GO2 Church Planting Ministries

Circle of Grace for Today - Reading, Pennsylvania

In 1733, the site of present day Reading was chosen. It was set at the intersection of two great valleys, the east Penn-Lebanon Valley and the Schuylkill river. This site was known as Finney's Ford until 1743 when Thomas Lawrence, a Penn Land agent, made the first attempt at the layout for Reading.

In 1748, the town was laid out by Thomas and Richard Penn, the sons of William Penn. The name was chosen after Penn's own county seat, Reading, in Berkshire, England. In 1752, Reading became the county seat of Berks county.

During the French and Indian war, Reading became a military base for a chain of forts along the Blue Mountains. The local iron industry, by the time of the Revolution had a total production that exceeded that of England, a production that would help supply Washington's troops with weapons including cannons, rifles and ammunition. During the early period of the war, Reading was again a depot for military supply. Hessian prisoners from the battle of Trenton were also detained here. Reading bore it's appropriate burden during many wars including the Civil War and World War II.

The Early part of the 19th century witnessed the great turnpike and canal era, succeeded by the building of the Reading Railroad, radiating in all directions from the City of Reading. The construction of the railroad was probably the single greatest factor in the development of Berks county.

Agriculture is an important industry in Berks County...the largest and finest farms are in the southern part of the county. Berks ranks 3rd among all Pennsylvania counties in cash receipts from agriculture which total $73.9 million. Income derived from dairy production is $29.3 million; field and forage crops $25.7 million; poultry $10.2 million and meat animals $8.7 million.

Today, Reading is a city pulsating with industrial life. It is also well equipped with agencies that represent civilization at it's best-churches, hospitals, clubs, fraternal societies, recreational centers. schools and colleges, a historical society, an art institute as well as a daily newspaper. Reading claims the distinction of a symphony orchestra, two choral societies, a chamber musical ensemble, a civic opera company and many other excellent music groups that have contributed to the city's prestige as a center of art and culture.

Courtesy of the Reading & Berks Visitors Bureau. Additional information can be found at the Berks Historical Society at http://www.berkshistory.org/museum The Society's 20,000 artifacts tell many stories behind the development of the county. Three levels of museum exhibits interpret our colorful history from the Conestoga Wagon to the 1902 Duryea to toys, crafts, fine arts, all related to our social history. Here you can truly find your past. The Historical Society is located at 940 Centre Avenue. Like most cities the economy in Reading is suffering and many jobs have been lost. Please pray for this great Pennsylvania city and circle of Grace, adopted by our partner church Gateway Grace Community Church of Coatesville. Pastor - Mike Silliman.

GO2 Ministries and Grounds 4 Good form Strategic Alliance
Grounds 4 Good is a growing movement of social entrepreneurs making a difference in local and global communities. More than just a coffee company, Grounds 4 Good seeks to empower coffee drinkers to make an impact with every sip through their generous giveback program. With each purchase, Grounds 4 Good pays coffee farmers above Fair Trade prices, and gives a portion of the profits to a worthy cause.
One of these worthy causes is GO2 Ministries. Grounds 4 Good and GO2 Ministries recently announced a partnership which will serve as a mechanism to turn coffee consumption into fuel for ministry. “We believe this partnership with GO2 Ministries is a chance to change the way we think as a church and as consumers. By making thoughtful choices about the products we consume, we have the power to harness our resources to power ministry and social justice, and drink excellent coffee. It’s a win-win. This is part of a growing movement to use our American consumption for good.” says Katherine Meese, Chief Operations Officer of Grounds 4 Good.
Grounds 4 Good works directly with Bolaven Farms in Laos, using organic farming methods to help farmers fight their way out of poverty. When the French colonists inhabited the area, they believed Laos to produce the finest coffee in the world. Decades of conflict left the industry in ruins and the farms in disrepair. Through the efforts of Bolaven Farms, many are finding hope in their soil as they fight their way out of poverty while producing fantastic coffee.
Laotian Arabica is finally regaining the recognition it deserves. Recently, Laotian Arabica was judged one of the 12 best coffees in the world by tasters at the prestigious CIRAD coffee research institute in Montpellier, France.
Curious? You can learn more about the work GO2 Ministries is doing at www.go2ministries.com . Support them by ordering coffee online at www.grounds4good.com .

Become a Springboard Church. Join a network of 1,765 churches praying for a targeted area of America. Partner with GO2 to start and establish two new churches in the circle over the next decade. Join the prayer movement at www.go2ministries.com/pray