Outreach Team

ST. JOHN’S UCC: HOW TO HELP SUPPORT OUTREACH HUMANITARIAN WORK IN THE UKRAINE

 

Folks have expressed interest in supporting the humanitarian work being done in Ukraine and neighboring countries as refugees seek safety.  Contributions can be made by check payable to St. John’s UCC, note Ukraine Relief in the memo section.  In addition to contributing to the relief fund through the UCC and our global mission partners, contributions may be made through the following verified organizations aiding Ukraine:

 
Global Empowerment Mission @
www.globalempowermentmission.org
 
World Central Kitchen @
www.WCK.org
 
Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund 2 @
www.globalgiving.org
 
International Rescue Committee @
www.rescue.org
 
Razom for Ukraine @
www.razomforukraine.org
 
Save the Children @
www.savethechildren.org
 
International Rescue Committee @
www.icrc.org
 
Internation Medical Corps @
www.international medicalcorps.org
 
Additional Organizations:

 

 

ABOUT ST. JOHN’S OUTREACH TEAM

 

The focus of Mission at John’s UCC is to reach beyond the walls of the church, locally and globally. We respond to Christ’s call to “care for my people” by linking gifts of money, time and talents to the needs of God’s world. We strive to balance local and global mission support, placing emphasis on organizations with active church member involvement.  

 

St. John’s Outreach Team does not meet in person, but they  communicate by email to carry out their projects.  Contact information:  Pat Rieker pkrieker@verizon.net  215.368.0854 or Nicole Groff nic@groffiti.com 215.368.3919.  You are welcome to join the team!

 

OUR MISSION:  To coordinate and communicate opportunities for the congregation to answer God’s call to all to provide service to others.   

 

 

Our Mission Outreach Team bulletin board provides information and letters from those we support in mission outreach – located in the hallway by the Library & Pastor Addie’s office. Volunteerism is a source of our strength and, as such, we encourage hands-on participation by all members of the congregation, so they can experience the joy of helping others in need.

 

ST. JOHN’S OUTREACH TEAM ONGOING PROJECTS

 

Child Sponsorship The outreach team coordinates and collects funds to sponsor children in foreign countries.  Our current children include Alyanna Jean in the Philippines, Yashi Chhoten in India, Isaya Mashava in Zimbabwe & Dilibabu in South India. We also collect funds for the programs of the children and youth at Urban Promise in Camden, NJ. The photo below is our annual ‘Change for the Children’ collection for our Child Sponsorship program September 11, 2022.

 

 

Church World Service – The outreach team supports Church World Service projects:

 

  • CROP Hunger Walk – St. John’s participates each October in this annual community walk which begins & ends at Trinity Lutheran Church, Main St; in Lansdale. Watch for information this September for the October walk. We help recruit walkers and sponsors for the annual October walk to stop hunger – see our Mission Partners web page for details.
  • Relief Kits – assemble hygiene kits, school kits, emergency clean-up buckets
  • Mission Trip – mission trip to work at Church World Service warehouse and SERRV distribution center in New Windsor, MD
  • Blanket Sunday – promote annual offering – see our Mission Partners web page for details.

 

  • Collections for homeless individuals (warm clothes, and COVID Care packages).

 

  • Feed My Starving Children – A one day project each year  to assemble meal packets with other local volunteer groups, held at Delaware Valley University in Doylestown.  All volunteers are welcome to participate.  https://www.fmsc.org/  

 

Manna on Main Street  weekly deliveries of food donations to the local food pantry. (More about Manna on Main Street on our Mission Partners page.)  We also participate in Manna’s ‘Hope for the Holidays’ program in November (for Christmas). 

 

St. John’s Helping Hands  Volunteers provide rides and meals to church members on an “as needs” basis. Contact Karen Filson through the church office at 215-855-5489.

 

Special Funding – GEM Fund, Good Samaritan Fund, Emergency Fund – The Good Samaritan Fund & Emergency Fund are the same fund. There is usually under $1000 in the fund. The fund is used to help folks with immediate needs, such as payment of an electric bill, oil bill, medical bill, etc. The maximum for any one payment is about $200, and is paid directly to the collector of the bill (such as, the electric company). Payments are made at the discretion of the pastors. The church always verifies the amount due with the collector.  Donations from the GEM (Going the Extra Mile) Fund are usually made to organizations, and not to individuals. Occasionally, however, this fund may be used to help a single family. Small amounts may be given at the pastors’ discretion, but larger amounts are submitted for council approval.

 

Warming Tree – This project each November collects gloves, mittens, winter caps and scarves for UrbanPromise, a youth activity center in Camden, NJ.  Donations are brought to church and hung on a Christmas tree in the Narthex, then given to UrbanPromise on White Gift Sunday to distribute.

 

WORM Project – This project collects empty medicine bottles to reuse in countries around the world where new bottles are not available.  Right now they have enough bottles, so we are not collecting at this time.

 

 

St. John’s has a long history of mission work from our earliest years in the late 1800’s.  For many years in the 1950’s era the Social Services department of our Women’s Guild met each Wednesday to sew for Elm Terrace Hospital, Needlework Guild, Wyncote Home and Bethany Home. Our tradition continues – please see our “Mission Partners” page for organizations we support today.

 

 

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12 (NRSV)

 

Our St. John’s Mission Statement: “As a community of learners and seekers, created in God’s image and called to follow Christ, we the members of St. John’s United Church of Christ: honor our past while looking to the future with hope and living fully in the present; commit ourselves to proclaiming the Good News of Christ through our words and actions, both within this faith community and beyond; seek to reach out to persons from all walks of life, affirming and celebrating diversity as one of God’s finest gifts. as we journey together, we seek to be responsible stewards of God’s creation, keenly aware of our connections to one another and convinced of the grace, mercy and justice of a gentle loving God.”

 

Find out more about how our United Church of Christ provides disaster relief around the globe and how you can help:   Click to Connect with the UCC Disaster Ministries webpage