As promised in my post, Go Outside the Walls, I will be sharing with you some of the different outreach projects our church does. Hopefully ideas can be taken from these ideas to form similar, or even completely different programs in your local churches. Over a period of a little less than two years, we have developed a program called “Bumper Bag Sundays.” It is still evolving. This began as a plea to church members to bring in groceries to share with those in need, and was very random. We decided to target one Sunday a month to ask people to buy extra groceries when they went to the store, and bring them in to church.. For convenience sake, it was suggested each family leave their groceries at the bumper of their car. After the service started, pickups would go through the parking lot to collect the groceries.
A team of volunteers then divides everything up into bins labeled cereal, can vegetables, can meat, baby food, pasta, etc. Tables are set up in one area of the parking lot to welcome those in need. People come from the community as well as just our congregation now. They are first met by a welcome team who takes down their info and gives them bags. They then go to tables where a volunteer helps them choose what they want. Depending on how much is donated, they are permitted to take one to three of each item.
At the end is a prayer tent where volunteers are available to pray with any that have a need. The exciting part is that in the last few months, we have had people accept the Lord every time.
When they have their groceries, they precede to the barbeque lines and his part has only begun a few months ago. Volunteers grill hotdogs and hamburgers and the people, along with heir families, are welcome to sit and eat at one of the tables. Volunteers mingle and get to know them. Every month a different theme is suggested as to what items to bring. It may be fresh vegetables, fruits, toiletry items, etc.
Being in Southern California, we can operate year round outside. Tents are erected to protect us from the sun and, rarely, the rain. This ministry began as a way to help the single moms in our congregation but has grown to encompass all families in need, both in our congregation and from the community What began as a desire to have a few food items at the office available for those in need, has turned into a wonderful ministry where people are welcomed, given food, fed a hot meal, and made to feel special. Of
course, the best part is those times when the recipients are led to the Lord.
The Church Serving the Community 2: House to Home
Be A Blessing / Outreach to Women