New Local Mission Program

I've been involved with fundraising to support the youth mission trips for many years. Often people would ask me "Why don't we do something more locally to help people in our own community?"

Well, we listened to you, we heard you and Learn & Serve is how we all can respond to this important question.

Learn & Serve will support local mission and outreach organizations with our time and talent.

Learn & Serve does not replace the youth mission trips.

Learn & Serve is geared for all members of GPC: young, old, men, women, single, married, working and retired.

Through Learn & Serve, we will go in small groups of volunteers once a month from February through June to support various local organizations. Many of these local organizations are already receiving financial support from the GPC Mission and Outreach budget. These local organizations greatly appreciate our financial support, but they also need our time and talent to support their programs.

When our support is needed varies: weekdays, evenings and weekends. If you are working, I ask you to consider taking a half-day of vacation this year to support Learn & Serve.

There is a Learn & Serve poster board in the church parlor with sign-up sheets showing the various local organizations that need our support. You can also learn more and sign up online at our Learn & Serve web page.

Roughly 50 volunteers are needed to meet the request from these local organizations. We will have more organizations to support in the fall. Your suggestions for other local organizations to support will be given serious consideration.

We can all help.

Calling yourself a Christian brings with it the duty and the privilege of a lifetime of service. Service allows us to practice doing what Jesus would do. It connects us to those we serve and gives us a kind of satisfaction that self-interest can never offer. Service happens in big ways and small, in public and in private, for friends and for strangers. It should be motivated by love. The life of Jesus Christ makes it clear the duty and privilege we have to serve our brothers and sisters on earth.

Thank you for volunteering your time and talent to help others through Learn & Serve.

Duane McDonough