About the Church
The Rapture Church burned on September 7, 2000. This fire occurred just three days prior to the dedication service for the opening of the renovated building of the Rapture Church Center in Aberdeen, Maryland. This storefront building housed a vital street ministry to the homeless located on State Route #40. The church family had invested all of their resources into the renovation of the building which they were leasing. Consequently, they had no fire insurance. Their new kitchen and bathrooms, Bibles and hymnals were all lost.
The church is led by a young charismatic leader, Rev. Craig Hawthorn, and has a small but dedicated Christian church family, many of whom are people whose lives have themselves been transformed by Rev. Hawthorn’s ministry.
Two of the first people to respond to their plight were Janice and Woody Grant who offered free to the church two adjoining properties on Edmonds Street close to the original site. QWI contacted the pastor, visited the site, and then offered to assist them in their journey to rebuild.
Because this church had exhausted their resources, we are actively seeking material, cash, and in-kind donations that will be necessary for this church to rebuild. This winter we are presently running workcamps that are preparing the Grant house at 411 Edmonds St. to give the church a temporary place to worship and a center to house and feed volunteers. Then, in February, the Board approved six summer week-long workcamps. We are inviting volunteers from around the world to demolish the old house at 417 Edmonds to make the way for a small, new sanctuary. So far, we have been given the following gifts to supplement the gift of the Grant properties:
- A $5,000 grant from the Presbyterian Church USA to prepare the volunteer housing.
- An additional $500 gift from an individual donor.
- A grant application to the Boston Piano Religious Trust for their maximum grant of $500 for the church.
- 46 new power tools from the Methodist Church Volunteers in Mission.
- Free construction dumpster services on the part of Waste Management Company.
- Free hospitality for our winter volunteers by Adelphi Friends Meeting and Adelphi Presbyterian Church.
- Free lunches to our winter volunteers, 3 times a week, by McDonald’s Restaurant on Beard’s Hill Road in Aberdeen.
- Free architectural drawing support by Ben Van Dusen Co. of Washington, DC.
- Free legal assistance to the church by Martha Finlator.
We hope these expressions of love will prove to be contagious and that other people of God with the resources to help will send their donations, earmarked "Rapture Church Relief Fund," to QWI.
About the Workcamp
Volunteers will be needed weekly from July 14th through August 4th and August 11th through September 1st 2001. Our workcamps start Saturday afternoon for registration, orientation, and getting to know one another. On Sunday we worship with the church members and usually share a meal with them. Monday through Friday we work on the church. Following dinner we worship, sing and play as a community; non-work activities are planned with church members or by our staff. On Saturday, following our closing group worship and clean up, we go home and make way for a new group of volunteers arriving that afternoon.
Dates: Week long workcamps in the summer of 2001:
Sat, July 14-21,
Sat, July 21-28,
Sat, July 28-Aug. 4
Sat, Aug. 11-18
Sat, Aug. 18-25
Sat, Aug. 25-Sep. 1
We welcome international volunteers to stay for two to three weeks.
Work: Construction; renovation of an old house for volunteer housing and then the construction of a small sanctuary for the church. Work will be Monday through Friday for approximately 8 hours a day. The work is strenuous.
Accommodations: Bunk beds with linens and pillows provided. Accommodations are rustic. Treat it as a camping experience and you won’t be disappointed. Cook provided but volunteers are expected to help with preparation and clean-up. Our medical form (with dietary preferences) and discipline code can be downloaded from our website. Send in advance of arrival so we can plan the meals intelligently.
Required items: Work gloves and working shoes or boots are required. See the Workcamp FAQ for more things to bring.
Study Theme: Evening activities include get acquainted games, Bible study with church members, historical and contemporary burning of houses of worship as hate crimes and methods of political control. The response of people outraged by such hate crimes from Neamiah to you, today. We also plan to visit a burned church completely rebuilt by volunteers.
Leisure: Weekend field trips to museums and sports events. Group transportation and meals are covered for all volunteers. Soft drinks, film for your camera, postage, snacks can be purchased easily for $20 per week.
Other expectations: Every morning we share a quiet time for group meditation. We also worship with the family of the house of worship we are rebuilding. Volunteers not desiring such experiences should not apply. International volunteers must secure their own visas. Chores are required.
Address: See the map for directions to the camp. All mail should be sent to:
[Your name], c/o Rev Craig Hawthorne, P.O. Box 1031, Aberdeen, Maryland 21001, USA
Contacts: For emergencies only contact
- Quaker Workcamps International 1225 Geranium Street N.W. Washington, DC 20012
- (202) 722-1461 [Office]
- (202) 723-5376 [Fax ]
- (202)374-6255 [Director’s Mobile]
- hjconferqwi@netscape.net
Volunteers must purchase and use phone cards to call home or for long distance. There will not be a phone other than mobile phones on site.
Transportation: If you are coming by plane the closest international airport is Baltimore Washington International (BWI). Take shuttle bus to any motel in Silver Spring. Call workcamp HQ for pickup from hotel: (202) 722-1461 or (202) 374-6255. We will transport you to Aberdeen. Another nearby airport is Reagan National Airport. Board Metrorail there for train to Takoma Station [Red line]. Call workcamp HQ for pickup: (202) 722-1461 or (202) 374-6255. If you are coming by car see the map for directions.
Restrictions: Alcohol and smoking are not permitted on or off site. Volunteers are required to read, sign and abide by QWI personal discipline code.
Cost: Stateside volunteers pay $150 a week. We ask international volunteers $100 a week.
Age limitations: 17 year old individuals or older. In a group with adult leaders we will accept 9th graders.
Staff needed: If you would be interested in serving as Project Director, Volunteer Coordinator, cook or Friend in Residence, write or call QWI at the address below. (See Who's in charge? in the Workcamp FAQ.)
How to Apply
Check the list of dates above and choose a time you want to come. Then send the application forms along with the workcamp fee of $150 per person per week to:
Harold Confer, Project Director
Quaker Workcamps International
1225 Geranium St., NW
Washington, DC 20012
