Outreach
Mission Statement:
Together, with God’s help, outreach at Grace Church is building the kingdom of heaven on earth.
Vision Statement:
We at Grace Church collaborate in realizing the kingdom of heaven on earth through seeking and serving Christ in all persons, respecting the dignity of every human, and striving for social justice and peace.
Why We Love and Serve
Outreach at Grace Church intertwines with almost everything and everyone in our parish. Grace Outreach seeks to serve God and respectfully respond to the worldly needs of those Jesus referred to as “the least of these” (Matthew 25:35-46): the disadvantaged, the disenfranchised, and the suffering.
From individuals volunteering to help local charities to groups within the church raising outreach funds and organizing projects that literally span the globe, our commitment is to serve the Lord by making outreach an integral part of life in our church community. As Jesus told us, by carrying His love and compassion beyond the boundaries of the church to feed the hungry, care for the sick, clothe and shelter the poor and visit prisoners, it is as if we are showing that kindness to Him.
An outreach committee meets regularly to prayerfully seek a clear spiritual focus for parish outreach ministries. In addition to keeping the parish informed about current outreach opportunities, the committee plans and administers the outreach budget, distributes funding and serves as a liaison between the parish and various outreach-related agencies, and proposes and supports outreach projects.
Ongoing Outreach Opportunities
The Outreach Ministry’s current community partners are Umoja Health, Wellness & Justice Collective, Energy Savers, Tranzmission, and Faith 4 Justice.
Grace is one of the three founding congregations of the Safe Shelter, which, in collaboration with Counterflow, provides 20 beds for families and individuals, prioritizing families with minor children and welcoming BIPOC and LGBTQ people. Volunteers spend time at the shelter in the evenings, collaborate in cooking meals for the residents, and donate supplies and funds.
Teams at Grace prepare and serve a taco dinner to the residents at ABCCM’s Transformation Village monthly.
BackPacker Program. A group of volunteers, in partnership with MANNA Food Bank, delivers food weekly to students in need at Jones Elementary School.
Asheville-Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM). Food is collected on a quarterly basis for the ABCCM food pantry. Other drives are held based on requests from the agency.
Volunteers from Grace celebrate birthdays and build community at Homeward Bound’s Compass Point Village monthly, bringing cupcakes, punch, gift cards, and love.
Foster Child Assistance. Back- to-School supplies in late summer and Christmas presents during Advent are annual events supported by the entire parish.
Habitat for Humanity. In partnership with other area Episcopal churches, volunteers work together every two years to build the Episcopal House.
Consider Haiti. Grace partners with Consider Haiti to host the annual “Pumpkin Patch” and raise funds for the agency’s medical ministry in Haiti.
Financial Donations. The outreach committee provides regular financial support to ABCCM, Habitat for Humanity, Consider Haiti, and Episcopal Relief and Development in support of relief efforts for disasters in the USA and around the world.
We are always interested in new ministries and welcome your ideas for new programs.
Social Justice
Social justice is the step we take from short-term crisis intervention to long-term solutions, from responses solely of the heart to responses of both heart and mind. The Grace Church outreach committee is working toward projects and activities that help and advocate – for safe and affordable housing; for enough food for everyone; for affordable and adequate healthcare; for sanctuary for those living in fear; and for respect and equity for all.
