Service Opportunities

Sometimes you just need to know you aren’t alone. An unexpected visitor, a reminder that someone is praying for you, a word of encouragement, a meal when the thought of preparing something is just too much. Eventually, we all experience things that leave us needing the support of our community. If you find purpose in comforting and nurturing others, this community needs you!

From the nursery and preschool ages who learn about the love of God and the stories of our faith, to the older children and pre-teens who begin to discover their place in ministry through regular missions projects and working alongside adults in other ministry areas, Grace’s children are a precious and important part of this community. There are so many ways our children learn what it means to follow the way of Jesus, but none of them happen unless the adults of Grace show up and live out their gifts.

Are you looking for a way to make a difference in the daily lives of people in our area? Common Ground is a non-profit that has been deeply connected to the people of Grace from the start, and has grown into a place where the people of this city develop deep, meaningful relationships and work to meet the very real needs of Cedar Grove residents. From community meals to kindergarten readiness programs, there are people like you helping to create space for the educational, spiritual, and personal growth that supports a pathway to a hopeful future.

We are in a season of growth here at Grace, and that is awesome! It also means that we need help from you to make sure people don’t fall through the cracks and miss out on finding their place in our community. If you have serious administrative skills, a gift for getting people connected, or the ability to man the front office so we are a place of hospitality and welcome, this is a way we make Grace the faith community God is calling us to be.

When you enter for worship, the atmosphere invites you to be present and to attend to what God is stirring in you. This is absolutely intentional. Each week a dedicated group of folks show up and turn the Worship Area into a place that helps visually connect to the lesson of the day and welcome us into a time of reflection and renewal. From pouring candles and painting rocks to collecting items from a closed down factory and commissioning work from local artists, this Grace group’s goal is creating a space for a multi-sensory worship experience.

Do you remember the first time you stepped into Grace’s buildings? Do you remember the moment you realized this was where you were meant to be? The atmosphere we create by practicing radical hospitality allows people to be at ease and focus on what God is calling them to. When we provide grieving families coffee and kindness as they gather to mourn or when we greet visitors to our campus who are attending a special concert or event, we live out the words, no judgement-just grace.

Missions work doesn’t just mean spending a year living overseas working at a rural hospital. There are ongoing ways to serve locally, there are one-time local service opportunities, and there are work teams that respond to regional needs. Swing a hammer, stir some gumbo, share the love of God through service to others. Everyone is welcome. Everyone is needed.

Mission Opportunities

• Common Ground: We have adopted a classroom at Common Ground and the work is almost complete! Pictures and video coming soon. We will be preparing a list of items needed to make the classroom complete in the near future, so come back to see us soon to see how you can help!
• Lake Charles Hurricane Relief: How can you help with hurricane relief efforts? For now, visit the page for The Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church, here: https://www.la-umc.org/newsdetail/how-to-help-14230443
• Coming Soon: University UMC in Lake Charles, Pastor Angela Bulhof will be providing us information on future ways we can help their congregation. Come back to our page to find opportunities to give and serve.
• Relief continues to be slow one year after Hurricane Laura, and three additional disasters have hit southwest Louisiana since Hurricane Laura. Go to www.visitlakecharles.org/rebuilding-swla to view recovery efforts. Click on the red ACT NOW button to contact congress and the White House.
• Common Ground Christmas Market Saturday, December 18. Shopping bags will be available in the gathering area in November. Volunteer opportunities will be posted in November as well.

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Have you noticed the garden in front of the church? This place for sitting with God’s Creation was cultivated and cared for by Wilton Broadwell until his death, and the name has just always seemed right. But anyone with a green thumb knows that a space like that needs tending. We don’t have a team of paid gardeners keeping the place beautiful, just people like you willing to give their time and some physical labor.

When you think of worship, music is usually the first thing that comes to mind. Although music is a part of that, and we love our Grace band, there is so much more that is required to make worship happen every week. There are people who create and run the lyric and announcement images used during worship. There is a team of people who live stream our services for those unable to attend on campus. There are people who bake the communion bread and those who help serve it. There are scripture readers and, yes, there are musicians. This is your invitation to share your gifts, step out and learn a new skill, and experience worship in a new way!

Our teens are moving and changing so fast. They live with super packed schedules and the stresses of life in an age where it is extremely difficult to disconnect and be present. They seem so grown and self-sufficient. But the reality is they need the adults of their faith community more than ever. They need people who love God sharing that love with them by just being there. They need adults willing to model being present, being authentic, being the hands and feet of Christ in the world. No special skills required. Just the willingness to be real. (And maybe to learn about that hashtag thing.)