OUTREACH
“’For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I
was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and
you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and
you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you
hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When
did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and
clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for
one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”
Matthew 25:35-40 (NIV)
Service
to the community is a vital expression of our faith. Accordingly our
members are engaged in a wide variety of ministries.
Interfaith
Hospitality Network (IHN)
This
ministry is family focused and serves 3-5 homeless families (no more
than 14 people) at any given time. A network of congregations, including
ours, provides shelter, meals, and fellowship to these families. The
mission of the organization is to mobilize volunteers in the faith community
to help homeless families achieve and sustain self-sufficiency and to
advocate for adequate housing and support services. The need for this
ministry continues to increase as current shelter capacity is limited
in the Orlando area and because many shelters require families to split-up.
IHN allows families to stay together and makes it easy for any faith
community to become a temporary shelter.
We are
in partnership with another congregation to assist in the following
ways:
- Set
up and take down sleeping accommodations
- Prepare
dinner and dining area for 20 guests/volunteers
- Lead
activities for children following dinner
- Spend
the night to be on hand in case of an emergency
- Prepare
breakfast for 20 guests/volunteers
- Wash
linens
- Drive
guests to church and Day Center
- Spend
time at the Day Center
- Coordinate
volunteers for any of the above areas
- Provide
financial donations or physical supplies like linens, toiletries,
toys, games, etc.
Pick one or two (or more) volunteer opportunities with which you and
your family can assist and notify our church of your interest in helping!
(If interested
in contributing to our local IHN network, send your check to Interfaith
Hospitality Network of Orange and Seminole Counties, 2313 1/2 N. Orange
Ave., Orlando, FL 32804.)
Boy
Scout Troop 23
Troop 23 has been sponsored by our church since 1952 and has reached
hundreds of boys and passed on to them the codes to live by, found in
the scouting program. In recent years, the troop membership has averaged
25 to 40 boys with roughly 13 adult leaders.
Central
Florida Blood Bank
Grace Covenant has a reserve account with the Central Florida Blood
Bank. Members may donate blood into this account by informing the bank
at the time of donation. If you need to use this supply, notify the
church and authorization will be given for the blood to be released
to you. The Big Red Bus comes to GCPC the first Sunday of every quarter.
Christmas Gift Alternatives
This Christian Education event allows people to shop for gifts that
will make a difference in the world. For example, you could send someone
a Christmas card letting them know that you bought a cow in their honor
and have donated that cow to a needy village through Heifer
International Project.
Comfort
Items for Cancer Patients
Simple patterns, such as Nine Patch, Snowball, Sew & Flip, Stack
‘n Whack, etc. are used in creating comfort quilts and caps for
patients undergoing chemo and radiation treatments at local hospitals.
These items are machine stitched or hand quilted and tied, whichever
you prefer doing. Supplies, like rotary cutters and mats, rulers, pins,
thread, fabric, and lightweight batting, are needed, so bring them if
you have them. Check the calendar
for the Wednesdays and Thursdays that this group meets.
Lions
Eyeglass Recycling Program
A simple pair of eyeglasses can improve the quality of a person’s
life. Many people in developing countries do not have access to eye
care. An estimated 44% of men, women and children in developing countries
need, but do not have, eyeglasses. Your old glasses (prescription, non-prescription,
lens-less frames, cases, safety glasses, sunglasses, and hearing aids)
will be processed and redistributed. Since 1995, Lions have distributed
more than 13 million pairs of eyeglasses. You can provide eyeglasses
to those in need by dropping them off in the box at the church office.
Telephone
Prayer Chain
The members of the prayer chain are banded together as a network of
interested and concerned individuals who pray for the members of our
congregation, their families, and friends who have special needs. As
concerns are discovered, members are contacted and requested to include
that situation in their daily prayers. This important service can be
performed by anyone and all that is required is a compassionate nature,
concern for others in need and a daily prayer life. To become a link
of the prayer chain or to request prayer, simply contact the church.
Other
outreach and mission programs that are supported by our church and/or
groups within our church are:
- Christian
Service Center: The Congregation provides on-going financial
contributions, donations of canned goods, staple items, and clothing.
- Church World Service: the Presbyterian Women purchase blankets
for needy people with donations received one Sunday a year
- Community Care for the Elderly: Elderly daycare Monday-Friday
in Memorial Hall
- Covenant
House of Orlando
- Daily
Bread: Over 30 volunteers serve lunch during a five-day period
in December at the Christian Service Center.
- Duvall Home:
We donate funds and also collect Campbell Soup labels and canceled
postage stamps
- Eccleston Elementary School: part of our MentoReach program
- Fresh
Start: Dinner is cooked and served to young men working to
get back on their feet. The Choir, Ruth Circle, Dorcas Circle, Board
of Deacons, Presbyterian Women, and the Seekers Sunday School Class
provide dinner and the ingredients for breakfast and lunch the next
day, with additional volunteers, as needed, assisting in delivering
and serving the dinner. GCPC's dates for serving are the 11th day
of even-numbered months.
- Good Samaritan Fund: This is a discretionary fund used by
the pastors for those in need. If you would like to contribute to
this fund, there are envelopes in the pew racks, or you may designate
“Good Sam Fund” on your check.
- Habitat for
Humanity: If you have an interest in learning more about how
homes are built and/or wish to put your faith into action in this
manner, consider volunteering with Habitat. Please contact the Habitat-Orlando
office at (407) 648-4567.
- Healthcare for the Homeless
- Heifer Project
International
- Meals on Wheels
- MentoReach: Volunteers work with children 1-2 hours/week
in area elementary schools to assist with reading skills (Blankner,
Conway, Dover Shores, Eccleston, Pershing and Shenandoah)
- Missionaries In Madagascar: We help support the Turk family
in Madagascar with e-mails and financial contributions, including
Madagascar Community Health, Madagascar Environment/Restoration, and
a Christmas love gift for the Turk family.
- Narcotics Anonymous
- Nancy Nordman, Missionary in Bali: Nancy grew up in GCPC
and we support the efforts of her and her team
- Presbyterian Disaster Assistance: We send an annual donation
- Presbyterian Theological Seminaries
- Quilters: Over the last couple of years, volunteers have
handmade over 500 quilts and donated them to kids with cancer and
other illnesses in area hospitals.
- Recycling Collections: Newspapers, magazines, and aluminum
cans - these funds go into the Good Sam Fund
- Ronald McDonald House: We collect pop tops from beverage
cans for them
- Russell
Home
- Salvation
Army: 120 bears are dressed in fun outfits and 100 stockings
are stuffed, all given to underprivileged children at Christmastime.
- Samaritan's
Purse/Operation
Christmas Child: The congregation donates their time, money,
and talents to decorate and fill 100+ shoe boxes for needy children
at Christmastime.
- Second
Harvest Food Bank
- SPCA of
Central Florida
- Stitch 'n Knit: This group makes cancer caps and stoma packets
for cancer patients at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
- Thornwell
Home: Clinton, SC
- 2¢ per Meal: Donations are received on the 3rd Sunday
of every month to help fight hunger.
- Westminster
Care
Contact Information
If you would like more information about Outreach opportunities, please
contact the church office
at (407) 898-6571.
Related
Web pages
Links of Interest: Community Programs
