CARIBBEAN WORKERS OUTREACH PROGRAMME (C.W.O.P.)

Come, sing, and praise the Lord!

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The Caribbean Workers Outreach Programme (C.W.O.P.) is jointly sponsored by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands and the United Church of Canada. It is a project of the Niagara Presbytery in co-operation with other denominations in the Niagara Region. C.W.O.P. provides:

• worship service on Sunday evenings,
• social and recreational activities,
• support, friendship and fellowship, and
• ministers from Jamaica to visit farms in the evenings to offer friendship, counsel and lead in worship.

Mission Goals:

1. To reach out to Caribbean agricultural workers in Niagara by providing pastoral care, worship, friendship and social events.
2. To involve local churches in acts of friendship with the Caribbean workers in our community.
3. To involve Caribbean workers and our church volunteers in the worship and witness of the Christian church.
4. To involve Caribbean workers in planning social and recreational events that foster friendship and open the door to share the Christian faith.
5. To build bridges of understanding between Canadian and Caribbean cultures.
6. To seek the support and participation of sister denominations in Niagara in this Outreach ministry.
7. To develop a model for church partners in mission with one another.

What people are saying about C.W.O.P.:

• "CWOP-Niagara has been on the go for a long time. We are a Christ centred team who bring assistance to Jamaican agricultural workers in Canada. We are involved in ministry outreach - from providing lively church services, assistance with personal problems, as well as addressing justice issues and material needs. We are always welcoming of new helpers, and we are constantly on the search for innovative ways to assist our Jamaican friends. Please join us!" - Rev. Dr. Robert Rennie (CWOP Chairperson)
• "CWOP is a support network of inspiration and caring for our Jamaican workers…" - Sunnydale Farms, Jordan Station
• "In bringing over ministers from Jamaica, the program helps comfort these men who are away from home for so long…" - John Thwaites, Grower, Niagara-on-the-Lake
• "Each year I go to the Niagara Region to work on the fruit farms. It is hard to leave my wife and church for several months, but I have to earn a living. This is one way I can do it. One day a man names Jim came to the farm where I live and work in the summer. He told me about a project his church was involved in to help me and my Jamaican co-workers. He picked me up on Sunday and took me to an evening worship service. What a joy it was to see my friends from Jamaica there and especially a pastor from the United Church in Jamaica. How we enjoyed the hymns and choruses we all knew from back home. We heard encouraging words of the gospel from the pastor. After the service, the church provided refreshments. We even got to take leftovers home to help with our meals through the week…" - Joseph (an agricultural worker from Jamaica)

Items Needed:

C.W.O.P. is looking for adult bicycles for the workers to use as transportation. If you have a bike you can donate to this programme, please bring it to the church or talk to Rev. Bob (see contact information at the bottom of this page).