Outreach / Mission
Here at First UMC, we try to be Christ's servants, striving to do as Jesus commands in Mark 12:30-31, to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ and ...‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
We are involved in many outreach projects right here in our neighborhood and throughout the world.
New Ministry to at First UMC - The Personal Care Cupboard Will Assist People with Non-food Needs
One of the primary responsibilities of any church is to care for people. Jesus shares with the people in Matthew 25 about caring for others and ends it with, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Mat. 25:40). In fulfilling this mandate from Jesus, and in keeping with our church motto that First UMC is “A Church of Servant’s Serving Christ” we have found a niche that is not being met in Siouxland.
Many of you have heard of food pantries (and we give regularly to the Salvation Army Food Pantry) but what is often left out are the non-food items that people need. Yes, food pantries may stock some of these items but The Personal Care Cupboard will be stocked with items that a person or family cannot get on food stamps or WIC. This includes such items as toothbrushes and toothpaste, shampoo, soap, toilet paper, personal hygiene, laundry detergent, and other non-food items that people need.
The Personal Care Cupboard is located on the east side of the original church building and is handicap accessible.
* When is it open? It is open 2 days a week (Wednesdays from 5-6 pm and Thursdays from 2-3 pm).
* Who can use The Cupboard? Anyone with a picture ID, and they can make use of this service only once every 6 months.
* Who will assist people as they come in? Volunteers (maybe even you!)
Have an Hour to Volunteer in the Coming Weeks? The Personal Care Cupboard Can Use You.
Hours: Wednesdays, 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Thursdays, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
The duty of the volunteer is to check the person’s ID who wants assistance with a list of
those we have previously helped. If we have not helped them, then you fill out a simple
information card with the information from their ID. Then, Judy Wanned, or another
volunteer, helps the person get up to 6 items from The Cupboard area.
Please pray about this situation and see if God is calling you to help out in some way with The Personal Care Cupboard. Call Judy Wanned at the church (258-0119) or send us
an e-mail (scfirst@msn.com) if you want more information or want to volunteer.
Cash donations are always accepted to purchase needed items for The Personal Care Cupboard.
Here is a list of the items we stock in The Personal Care Cupboard. Feel free to donate any of these items to
assist the families that us The Cupboard.
- Toilet Paper - Bath Soap - Body Wash -Shampoo - Household Cleaners
- Band-Aids - Toothbrushes -Toothpaste - Kleenex - Dish Soap
- Deodorant - Tampons - Diapers - Feminine Napkins
- Shaving Cream - Laundry Soap (powder only)
- Men’s and Women’s Disposable Razors
Hunt School Partnership - Hunt Elementary School is a public school one-hal
f block from the church. Fifty-percent of the children who attend Hunt get free lunches and 75% get free or reduced priced lunches. We are in parntership with Hunt School in helping to collect school supplies, clothing, shoes, learning activities, or whatever they need. About every month, we ask the people of the church for certain donations suggested by the faculty of Hunt. In addition to donating our money and our goods, many members volunteer at Hunt School as mentors or to do neeeded volunteer work at the school.
Shesler Hall - Shesler Hall is a haven for women with special needs. Shesler serves women who are recovering from mental illness, are mildly mentally challenged, who need inexpensive living quarters, or who need shelter because they are homeless. It is a community living environment that enables these women to experience independence. Shesler's program enhances the whole person: physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. There is no other home of its kind in the area. First UMC supports Shesler (which is only 6 blocks from the church) through donations of money, time, and goods. We also assist the residents through employment opportunities here at the church.
Hana's Hugs - We developed a ministry to collect new stuffed animals for children at St. Luke's Hospital after a child from our church, Hana K., was in the hospital in another city and received a free stuffed animal. She came to Pastor Roger and a new ministry was born for children in Siouxland. We collect new stuffed animals of any type and then donate them for the children going into the hospital for any procedure.
Siouxland Soup Kitchen - Quarterly during the year, we prepare and serve the evening meal at the Siouxland Soup Kitchen.
Change to Make a Change - Each month, the change in the offering plate is desiganted toward an outreach ministry here in Siouxland, all of which are included on this page plus many more including the Council on Sexual Assalt and Domestic Violence.
Habitat for Humanity - When needed, the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity contacts us for a workday to do what needs to be done on a house they are building. We have done everything from the basment up to the roof.
Crop Walk - We participate each October in the CROP Walk. Many of the ways a CROP Walker, or a sponsor, make a difference is with assistance to uprooted families throughout the world ... with water resources development efforts in needed areas ... with the more than 3,200 local food pantries, food banks, and meal sites in the United States, including right here in Sioux City. Through leading the walk to participating, First UMC has been an active part of this ministry for years.
Compassionate Friends - We work in cooperation with Compassionate Friends in their ministry to those who have lost a child to death.
Senior High Youth Work / Mission Trip - Our Senior HIgh youth spend a week in the summer on a trip to do ministry for others. This year (2010) they are going to Kansas City in June.
Hispanic Ministry - We are in the process of evaluating and working with the Hispanic population of Sioux City to meet their worshipping needs. If you would like to assist or have information for us, please contact Pastor Roger at the church.
Rainbow Covenant - We are proud to be a Rainbow Covenant church. To be designated a Rainbow Covenant church, a congregation must pay 100% of its apportionments (conference obligations) and also contribute to Advance Special projects in each of the seven bands of the rainbow "second-mile" giving. Each color of the rainbow represents a different aspect of mission:
Red - World Advance Special Projects
Orange - National Advance Special Projects
Yellow - UMCOR Advance Special Projects
Green - World Hunger/Poverty Projects (WHP)
Blue - Iowa Advance Special Projects
Indigo - Parish Development Projects
Purple - Special Sunday Offering Projects
UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) - Wherever there is a need, UMCOR is there to help provide relief. From Tsunami's to earthquakes to floods to famine, we as a local church take special offerings to aid others in need throughout the world. Click on the web link below to see what UMCOR is doing in the world today.
As Needed - This list is the beginning in how we are serving others in Christ's name. We pray the list keeps growing as we grow in our faith. If you have a special outreach or mission that is in your heart, bring it up to Pastor Roger and let's see where the Holy Spirit leads us.
