Local Outreach

Actions & Truth
Actions & Truth is an outreach ministry, which is focused on meeting the spiritual and physical needs of those who are coming to Community Meals with the purpose of introducing them to Jesus Christ. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Building relationships by listening and praying with people
• Building dignity and self-respect by offering free haircuts
• Coordinating with local organizations to ensure that needs are met
• Collecting and distributing clothing to those in need
• Cultivating witnessing opportunities by coordinating special events: Christmas party, Easter service, Mother’s & Father’s day gifts, etc.
• Leading a Bible study every Thursday before lunch

For more information about participating in this ministry, please contact Glenn Miller at or 442-1802.

Click here to visit the Actions & Truth blog.

Actions and Truth from CentralToLife on Vimeo.

Beyond Our Walls
A new ministry started in the Fall of 2010. Beyond Our walls is an opportunity for Central members to reach out to our local community through radical servanthood. One Saturday each spring and fall, join us in the Great Hall of the Activities Center where teams are sent out into the city of Fayetteville to serve individuals and organizations in our area. These are light projects that take between 1-2 hours and require very little skill. It is a wonderful opportunity to get to know one another as we serve together to make Christ know through humble service. All projects must be pre-approved. To submit a project idea or for more information, please contact Michele Crippen at .

Bikes, Blues, & BBQ
Each year, Central UMC shows hospitality to those who come for Bikes, Blues, and Barbecue, either from out of town or right here in Fayetteville. By providing free parking for the bikers and distributing free bottled water on Dickson Street, we seek to show God’s love in a tangible way. Opportunities to serve include, handing out water, providing security by making rounds around the church campus, or praying in the chapel. You can sign up to serve in two-hour time block. For more information on how you can be a part of this ministry, please contact Clefton Vaughan at , or call Susan Meek in the church office at 442-4237.

Community Meals
Birthed out of a Disciple class over 12 years ago, Community Meals is a ministry that provides a free nutritious meal every Tuesday and Thursday in our Activities Center to anyone in our community who is in need.  Central members and friends from other churches welcome our guests, prepare and serve food, and clean up afterwards as a demonstration of God’s love and mercy. Community Meals relies upon the generosity of local hotels, restaurants, corporations, food banks, and individuals to donate food and money to feed numbers of people that consistently exceed 100. It is a wonderful opportunity to engage people in our community by helping to meet one of the most basic needs. For more information about how you can participate in this ministry through donations and/or service, please contact the Community Meals team captain, Jeanie Hill at  or 479-521-5875.

Good S.A.M.

Begun in 1988 as a way to mobilize the Central congregation to meet the needs within our church and the community, Good S.A.M. or “Good Samaritan Assistance Ministries” sponsors various opportunities for our church to reach out to others who are in difficult situations. In addition to providing financial help for Central members who need emergency relief. Good SAM also coordinates the following outreach efforts: 

• Community Kid’s Closet – conducting clothing drives each spring and fall to provide new clothes and shoes for less fortunate children in our community. 
• Christmas Families – working through referrals by the Fayetteville Public Schools to provide Christmas for needy and deserving families – everything from food and toiletries to toys and clothes. 
• Sack-It Sunday – A twice-a-year food drive to benefit CEO. 
• Purple Pups Backpack Program – assisting poor children with nutritional snacks during summer months. 
  
  

For more information about how you can participate in Good S.A.M. through donations and/or service, please contact the Good S.A.M. team captain, Jane Gearhart, at 571-4435 or . 

Lights of the Ozarks
A Christmas outreach during December on the Fayetteville Square during the Lights of the Ozarks. Participants serve in two hour blocks on Friday and Saturday evening, distributing candy canes with a gospel message freely to all. This is a wonderful opportunity to spread the real meaning of Christmas in a low-key, non-threatening way. 

The Lights of the Ozarks Outreach Volunteer Meeting will be Sunday, November 20 at noon in CAC Side room 1. A free light lunch will be provided as we discuss the upcoming outreach. The dates are set for The Lights of the Ozarks outreach – Fridays and Saturdays, November 25 through December 17. Everyone is welcome to help – whether preparing the candy canes or distributing them! For questions, please contact Clefton Vaughan at or 442-1806.