Watch The Video Announcement
Join the Journey for Home!
-Inaugural fundraiser for the Welcome House Community Network-
CBF of North Carolina announces “Welcome Ride 2020,” on October 9-12 as the inaugural fundraiser to jumpstart the Welcome House Community Network (WHCN). Two weeks ago, CBFNC’s Coordinating Council adopted the WHCN as a bold new missions program of CBFNC to extend Christian hospitality in the form of temporary housing and community outreach to vulnerable people in every NC city and town.
Welcome Ride is the first fundraiser to support the new WHCN and plans are to make it an annual event in the future. During the four-day period of October 9-12, CBFNC Executive Coordinator Larry Hovis and a small cycling team will ride over 200 miles from the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway to the bustling state capital.
Because of health guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s main ride will only feature Larry and his team. Every CBFNC congregation is invited to join the mission and the mandate of embracing vulnerable neighbors by giving generously to sponsor Larry’s team. Proceeds raised will be used to provide seed grants to churches throughout the state to start new Welcome House ministries. The goal is to raise $10,000 in order to support five new Welcome Houses in North Carolina. Fundraising will begin on September 15. Stay tuned for more details.
Churches and individuals are invited to follow Larry and his Welcome Ride team as they bike from the mountains to the capital on CBFNC’s Facebook and Instagram pages. We will share daily “Where’s Larry” videos and updates along the bike route.
Virtual Welcome Ride
While the feature of this year’s event is to follow Larry and his team from the mountains to the capital, anyone can join the journey for home from a distance. Show your support and help us raise money by doing your own, “virtual” Welcome Ride anytime between October 2-16. The best part is that you can choose how to do your journey—walk, run, bike, skate, paddle, swim, you name it. Families are encouraged to get the kids involved on their tricycles, scooters, power wheels, hover boards, etc. Youth groups, small groups, other groups are encouraged to participate together by adhering to social distancing guidelines. Just gather your family, friends, small group, Sunday school class, etc. in a safe manner and choose a distance and duration that is meaningful to you.
Individuals and groups who choose to participate in the virtual Welcome Ride are asked to create a Facebook fundraiser on behalf of CBFNC to help raise awareness and money. Share photos and videos of your virtual Welcome Ride on social media and by tagging CBFNC on Facebook. Details about how to do a Facebook fundraiser may be found HERE.
About Welcome House Community Network
Simply put, every person should have a safe place to call home and community that welcomes them to live there as a neighbor.
Welcome House is a collaborative initiative that provides temporary housing and community outreach among vulnerable people across our state. Launched in partnership with CBFNC, local churches and refugee agencies in the Triangle by CBF Field Personnel, Kim and Marc Wyatt in 2015, Welcome House Raleigh has served over 400 refugee and immigrant guests, developed community outreach programs in five Raleigh area apartment communities and inspired seven similar ministries in North Carolina and Tennessee.
In August 2020, the CBFNC Coordinating Council voted to adopt Welcome House Community Network as a new missions program of CBFNC. The ministry model of Welcome House Raleigh is replicable and expandable to meet a variety of needs among the vulnerable—from refugees to the homeless to victims of abuse and more. We have a bold vision to help establish Welcome Houses in every town and city in North Carolina.
Whether your church is in a large urban area or rural community, the mandate to serve the vulnerable and marginalized is a mission priority for all of us. Together we can provide home to those who have lost theirs, welcome to those who are unwelcomed and hope for those who desperately need it.
We invite you and your church to join CBFNC to welcome the vulnerable and embrace our neighbors. We are calling for every church in every community to join us.
All money raised during the Welcome Ride 2020 will go toward the WHCN budget line item. There is no limit to how much groups and individuals may raise by doing their Facebook fundraiser.
Get creative and start planning your Welcome Ride today!
Find more information about Welcome Ride HERE.
