Outreach Ministry Work Area
Sis. Roxanne Hedgspeth, Chairperson
The outreach ministry work area works to address the social conditions of people living in the community immediately surrounding the church. Outreach ministry groups not addressed the immediate needs of our neighbors through food, clothing and other temporary assistance, but it works to think systemically about Jesus’s call for the church to challenge society to fight to end the oppressive forces that create hunger, poverty, racism, and so many other social ails. The Outreach ministry work area includes the Food Ministry, the Health and Welfare Ministry, the Congregational Assistance Program, and the Public Theology/Church in Society Representative. Also, Outreach and Missions work areas work closely as their ministerial focuses align.
Food
Ministry
Sis. Roxanne Hedgspeth, Chairperson
The Food Ministry primarily tasks itself with providing food to Camden’s homeless populations. As one of the largest food distribution programs in Camden City, the Food Ministry ministers to hundreds of families in the city each month, through its Monday night food basket and its Wednesday Lunchtime Bible Study and Lunch programs. The Food Ministry also helps coordinate special Thanksgiving and Christmas giving for the congregation.
Health & Welfare Ministry
Sis. Merdis Hill, Chairperson
The Health & Welfare ministry develops programming to promote health and wellness throughout the congregation. This ministry tasks itself with providing opportunities for congregants to learn how to make healthier dishes, exercise effectively at all ages and fitness levels, and screen for ailments and diseases that commonly infect and afflict the church community. The Health & Welfare ministry was responsible for developing guidelines for foods for church events that achieved acclaim and recognition throughout the district and the conference.
Public Theology Representative/Church and Society
Bro. William Lee
The Public Theology Representative keeps before the congregation the need to reflect and act upon Jesus’s teachings on social justice. The Public Theology Representative communicates the social agenda of the United Methodist Church’s Church and Society to the congregation and facilitates discussion about how the church can engage with the community on this agenda. Further, this Representative broadcasts the value of racial and ethnic pluralism so that the church can better appreciate ethnic diversity within the congregation. Finally, the Representative looks for opportunities for the congregation to partner with community groups to uplift Jesus’s call to fight oppression and injustice.