Laity Sunday Engagement Packet

Put Me In, Coach

Community Engagement Next Steps:

Opportunities inside the church:
  • Vacation Bible School prep
  • Easter Egg Hunt prep
  • Child care
  • Tech support
  • Church maintenance
  • Giving (consider a small percentage increase or a full 10% tithe)

Opportunities beyond the church:
  • Activities in the pavilion (pickleball, Christmas carol singalong, movies, smores. . .)
  • Lunch buddies at a local elementary school 
  • Adopt a Learning Center classroom
  • Adopt a classroom at any school
  • Volunteer at the Harvest Youth Club   https://www.harvestyouthclub.com/
  • Visits to Valley View or another facility
  • Starting a food/hygiene/pet supply pantry here at the church
  • Connect with a youth member and support their passion
  • First Stop (homeless support in Huntsville): https://firststop.org/
    • Website lists ways to donate for meals and an Urgent Needs list, plus ways to volunteer in person
  • Downtown Rescue Mission: https://www.downtownrescuemission.org/
  • UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief: https://umcmission.org/work/humanitarian-relief
  • UMCOR disaster response warehouse and creation of disaster response kits: https://www.umcna.org/disasterwarehouse
  • Check on a new neighbor
  • Write a thank-you card to a doctor, nurse, teacher, emergency response worker, child care provider. . .
  • Provide respite care for any caregiver
  • Teach a lesson for one of our Scout troops, based on your background and experience
  • Mentor a youth in foster care through Fostering Roots Foundation: https://fosterroots.org/
  • Support the North Alabama Foster Closet: https://fostering-connections.org/north-alabama-foster-closet/ 
  • Support Learning Center families through the scholarship fund
  • Pay off lunch debt at a local school
  • Start a Celebrate Recovery and/or GriefShare group (the North Alabama conference has a Celebrate Recovery director who can help with this) https://www.umcna.org/newandrenewingchurches
  • . . . Anything God might be calling you to do!  

Learning More:

Books:

  • Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 12 Ways to Keep Yours Alive, by Thom S. Rainer
    • Chapters include:  The Past Is the Hero; The Church Refused to Look Like the Community; The Budget Moved Inwardly; The Preference-Driven Church
  • Is My Church Healthy?, by Chad Brooks
    • Topics include: the four stages of vitality; assessments to determine next steps for revitalization. Includes digital resources + video content
  • On Mission and the Inward Church, by Chad Brooks
    • Currently available via Kindle only
  • The Strategically Small Church: Intimate, Nimble, Authentic and Effective, by Brandon J. O’Brien

UMC Online Resources:

Websites and Articles:

Podcasts:

Questions to consider:

  1. What might God be calling me, my family, or my ministry group to do? (Write, doodle, brainstorm, use bullet points, create a sketch – whatever you want to do here.)

  1.  What support do I need from my pastors to make that happen?  (Note: grants are available from the North Alabama conference for lots of different ministry work, including work with college students and efforts to reduce food insecurity.) 

PUT ME IN, COACH – RESPONSE SHEET

Name: ______________________________

I can help with:

___ Child care  (upon completion of Safe Sanctuaries training)

___Tech support 

___ I am interested in being connected with a prayer partner 

___ I would like to talk more with Kerry about my ideas

___ I am interested in being part of the outreach committee

___ I would like to participate in a Bible study on community engagement and/or healthy churches 

___ I would like to be part of a prayer group that meets regularly (not necessarily in person) to pray for the church and our work in the world

___ I have an idea that I want to explore with my pastors:

(Please describe below and explain how your pastors can support or equip you)

Use this form to submit your responses electronically: Put Me In, Coach – Response Sheet