids also will include face-painting, clown and other activities.

A kids soccer clinic is planned from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and pickup softball games, on the George C. Welker Jr. Field, will be played at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. Cornhole and volleyball tournaments are scheduled for 5 p.m.

Co-sponsors for the event include Mario’s Pizza of New Waterford and Salem, 4 Wheel Drive of Columbiana, Sferra Steel Erecting of Columbiana, Kitchen Solution of Columbiana, Main Street Theater of Columbiana, Sitler the Printer of Columbiana, PJ Party Rental of Calcutta, Ameriprise Financial Services of Youngstown, Columbiana Save-A-Lot, Columbiana Sparkle, Augere Construction of Hudson and Kottler Metal Products of Willoughby.

Mario’s Pizza will be the sole corporate food vendor, providing free pasta dinners and selling pizzas. Groups from the church will provide other free food, buffet style, including hot dogs, hamburgers, side dishes and snow cones.

OverF.L.O.W. will conclude Sunday with regular morning classes at 9:30 a.m., worship service at 10:30 and a car show from 12:30 to 3 p.m. The car show is open to all makes and models of cars, trucks and motorcycles. Those attending may vote for the favorites, with prizes to be awarded for best of show and first, second and third places. Free registration will take place from 9 to 10:30. A $5 fee will be charged after that.

For more information, call the church at (330) 457-7317.