Hands and Feet in Service and Outreach

By Darlene Thomas

Hands and Feet is a ministry that came to life in August of 2017 at Shiremanstown United Methodist Church (SUMC). The title for this ministry came from our church’s vision statement to “be the hands and feet of Jesus.”

Hands and Feet volunteers are comprised of not just members of SUMC but include youth and adults from several area churches. We meet monthly on a designated Saturday and form teams comprised of adults and youth to serve the community. The workday starts with a hot breakfast for the volunteers, followed by a worship service to help us focus on why God has called us into missions. 

The projects are identified through various referral sources and each site is assessed for viability prior to the workday by our Sites Manager. Materials, tools and supplies are organized ahead of time, so each team is ready for work at the beginning of the day. Each team has a leader who is experienced in the Hands & Feet procedures. Various leadership team members visit the sites throughout the day to ensure the teams have what they need and or troubleshoot any problems. We undertake projects such as: painting, yard work, repair, clean up/organization, small construction, etc.

We feel the work is important; however, we know God calls us to each of these homes for a purpose that sometimes isn’t visible to the human eye. We trust God has us there for a reason! Building relationships with the people we serve is part of what God calls us to do. We invite them to share lunch with us and have a devotional during lunch. This is a wonderful time of fellowship for the team and the neighbor they serve.

If your church is within the local community of SUMC, we invite you to join us on an upcoming Saturday. Adults and youth are welcome!

If you know of someone who could use our help within approximately 20-30 min drive of Shiremanstown, please contact us. We would love to show God’s love to these neighbors.

If your church is outside of our designated radius and you are interested in starting up a similar ministry, we would be happy to share our processes to help you build a similar ministry in your area.

We look forward to being in service with your church in whatever capacity God has planned! There is plenty of need in this hurting world. Won’t you partner with us to serve others and share God’s love??

For more information, contact Darlene Thomas, Director Hands & Feet at gabrielt0303@gmail.com or call Shiremanstown UMC at 717-737-6621.

This ministry is a Volunteers in Mission (VIM) ministry of the Susquehanna Conference. Key leadership positions of the ministry participated in VIM training several years ago and we report our monthly workday information to the conference for record keeping.

Connecting With Your Community

By Doug Hoy, SUSUMC Disaster Response Coordinator

Growing up, I spent many hours watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and learning life lessons that have formed who I am today. Fred Rogers was a pastor and, through his ministry and television show, he emphasized the importance of kindness, community, and friendship.

He once said, “All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we’re giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That’s one of the things that connects us as neighbors—in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver.”

When we think of disasters, what comes to mind? Hurricanes…Flooding…Wildfires…Earthquakes? Have we considered the homeless, the hungry, single parents, seniors, or that forgotten population between 18 and twenty-something? While the needs of survivors of the former certainly should occupy our thoughts, prayers, and actions, the latter also suffer. They are our neighbors and friends. They live in our communities. They have needs!

And, while it is not about the numbers, research confirms this. Fifty seven percent of Americans surveyed indicated they only know some of their neighbors. Sixty nine percent of 13 to 25 year olds say they have three or four meaningful interactions within a day. Forty percent say they have no one to talk to and that no one really knows them well.

Our younger population is suffering as well. One in four young people say they have one or fewer adults in their lives they can turn to if they need to talk. Twenty-four percent of young people indicated they have no adult mentors and feel like their life has no meaning or purpose. 

In a world so fraught over the impact of a pandemic, troubled by social and political discord, and divided by racial and social injustice, there are people in our communities who are hurting, lonely, and in search of someone who cares. They want to connect, talk, and find meaning and purpose in their lives.

Philippians 4:19 says, “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” This verse reveals that our God is an abundantly loving, caring, and giving. When we keep our eyes focused on Him, He will work in our lives and communities and give us opportunities to meet every need. He will supply us with the ability to be a caring, Christian presence to someone in need. And, according to the numbers, all we need to do is reach out.

So, who are those people in our neighborhoods? And, how can we identify their needs?

The Disaster Response Ministry offers the Connecting Neighbors program, which provides church leaders, laity, and congregations with ideas about how to do mission in our own back yards. Equipping Vital Congregations offers the Mission Insite program that can help congregations identify those areas of need within our community. Using these resources will help us to learn more about our communities. Through these programs, we can discover new, tangible ministry areas where we can connect and engage with them.

As your congregation works to identify opportunities and develop a plan, consider Mister Rogers’ advice. 

“What really matters is helping others win, too, even if it means slowing down and changing our course now and then.”

Ephesians 4 tells us we have all been equipped “for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Everyone has something they can contribute. And, by keeping our focus on God, prayerfully considering the needs of our community, and acting on the opportunities He provides, we can meet the needs of our neighbors and build the kingdom of God.

For additional information on these programs:

Connecting Neighbors – Visit the Disaster Response Ministry webpage at www.susmb.org/drm and click on the Connecting Neighbors Training link under Resources.

Mission Insite – Visit the Equipping Vital Congregations webpage at www.susumc.org/evc-mission-insite

Contact Doug Hoy at 717-766-7441, ext. 3402 or email drc@susumc.org