New Around the Mission

First Saturdays at Christ Church Anglican Inspires Action

July 19, 2010

Last week Lainie slid another white envelope loaded with coins into the offering plate, just like the past several Sundays. Now the envelope is flat. Lainie wants to give the twenty dollar bill tucked inside — a gift for her eighth birthday — to help others. She looks forward to reaching out personally next Saturday.

Lainie’s family is a part of First Saturdays, a new outreach program at Christ Church Anglican in Overland Park, Kansas. Each month the people at Christ Church reach out to serve their community through local mission partnerships.

A group blesses the community on First Saturdays.

The Hope Faith Ministries team Lainie is a part of serves up breakfast then helps homeless clients pick out clothes and supplies to live on the streets for one week. Other team members assist in a handyman or clean-up projects for a local urban youth facility designed and in personal homes of local residents.

“So far, most of our [First Saturdays’] participants have been families with children,” reports Sarah Schultz, Director of Outreach. “It gives them a chance to do something together that is outward focused.”

The concept for First Saturdays came from a city-wide event called, What if the Church? Christ Church Anglican joined twenty-three area churches for three weeks of concentrated outreach. During this time, congregations even swapped pastors in the pulpit to get to know one another and bring the community together.

“Usually a core group of people in the church volunteer for most ministry opportunities, but this gives a whole new group of people — like little Lainie — an opportunity to step in,” said Sarah.

Watch First Saturdays video here.

Send us your community outreach story here.

Posted By: Cynthia P. Brust
Categories: Faith in Action