It does not hang on our building, nor can we send it through the mail. Our most powerful outreach tool is us. Yes, it is the members of our own congregation. However, like a racecar sitting in a garage, our “outreach power” is only useful if we put it into practice. Our challenge is to unleash our outreach power and reach our full potential in Christ, so we can effectively outreach to our community. The church, after all, is people – not a building or a corporate entity.  Simply put, Outreach is meeting the needs of our community and world while expressing God's love in ways that build relationship and provide opportunities to share God's plan of salvation.

 

Why do "we" at the 1st United Methodist Church do Outreach?

1. Outreach is important to our church because it is important to God and that makes it important to every Christian.

 

2. Outreach was commanded by Christ. Before His ascension, Jesus told the disciples that their impact on the world should start in their       city and expand its influence into the entire world (Matthew 28.19; Acts 1:8).

 

3. Outreach is necessary for growth. Worship, discipleship, and serving are important, but if you never progress to the next stage of             maturity by being involved in outreach, you will be spiritually lacking and incomplete. In life, organisms that cannot reproduce                 themselves are generally considered immature, unnatural, unhealthy, or damaged. If one is truly walking with God in discipleship,             worship, and service, then outreach will be a natural result. All living things have the ability to produce offspring like themselves. A           living church is reproducing, while a dying church has no heart or burden for the lost in their community, state, nation and world.

 

4. Outreach both glorifies and pleases God. The Bible tells us that doing God's work is like a tree bearing a lot of fruit. Jesus told us that       God is glorified when we bear fruit by reaching out to others (John 15:8; 1 Timothy 2:3-4).

 

5. Outreach models the life of Christ in meeting needs. Jesus taught us that serving others is the same as serving Christ himself                    (Matthew 25:31-46).

 

6. Outreach is needed for the survival of Christ's church. Outreach is to a church what birth is to humanity. Without the reproduction of         faith, the body of Christ would cease to exist (Luke 15:7).

 

7. Outreach is necessary to reach the world. Of the six billion people in our world, two billion live in unreached people groups with no           access to the good news about Christ. Two-thirds of the world's population are lost without Christ and will not know Him unless               Christians fulfill their obligation to go, tell and send (Matthew 28.19; Romans 10:14).

 

8. Outreach results in God's blessing and favor on your life. The Bible is very clear that God intends to bless those whose hearts are             focused on reaching out to lost and hurting people. God clearly affirms those who share His passion and heart for reaching out to those     who do not know Him (Genesis 12:1-3; Luke 6:38).

 

9. Outreach requires synergy. Loving our community and world will require individual and organizational cooperation. It calls each of us to     set aside our individual preferences and combine our time, talents, and treasures (Ecclesiastes 4:9).

 

Our Outreach Committee is comprised of five members. It is our prayer that we can add more. We have approximately 300 registered congregants in our Church. The intent is to put together an Outreach Committee of 300 members. We are very active with our Outreach Ministry and plan to get even more active.

 

List of Programs

 

Fishes and Loaves Food Pantry

Basin and Towel

Loving Hands Quilters

Lady Bugs Bible Study 

Community Service

School Supplies Collection

Thanksgiving Meals

Christmas Presents 

Christmas Meals

Easter Baskets

Prisoner Prayers

Blasewitz Study Group

Sister Church

Wreaths Across America

Capital District Days

Food Pantry

Rescue Mission of Trenton

Wacky Wednesday

Totally Thursday

Vacation Bible School

Camden Community Center

Emergency Response Team

A Future With Hope

Praise Team

Young Adult Coffee Houses

Youth Group

 

Life is not just about “me”. We are to go beyond ourselves to reach out to other people. To give comfort to those who are hurting, to give supplies to those who are needy, to give the Word of God to those who are without Him or desiring to know Him better. Jesus said that it is more blessed to give than receive. We never will know how blessed life really can be unless we reach out with the love of God to the world around us.

 

If you're interested in learning more or getting involved or have an idea for Outreach, contact George Weisgerber, Jr.