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Outreach Missions of the People of University Baptist Church 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. English as a Second Language (Judy Buckner) Food Pantry (Terry Gilead) Congregations United for Community Empowerment (CUCE) (John Burns) Angel to Angel (Lasheema Watson) Warm Nights (Kenny Swift) Mission Offerings Community Cafe (John Kohl) St. Elizabeth's Hospital Outreach (Betty Thompson) College Outreach (Sara Stout and Ravi Amin) Share Food Distribution (Sharon and Sue Scott) Special Events (Caroline Barnard) Super Bowl Offering (Sue Scott) Youth Passport Mission Camp (Youth Leadership Team) Rice Bowls for Hunger Vacation Bible School English as a Second Language (Judy Buckner) English classes are held on Thursday evenings. They are held throughout the year to help those new to the culture become more comfortable in our community. 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 Community Empowerment (CUCE) (John Burns) 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, housed in UBC, is open three days a week for three hours each day. Services rendered help clients avoid evictions, continue to have utilities, obtain medications as well as other necessities for a quality life. 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 (Kenny Swift) 2008 Dates: March 23 through March 30 READ MORE! 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 (John Kohl) 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. St. Elizabeth's Hospital Outreach (Betty Thompson) Several congregants of UBC lead a worship service with mentally challenged residents of the hospital the third Sunday of each month. Our church volunteers pick up the clients from their wards for an 8:00 a.m. to noon service and then furnish a coffee hour. College Outreach (Sara Stout and Ravi Amin) 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 (Sharon and Sue Scott) 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. Special Events (Caroline Barnard) At UBC, there is always the opportunity to serve various communities for God. Recently, as Liberians suffer through civil unrest, a concert was held at the church to raise funds for various needs in that country. The congregation also collected many boxes of school supplies to send to the African country. In April of 2007 the senior pastor traveled to New Orleans for a one week mission trip to help with rebuilding efforts following the hurricane in 2005. He began the preliminary conversations to have an adult mission trip to New Orleans by interested church members next year. Last year and again this year our teenagers will travel to New Orleans to work on rebuilding efforts as part of the Youth Passport Mission Camp. Super Bowl Offering (Sue Scott) 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 are part of the Youth Passport Mission Camp. 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. Warm Nights: March 23 - 30, 2008 Warm Nights. It's something we can take for granted. We go to our homes and turn the thermostat either up or down to make it comfortable in the winter months. But far too many people, young and old, do not have homes to go to. Their idea of a warm night can only be supplied with the help of others. This is where we at UBC can make a difference. Once again this year we will be welcoming those who ar eless fortunate to enjoy a week of Warm Nights. During the week of March 23 to March 30 we will be providing warm meals, a warm safe place to sleep, and breakfast to help them get their day started. UBC also will provide showers for our guests. In the past, UBC has responded with love and support that has, over the years, helped hundreds of people experience the love of God's children with their time and efforts. In the coming weeks the Ministry Commission will be asking for people to help us make this week a rewarding experience for both our guests and UBC. We will need people to help prepare meals, set up the dining hall, and be shower escorts. We especially need members to spend one night during the week. There are many ways in which members can help. the most important thing is that we at UBC want, for this one week, to show the love of God to those who may have not had anything to be thankful for, and for whom the light of God's love is dim. Let's shine God's light in our support and participation in Warm Nights. Your heart and spirit will be blessed. |
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