5240 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19139
215-474-1738
“When the church does what it does, it does it according to our character – our love. If not, we are sounding brass or a clanging cymbal” – Rev. Steven Lawrence
Through our community ministries, we reach out to people around us to share the love and care that Jesus demonstrated in his ministry and that God has given us through Jesus.
The Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) is a six-week summer program for children ages 3-15. We engage children in creative academics and activities that make learning fun. It is a free program which provides nutritious breakfast & lunch (USDA funded), plus stimulating educational and social enrichment classes. Since the program’s inception, we have served over 350 children from West Philadelphia and vicinity. We customize the learning environment to meet the needs of the child and create a positive learning and social experience.
Academic subjects covered include age-appropriate Math, Science, Reading, English Literature, and Social Studies. Other special activities include Computer skills, Horticulture, Art and Crafts, Drama, Basketball, Swimming and Educational Field Trips.
Our program is supported by White Rock volunteers, experienced educators, and retired professionals. The staff strives to include an array of effective teaching strategies and a variety of modalities to promote age-appropriate, adult-mediated and peer-mediated academic learning and positive social interactions. It’s a wonderful environment for learning!
Hunger and food insecurity is a continuing concern in Philadelphia. During the pandemic the needs of people in our community have become even more severe. For White Rock, one of the ways we show the love of Jesus is to provide food for people who need it. We invite you to join us in our efforts to follow Jesus’ example of showing love by meeting the needs of people around us. We currently have 3 different programs providing food to people who need it in our community.
Food Pantry – White Rock provides a weekly food pantry. White Rock members gather the food from across Philadelphia and organize it for distribution. People from our West Philadelphia community can come and receive an assortment of fruit, fresh vegetables and non-perishable food to help meet their needs. The pantry is open to the community on Tuesday mornings. If you are interested in helping with this effort please call our church office.
Serve-N-Go Meals Ministry – White Rock partners with the Archdioceses of Philadelphia to distribute breakfast and lunch boxes plus milk and fruit, for children 18 and under who are out of school and thus not receiving meals at school. This federally funded program operates under USDA regulations. Each 7 day Meal Kit includes nutritious breakfast and lunch meals covering the entire week.
Philadelphia Sherriff’s Office and White Rock Food Giveaway - In February 2021 White Rock partnered with the Philadelphia Sherriff’s Office to provide 25 pound boxes of food to people who needed it. We distributed more than 500 boxes of food during a 4 hour drive-up/walk-up event.
The goal of our Girl Scout program is to build girls that are courageous and strong, and have respect for others. Girls work to prepare themselves for future leadership experience. Our Girl Scouts are exposed to modern “STEM” programs and are involved in many community projects. Our leaders are dedicated and experienced volunteers. We engage girls ages 5-18 in age appropriate groups that include Daises thru Ambassadors. All Girl Scout groups meet on Saturday at 9:30- 11:00a.m.
We invite Girls age 5-18 to become part of our program. Meetings are held in the White Rock Community Services building 3rd floor.
Troop 16 meets each Saturday at 10 a.m. in the church fellowship hall. The troop is one of the leading scout troops in the city of Philadelphia and has produced an impressive number of Eagle Scouts. Over the last year, the troop has participated in a number of trips including a weekend ski trip to the Pocono mountains, the Scout spring “Camporee” in Maryland and trips to the Baltimore Harbor, the Franklin Institute Science Museum and New York City. Other activities include an annual Father & Son basketball game, and the annual banquet where scouts receive merit badges and rank advances.
Cub Scout Pack & Webelos Pack 16 is one of the largest Cub Packs in the district. One of their special annual events is the Blue and Gold banquet.
The Lucy A. Johnson Memorial Library Learning Resource Center is located on the third floor of our Community Services building. It houses an extensive collection of black culture and spiritual books for children, youth and adults. The center is more than a repository of books and resource materials. It also serves as a unique setting for thought provoking book discussions, insightful dialogues, craft workshops and black history events. The dedicated and innovative committee members take JOY in planning, developing and implementing activities that promote educational, cultural, and spiritual growth for church and community members.
