Hopkinsville First to Serve Community, Change the World

7th Annual Great Day of Service at Hopkinsville First United Methodist Church
Saturday, April 24, 2010:  Changing the World / One Community at a Time

The First United Methodist Church in Hopkinsville is excited about continuing our Great Day of Service ministry for its seventh year as a part of the United Methodist Church’s Change the World initiative for April 24-25, 2010.  A couple of our current members brought us the Great Day of Service idea from a Methodist church they had attended in Georgia. We thought it would be a great way to build community among our own members while serving the entire local community at the same time, in essence, “Changing the World” around us.  It has truly helped to bring our congregation together and to get our entire church more focused on missions and service.

This year, on Saturday, April 24, we will be sending 250-350 volunteers out to serve in our community. We will be embarking upon approximately 25 service projects at various sites all over our city.  At a local spouse abuse shelter, an FUMC team will be preparing casseroles that can be frozen and utilized by the shelter as needed.  At another site, a handicapped ramp will be built for a young family with two children who need wheelchair access to their home. Various agencies, including the Salvation Army, St. Luke’s Free Health Clinic, Alpha Alternative Pregnancy Center, and Boys & Girls’ Club, have requested landscaping and beautification projects. A couple of agencies have requested painting projects. There will be a group playing bingo with residents at a local nursing home, another group cataloging books for the public library, and yet another assembling learning boards for the school district’s occupational therapy program.  One of the newest projects involves actually redecorating children’s rooms for two underprivileged families. The list is varied and allows our church members to use a variety of talents in service.

We will begin our day at the church with a continental breakfast and a brief communion service. We will then enter the mission field—our community—to perform our service projects. Project captains will lead their groups to the various work sites. Each project takes approximately 3-4 hours; some are longer. Bag lunches will be provided for each of the work teams. They will either take them with them or return to the church to eat.

Childcare will be provided at the church for our volunteers. The children use this time to do service projects as well. One fun project for them is to take their toys from their classrooms out into the courtyard of the church and give them all a good scrubbing. Older children make cookies, craft items, or pot plants and deliver them to our shut-in members or to the nursing homes. 

This year, we will kick-off our event with a “Drive Thru Prayer Service” on April 23 between 5:30 and 7:00 p.m. Church members will be encouraged to drive through the church’s rear entrance where they will be met by a “prayer warrior” to ask for God’s guidance and support as we are performing our service projects. With His help, we will truly “change the world/ one community at a time.” 

Bev Thomson

What is your congregation doing on April 24 and 25? Let us know how you plan to join in Change the World by emailing bdixon@kyumc.org. We will share your ministry ideas on our web site.

Learn more about Change the World at www.rethinkchurch.org/changetheworld.