Because of the hard work of our First Church staff and some amazing volunteers, our church has been able to help so much in so many different ways since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak.
Our CCM team led by Rev. Phyllis Barren and Director of Welcoming Ministries Lisa Helm have continued to coordinate calls to our First Church family members who are older, more at-risk, and therefore may feel especially isolated during this time of social distancing. If you would like to become part of this caring ministry, please contact either Lisa (lhelm@myfumc.org ) or Phyllis (pbarren@myfumc.org) and they’ll be happy to include you in this meaningful work.
As we’ve leveraged technology to create a digital campus filled with worship, learning, prayer, and other opportunities, we’ve also been very focused on no-member-left-behind due to technology challenges. while we know this is not always possible, many have learned new ways to connect (the Loyalty Sunday school class had 76 people in their last Sunday School Zoom meeting!) with the help of dedicated volunteers Chuck Menke, our communications team members, and others who have stepped up to provide “tech support and teaching in this trying time. (Contact Phyllis and Lisa if you need help in this are and they’ll connect you to the help you’re looking for!)
And, for those who prefer to stay offline, we have expanded our “print and mail” offering and continue to invite you to sign up for our print Weekly News list by calling Pat Hayward at 817-475-1813.
Mission “Scavengers” Unite Around Changing Needs
When emails go out each week to announce the First Street Methodist Mission’s most current and pressing needs, First Church responds! Going from a desperate shortage of infant formula and baby care needs to a well-stocked pantry, from need for bread and peanut butter for sandwiches, and cash donations to support escalating grocery needs, our scavenger hunt heroes have shopped, dropped and bankrolled the Missions escalated response to the hunger and needs in our community and First Street Mission friends.
Keep an eye on these weekly emails and as you shop for your own family, remember to toss a few of these weekly items in your basket for our friends at the Mission; drop them off at the Henderson doors Monday through Thursday between 8:00 am and 1:00 pm.
1200 Sandwiches, meals for social workers — and more!
A few weeks ago, Charme Robarts, FUMCFW Community Advocate, told us about a need for making 300 sandwiches each day for people who are living at the Presbyterian Night Shelter. So far, Charme updates us, “Volunteers from First Church have made more than 1200 sandwiches for the Presbyterian night shelter in the past 2-3 weeks. Kudos for all the shopping, making, and wrapping that went into to this! Way to go First Church family!”
In addition to providing sandwiches to the PNS, Charme says that our FUMCFW DiscipleChurch Breakfast Team and the First Street Mission have continued to provide meals for the social workers at the Convention Center overflow shelter. These meals are purchased (per-protocol from the city) and delivered a couple of times per week. If you’d like to help wit this new endeavor, sign up here for more specific instructions.
This week Charme alerts us to a new and urgent need in our community: homemade meals for Samaritan House. (Find out more about Samaritan House and the work they do here; our church actually had a hand in starting this organization years ago!)
For those interested in helping to provide these meals, Samaritan House needs a total of 45 meals for individual residents on designated nights. Charme encourages First Church individuals, Sunday School classes, Grace Groups, and other groups to organize their groups to make 5 or 10 homemade, individually packaged meals for the Samaritan House residents.
“The meals don’t need to be fancy or store-bought,” Charme adds. “Just make and package them with care and love and I will organize delivery. We really appreciate our FUMCFW family for helping us make sure these friends get fed.”
If you want more information on how you can help make sandwiches, feed social workers, or make home-made meals for Samaritan House, please email Charme at crobarts@myfumc.org.
Thank you, First Church family, for all you’ve done, and for all that’s to come. Let’s continue to do what we do best — “Love God. Serve People. and Transform Lives.” by helping others in need with these caring ministries.
