Reaching out to our community & world with tangible expressions of Christ's love is a huge part of our calling & identity as followers of Jesus - so our Outreach Ministries play a central role in the life of our church, giving us ways to live into our faith, as well as a means of showing the world what Christ's love looks like. The ministries listed below are just a few of the outreach ministries that play such a vital role in the life of our church family. We invite you to check them out, and join in! If you have any questions about any of these outreach opportunities, or if you would like to volunteer to help out, please contact our Ministry Coordinator, Peggy Hicks, at phicks@fccbentonville.com.
Christmas Eve "Miracle on 14th St"
In December of 2009, one of our church members sensed a very simple message from God: "Feed them." Out of that, our Miracle on 14th Street Christmas Eve ministry was born. That year, we fed over 600 folks in our community on Christmas Eve, and gave away coats and toys to those who needed them. That number has now doubled, with over 1200 people passing through our doors for food, winter clothing, and children's gifts in 2010 and again in 2011. We gave out over 800 coats this year! It is all due to the generous donations of our community and congregation, and the 200+ volunteers from around the community who come together on this holy morning to reflect and embody the true miracle of giving that is Christmas. We have a storage unit where we keep donations for this event - so if you would like to be part of the Miracle, you can drop off donations at FCC at any time!
FCC "Trading Post" now offers Fair Trade items all year long!
What if the money you spent buying everyday items such as coffee, or the money you spent buying gifts for birthdays or Christmas could, at the same time, bring honor and dignity to people halfway around the world?... What if the gifts you bought put food on the table of the hungry, or shelter over the heads of the homeless?... What if the PRESENTS you purchased also revealed the PRESENCE of Christ?
FCC & WaterWay are thrilled to announce the opening of the "Trading Post", a small fair-trade market where you can put your dollars to work not only for yourself, but also for deserving brothers & sisters in Christ around the globe. We have a constant supply of fair-trade coffees, chocolates, olive oils as well as other unique and hand-crafted products such as jewelry and gifts.
To understand the power of this, just imagine... if each family who attends church in America this year purchased JUST ONE fair trade gift, we could lift ONE MILLION FAMILIES out of violent poverty for ONE WHOLE YEAR! You really can make a difference. Stop by the Trading Post this Sunday - or if you would like to come check it out during the week, contact Peggy Hicks at phicks@fccbentonville.com.
Habitat for Humanity - 2012 Apostles Build Partner!
We are so excited to be embarking on this new outreach endeavor in 2012! This summer, FCC & WaterWay have committed to join with a half dozen other churches in Benton County to build a house for a local family through Habitat for Humanity! We have already received over 2/3 of the monetary donations needed to make this happen. If you would like to contribute to the cause, simply mark your check or offering envelope "Habitat House". And plan on bringing your hammer and paint brush out this summer as we work side by side with others in our area to build a home for a deserving family!
Helping Hands
Over 35 years ago, our church helped form the outreach ministry of Helping Hands, a non-profit organization operated in partnership with 26 churches from throughout Benton County. Helping Hands has a thrift store located at 320 Airport Road in Bentonville. Proceeds from the thrift store - which often includes brand name clothing, furniture, jewelry and household items at thrift store prices - are used to meet the needs of Benton County residents through assistance programs. In 2010 Helping Hands provided $2.4 million in aid to the people of Benton County. Helping Hands also has one of the largest food pantries in Northwest Arkansas, providing food to over 900 families each month.
Like most non-profit agencies, Helping Hands depends heavily on volunteers. As part of our support of Helping Hands, our church takes one Saturday each quarter to volunteer stocking shelves, unloading and sorting donations, and working the thrift store floor and cash registers. We also provide two members to the Helping Hands Board, and make regular donations from our Outreach funds. And each month, we highlight a different item for church members to bring to donate to the food pantry. Throughout the summer months, we are encouraging folks to bring healthy snack items, as many children who normally get meals at school are left at home with little access to healthy food.
"Plan BE" - Don't Just Go to Church, BE the Church
An annual tradition at FCC & WaterWay is "Plan BE", which occurs on the Sunday following Easter each year. That day, we gather together for one combined worship service at 9:00am. Following worship, we break up into work groups and head out into the community to help with various service projects... going out into the world to BE the Church, to BE the transformative, loving presence of Jesus in the world. We have projects for all ages and interests, from picking up trash at city parks, to writing cards to prisoners, to cleaning up flower beds and planting flowers at local shelters, to painting homes for those who simply need a hand brightening up their lives. It's a wonderful way to put our faith into action!
In addition to our big "Plan BE" day of service, we have smaller Plan BE opportunities for hands-on service scattered throughout the church year. If you would like to volunteer - or if you have a Plan BE project you would like us to consider - please contact Outreach Coordinator Peggy Hicks at pshdragonfly@yahoo.com.
"Plan SEE" - Seeing Jesus All Around Us
Plan SEE is a relatively new outreach ministry we have created to try to help meet the hygiene needs of some of the poor and homeless in our community. Plan SEE was created after our first Christmas Eve Community Luncheon, when some of our volunteers noticed that some of the adults and teens who had come for a free lunch and to receive Christmas gifts were choosing items like deodorant and shampoo instead of clothes or toys.
We now have an on-going Plan SEE pantry, stocking everything from deodorant and soap, to toothbrushes and toothpaste, to shaving cream and feminine hygiene items. And our Outreach Ministry has created little hygiene gift bags for our congregation to keep in their cars and to hand out to anyone when they see a need. And the need is certainly there if we are just willing to SEE!
Tigers' Den Locker
Our newest outreach ministry is one in partnership with the Bentonville Public Schools. The Tigers' Den Locker is an on-going project to help with clothing assistance to children and teens in our school district who are in need. There are over 250 homeless families in the Bentonville school district who have children in school. One simple yet meaningful way we can show our love and concern for these families and children is by ensuring those kids have clothes and shoes that look good and fit right. If you would like to help with this important outreach, simply check the Tigers' Den Locker bulletin board in the Outreach Area at FCC to see if there are any tags of kids who need help at this time. This is a wonderful way to show that Christ's love can make a tangible difference in the life of a local child.
Tornado Relief - Joplin
On May 22, 2011 an F5 tornado destroyed a good portion of Joplin, located less than an hour north of us. Our heartfelt prayers continue to be with our neighbors there. Ever since the tornado, we have been partnering with our Disciples churches in Joplin. The work needed in Joplin continues to change, and has transitioned from relief work to long-term recovery and rebuilding. We are committed to help Joplin for the long-haul. If you are from out of the area and are interested in going to Joplin to help, FCC Bentonville & WaterWay are continuing to serve as a Mission Outpost for work groups. If you have a group that needs housing, we would be happy to make our church facilities (incuding showers) available to you. And we can help you connect with the right people in Joplin regarding your work efforts. Just contact our church office at 479-273-2596, or contact our Ministry Coordinator, Peggy Hicks, at phicks@fccbentonville.com
The following video was shown in all of our worship services at FCC & WaterWay the week after the storm.
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