WEST FARMINGTON — Members of a small-town church are working to help people in other parts of the world through their mission work, which includes trips to Albania.

Farmington Community Church hosted a fundraiser to raise money to send three families of the church to do mission work in Albania.

Pastor Adam Rising said he has done mission work in Albania, traveling there three times. He also has done mission work in Thailand.

“I want to establish a missionary culture. For many small town churches, it is good to reach your community and elsewhere. We are a small church with 50 to 60 people but reach out to our community,” Rising said.

He said when he was in the military, he heard from a worship leader who told them of his work in Albania and how his whole family was able to go and help.

He said he and other servicemen raised $4,300 for the leader.

Rising said before he started at the Farmington Community Church in 2024, he was at another church where another missionary came to discuss Albania.

“We were already taking mission trips to Albania before we even came here. When my wife Tanya and I started here, we continued that mission. We wanted the mission work to become more community minded,” Rising said.

He said plans are to send three families from the church, including his own, to Albania in 2026.

“My family and two other families with kids are planning to go,” Rising said.

Albania is located near Italy and Greece and has a Mediterranean culture.

Paul “Tap” Ware, pastor of Restoration Chapel in Burton and a guest speaker at the event, said he feels events such as the mission fundraiser are good for the community.

“We want to get out the message that we can find hope in Jesus. It shows we are not staying inside a building but opening up to be part of the community and sharing. This church may be located in Farmington, but the reach is global,” Ware said.

The fundraiser included food, entertainment, children’s activities, prayers and various vendors.

Church members Georgene Svoboda and Donna Edwards, both of West Farmington, said the event was ideal to bring out people of all ages.

“I have always felt bringing the community together is what is the most important and our church is able to do that with events like this,” Svoboda said.

Mary Cooper of Ashland said she enjoyed the event, noting the church members have really reached out to help others both locally and in other parts of the world.

“I want these families to be able to go on this trip. They have gifts to help plant the seed through prayer and love of Christ,” Cooper said.