OUTREACH MINISTRIES
Outreach Ministries
Our outreach ministries offer people of all ages a way to grow in faith and follow Jesus by loving and serving others in the world around us. At First Church, everyone is encouraged to grow as followers of Jesus by serving others. Below are brief descriptions several First Church community outreach ministries. You can click the buttons below to be directed to our Signup and Donation pages.
SHOWER MINISTRY
The lower level of the church is opened to provide showers, snacks/lunch, and a place to relax for our unhoused neighbors on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Anyone in the community is welcome, no questions asked. The ministry was profiled by The Reporting Project, which was subsequently republished by both the Newark Advocate and the Columbus Dispatch (read the Dispatch article here).
Volunteers setup; interact with the guests; restock supplies; prepare, serve, and cleanup lunch; and cleanup and reset the room at the end of the day. You can also help out through donating to support the ministry.
5TH SUNDAY DINNER MINISTRY
We provide dinner at the Salvation Army on 5th Sundays (a total of 4 or 5 times a year). In addition to the cooking and serving of the meal, volunteers provide monetary donations or donations of specific food items.
CASEY’s CUPBOARD MINISTRY
Casey’s Cupboard is a free store for people who need assistance obtaining necessary household items. Casey’s Cupboard helps by providing new or gently used kitchen items (such as dishes, pots and pans, utensils, small appliances, etc.), and bathroom and bedroom linens.
Applicants must qualify and be referred by a local partner agency.
BLESSING BAGS
We provide “Blessing Bags” of food and personal care supplies to individuals requesting them. Any person in need of food is eligible to receive a Blessing Bag from First Church — there is no need to register with the church as part of the Licking County Food Pantry system. The Blessing Bag food is all ready-to-eat, requiring no kitchen facilities. Volunteers provide monetary donations or donations of specific Blessing Bag items as requested.
CHILD OF GOD PRESCHOOL
First Church hosts Child of God Preschool, established in 1998 as a ministry of the church. Child of God Preschool is a non-profit Christian preschool serving children ages 3 through 5. Click here to be directed to the Child of God Preschool website.