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Friends,
Mother Teresa once said, "It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you..." There are several opportunities listed below to do just that this month, and I hope you'll find some that interest you.
My wish for you this Advent season is that you experience the love of Jesus, who gave everything he had for us, and find ways to share it with others.
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Church in the City: Homelessness
December 3, 9:45 - 10:45 a.m., Chapel/Chapel Annex
Join us for our bi-monthly Church in the City series where we bring together local experts to learn about issues facing our city, and as Christians how we can respond. In December we'll hear how we can come alongside our neighbors who are experiencing homelessness. Come learn about the scope of the problem in Raleigh, how the community is addressing it, what it's like to be homeless, how our church helps and what we as Christians can do to share Christ's love with people experiencing homelessness.
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No Room in the Inn
Family Promise Lunch & Learn
December 3, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m., Chapel Annex
As part of a network of churches called Family Promise, we welcome families who are temporarily experiencing homelessness, and provide housing and meals on the third floor of our original campus for a week at a time, four-five times a year.
You are invited to learn more about these efforts, and our church's commitment to families experiencing homelessness over lunch.
Register here.
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Rise Against Hunger Advent Packing Event
60,000 Meals in 4 Hours!
December 16, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. or 1:00 - 3:00 p.m., Bulla Youth Bldg
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Angel Tree - Conn Elementary & Prison MATCH
Our Angel trees are up! Help make Christmas special for kids whose families struggle to provide during the holidays. Angels for children whose mothers are incarcerated went up a couple of weeks ago, and are due Sunday Dec. 3. Wishes for children at Conn Elementary are up on the tree in Kerr Hall lobby, and are due by 12/12. Instructions can be found on the back of the tags.
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Donation Opportunities
Bring Diapers to Breakfast with Mary & Joseph
Dec. 2, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m., Kerr Hall
Have a preschooler? Come have a light breakfast, make crafts and sing Christmas songs. Bring diapers for the Diaper Train, which serves more than 800 children a month.
Bring Canned Goods to the Messiah Sing-in
Dec. 8, 8:00 p.m., Sanctuary
An orchestra and soloists lead, as the audience is the chorus for this joyful community event. As part of the evening, canned goods are collected for the Urban Ministries food pantry.
Help Stock the Food Pantry
All Month
Help with our monthly food drive, which goes to the Urban Ministries food pantry. Non-perishable food items can be dropped off in the collection bins are near the first floor reception area.
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Help our Hungry Neighbors During the Holidays
There are lots of ways to help our neighbors facing hunger in December.
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Christmas Eve Offering for Doorstep Ministry
Many families in Wake County will neither give nor receive any gifts this holiday season, due to every cent needing to go towards rent and household bills. Even then, there isn't enough for many folks to cover all their expenses. That's why ESUMC's Doorstep Ministry exists, to help such families. Throughout the year, we offer financial assistance for rent, water, power, and household gas. Doing so helps prevent homelessness, and allows people to more easily purchase food and medicines that they may not otherwise be able to afford.
On Christmas Eve, we will be collecting a special offering at all of our services to fund the Doorstep Ministry for 2018. Please give generously to support this vital ministry.
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Help One Now Haiti Trip
February 16 - 20, 2018
Due to Hurricane Maria,
a team from The Gathering had to reschedule their
Help One Now
learning journey to Haiti. The new dates are 2/16-20, and we have room for three more people! Help One Now is a Raleigh based global non-profit committed to empowering and resourcing high-capacity local leaders who care for orphans and vulnerable children in order to transform communities and break the cycle of extreme poverty. We hope you will prayerfully consider joining this trip. For more details,
contact Renae.
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Ongoing Opportunities
Looking for ongoing opportunities to serve? Here are a few ways to get involved on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis:
Reading Buddies Needed
30 minutes, once a week during school hours at Hunter or Conn Elementary Schools.
Email Renae.
Neighbor to Neighbor
Any day Monday - Thursday, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m., or 5:45- 6:45 p.m., spend time with a student working on math or reading.
Learn more.
Loads of Love
Tuesdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m., weekly teams provide one free wash & dry to people in need, serve weekly or monthly.
Email Dawn
Disaster Response Trips
Ongoing day trips to work on Hurricane Matthew damage.
Contact Suzanne. To sign-up for a potential trip to help with relief for areas impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria,
email Renae.
Ruth Sheets Center
Spend time with older adults in ESUMC's adult day center. Choose a weekday, 2:00 - 5:30 p.m.
Email Matt.
Prayer Shawl Ministry
Knit or crochet lap blankets for people who are sick or homebound.
Email Diane.
Meals on Wheels
Deliver meals to people who are homebound. Mon. - Fri., daily, weekly or monthly opportunities.
Learn more
Missional Communities
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Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand - shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven."
Matthew 5:14-16, The Message
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