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Outreach Missions of the People of UBC |
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Responding to the Call of God through Missions, Ministry and Service The University Baptist Church family supports many different mission programs during the year. Listed below are many of the opportunities available to our community. Some of the programs involve financial support, such as mission offerings collected at Easter and Christmas, and others involve giving of time and talent, such as working in Vacation Bible School. Some are ongoing, year-round programs such as the Food Pantry, and others are held during a specific time of the year, such as Warm Nights. Below is a list of outreach mission opportunities currently supported at University Baptist Church along with the name of the church member who coordinates the program. Below the list is a description of each of the mission ministries. Warm Nights 2011 will be March 13 through March 20 at University Baptist Church. This is a big undertaking, and there are many volunteer opportunities for everyone . . . from providing bag lunches one of the days, to staying over one of the nights with our guests and cooking breakfast for them. Sponsored by the Community Ministry of Prince George's County, UBC's members have become very involved in a program that houses and feeds the homeless community in our church fellowship hall for one week during the winter months of the year. Church volunteers are coordinated into services of feeding, sleeping among and having conversations with the homeless population. The Penny Project (Curtis Ramsey-Lucas) Buck Lodge Middle School (Terry Gilead) English as a Second Language (Judy Buckner) Food Pantry (Terry Gilead) Congregations United for Compassion and Empowerment (CUCE) (Joan Mulligan) Angel to Angel (Lasheema Watson) Warm Nights (Karen Krueger) Mission Offerings Community Cafe (Ren and Basmat Parsad) College Outreach (Ravi Amin and Ronke Adeniji) Share Food Distribution (Liz and Max Young) Souper Bowl Offering (Craig Warner) Youth Passport Mission Camp (Youth Leadership Team) Rice Bowls for Hunger Vacation Bible School The Penny Project (Curtis Ramsey-Lucas) The Penny Project is sponsored by National Ministries and is a unique mission effort to raise money for and awareness of child poverty in the United States. UBC is actively supporting this ministry with members bringing not only pennies, but also "spare change" to church. All proceeds will be sent to National Ministries to help in this ministry. Read more about it on our home page. Buck Lodge Middle School Ministry (Terry Gilead) The church collects items needed by low income students at nearby Buck Lodge Middle School such as new school supplies, school uniforms and other necessities to help students succeed in school. English as a Second Language (Judy Buckner) English classes are held on Friday afternoon from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. They are held throughout the year to help those new to the culture become more comfortable in our community. This class is a conversational English class for women only. Interested persons should contact Dana Andre at fridayenglishclass@yahoo.com Food Pantry (Terry Gilead) The pantry serves as an extremely needed food resource in the College Park community. UBC's pantry, part of the Help By Phone food network in Prince George's County, is open two hours a day, Monday through Friday, and staffed by volunteers from our congregation. Congregations United For Compassion and Empowerment (CUCE) (Joan Mulligan) CUCE is an organization consisting of congregations in a sector of Prince George's County. These faith communities pool their resources to aid residents of the county through financial blessings. The office is open three days a week from 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., by appointment only. Services rendered help clients avoid evictions, continue to have utilities, obtain medications as well as other necessities for a quality life. To make an appointment call Rev. Gloria Grant at 301-277-8877. Angel to Angel (Lasheema Watson) Our church is a community that wishes to share the love of Christ, especially with the senior members who are no longer able to worship with us on Sundays. Volunteers, who have a special calling for senior adults, build a close and special relationship with the sick and homebound thorugh visits, cards and telephone calls. Warm Nights (Karen Krueger) Sponsored by the Community Ministry of Prince George's County, UBC's members have become very involved in a program that houses and feeds the homeless community in our church fellowship hall for one week during the winter months of the year. Church volunteers are coordinated into services of feeding, sleeping among and having conversations with the homeless population. Mission Offerings There are two major mission offerings collected during the year at UBC. The December offering is taken to be used by ministries around the world. Another offering is received during the Easter season and is distributed among mission endeavors here in the United States. The D.C. Baptist Convention, the Alliance of Baptists and the American Baptist Churches distribute the church's donated funds for the appropriate purposes. Community Cafe (Ren and Basmat Parsad) The cafe is a lunch program sponsored by Community Ministries of Prince George's County, and serves a hot meal to needed residents every day except Thursday. University Baptist Church serves the meal six times a year. The number of people fed daily can average as many as 100. College Outreach (Ravi Amin and Ronke Adeniji) During the month of September, the ministry commission reaches out to students at the University of Maryland, College Park. Flyers are placed in the community as well as on the campus. Welcome back bags filled with goodies and helpful school items are given to students attending worship during the month of September. A huge banner welcoming the entire college back for the new school year adorns the church lawn. Share Food Distribution (Liz and Max Young) Church members donate financial resources to accommodate as many as 65 families receiving food from a Catholic sponsored distribution center. Meat, fresh vegetables, fruits and desserts are bagged and distributed during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays to needy community families. Souper Bowl Offering (Craig Warner) The youth in our church are very involved in mission efforts. During the weeks prior to the annual Super Bowl our teenagers collect an offering for national hunger. Youth Passport Mission Camp Annually, our church youth travel to other cities to work with Christian young people from across the country on a coordinated mission project. Activities include ministry opportunities that greatly aid the local neighborhoods. The teens become involved in scraping and painting houses, clearing high grasses and bushes in fields, participating in arts and crafts endeavors with children in public housing, or working in nursing homes with senior citizens. UBC teens also have worship experiences, daily devotionals and many good times that focus only on teenagers. Their 2006 and 2007 trips to New Orleans were part of the Youth Passport Mission Camp. In 2008 the youth group went to Passport in Massachusetts. Rice Bowls for Hunger Rice Bowls are always available to raise money for mission efforts. A church member collects change over a period of time or gathers offerings quickly from family and friends. Vacation Bible School During one week in the summer, UBC reaches an average of 50 children. Youngsters (children of UBC and our surrounding community) participate in Bible study, worship, arts and crafts and musical experiences. Each year has a different theme. To learn more about any of these ministries, contact the person listed as the mission coordinator or call the church office weekdays at 301-422-1430. |
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