Outreach

Outreach Vision Statement: Our Call to Ministry

In grateful response to the love of God given to us in Jesus Christ, the faith community of Christ Church is called to live out Christ's gift of love that brings transformation and new life both within the Christ Church community and to our brothers and sisters, especially those who suffer from poverty, violence, and injustice.

Ways to Feed the Hungry

The world is having a food crisis! One billion people a day do not have enough food to eat.  It is not in God’s plan that the poor and the hungry take care of themselves. Jesus has fixed his gaze on us and in a clear voice said, “You give them something to eat.” Here are the ways you can help:

• Pray. Thank God for your abundance and ask that He make you ever mindful of the needs of others.
• Take one night a month and eat a simple family meal. Donate what you would have spent on a night out at a restaurant to feed the poor. Write your check to Christ Church with Carpenter’s Meal Program in the memo line of your check.
• Friday Night’s Meal Program at Carpenter’s Shelter. Volunteer on the 1^st and 3^rd Friday night of each month to donate, cook, and/or serve the evening meal to the residents living at Carpenter’s Shelter. Click here to send Barbara Boehm an email.
• Bag Lunch Program. Help by making lunches or by serving the lunches to the poor and homeless of Alexandria during the week of February 8. Click here to send Kari Shapero an email.
• “Food of the Month.” Purchase and donate these much needed items for the Lazarus Ministry food bank. During the month of February we are requesting donations of canned meats, such as tuna, chicken, salmon, Spam or Vienna sausages. Please place these items in the large white box outside of the church on Sundays or deliver to the reception desk in the Parish Hall during office hours.
• Meals on Wheels. Donate your time to deliver meals to senior citizens in Alexandria who are no longer able to drive on the third Wednesday of each month. Click here to send Michele Smith an email.
• Pray some more. Know that what ever you are able to offer, God will take it and bless it and share it with the world.

10 Easy Ways to Participate in Outreach:

1. Drop off canned foods or personal products in the white bin outside the church any Sunday for the Lazarus food ministry.

2. Join one of Carpenter's Shelter dinner teams and serve dinner on a Friday evening.

3. Choose one of the ministries and include it in your daily prayers.

4. Volunteer at the ALIVE Child Development Center for one day. Contact our ALIVE! coordinator Paul Doherty at (703) 548-0390 or click here to send Paul an email.

5. Help with preparing or delivering and serving Bag lunches at Meade Memorial once every 6 weeks. For information please contact Kari Shapero at 703-360-2222 or click here to send Kari an email.

6. Help out at the Carpenter's Shelter reception desk any Friday. Contact Mary Ann & Jeff Bier 703-548-1349.

7. Purchase a bag of bus tokens at the Metro Bus center on Pendleton Street and donate them to the Lazarus Ministry - $13.50 for 10 tokens. This allows our guests transportation between work and Christ Church.

8. Spend a day at Community Lodgings helping with the after-school program—tutor a child, play a little basketball, try out your arts & crafts skills.

9. Get involved in some of our parish-wide events, such as the ALIVE! Walk-a-thon in May or donate items requested for our parish-wide "Outreach Project" or our "Food of the Month" (see above).

10. When someone on the street asks you for assistance, tell them to come to Lazarus on Wednesday and Thursday at 9:00 AM to see one of our counselors and help them get back on their feet.