The
book of Discipline says, The Outreach
ministries shall give attention to the local and larger community ministries of
compassion and advocacy, church and societal issues, global ministries
concerns, health and welfare ministries, Christian unity, and interreligious
concerns, religion and race, and status and role of women.
We
are called, as Christians, to share God’s blessing with others. When we do this
inside the church family it is called nurture, when we do it in the community, at
state, national and international levels it is called outreach. The outreach
committee begins by asking social services, school nurse, fire chief, police
chief, senior citizen’s director, health department, and others in
knowledgeable positions, “Who are the people in need in our community? What do
they need? How can the church help?” Being a small church we may not be able to
do it all, but we can do something.
John
Wesley believed the world was his parish. One of the ways we do outreach
without realizing it, is by paying our apportionments. These moneys help local
outreach ministries in all 50 states and 108 different countries.
Here are some examples of
outreach ministries:
arranging
child care for mothers in your community who are trying to finish high school
funeral dinners for families of non-members
volunteer
to deliver meals-on-wheels
emergency
financial aid: utilities, food, clothing, shelter, medicine
doing
errands for older people
serving
as hospice volunteer
serving
as emergency medical technician or volunteer firefighter
organizing
or helping in a thrift store or food pantry
cooking
dinner for homeless or lonely
having
a fund-raiser for world hunger
special
offerings for victims of natural disasters
contribute
to General Advance Special mission projects
donating
time and seed and teach people in low income households about gardening.
Work
camps to improve substandard housing or help with Habitat for Humanity
Tutoring
school children
Recycle
with proceeds going to outreach program
These
are just a few ways in which to be in ministry in our community and world. With
our God-given creativity, we will find other avenues to show people that as
surely as God loves them we do also.
We
on the outreach committee realize we can’t do all there is to be done, but we
can match our gifts, talents, abilities and experiences with the areas of need
where we think we can make a contribution. With God’s help and a desire to
please God, we can make a difference. Outreach prepares people hearts to
receive the good news of the Gospel. If we really love them we will be
concerned about their physical welfare as well as their spiritual welfare.
Outreach deals with the physical; evangelism speaks to the spiritual well being
of our neighbors.