Outreach
Outreach is vital in our mission to follow Jesus by loving God and loving neighbor. We want to continue being the hands and feet of Christ in the everyday world, and we encourage you to get involved in one of our many outreach opportunities below!
Help4Kids
Hunger Awareness Vienna Sausage Drive
To support Childhood Hunger Awareness week, we are collecting Vienna sausages for the month of January for Help 4 Kids, a nonprofit organization that feeds hungry children through weekend food bags and school food pantries. It takes 8,800 cans per month to feed the 1 in 5 children in Florence County who suffer hunger.
Please use one of the links below to purchase Vienna Sausage. You can have them shipped directly to the church office - 265 West Cheves Street, Florence, SC 29501 or look for collection bins starting the first of January in The Commons and The Well.
B.E.D.S (Better Education Demands Sleep) Ministry
Central member Art Justice tossed and turned in bed many nights as he wondered how many children did not have a comfortable place to lay their heads at night. He visited Harrison UMC in Pineville, NC, to learn about their BEDS Ministry from leader Bob Gourlay. Justice, an attorney by profession, began the ministry here at Central in 2015 and was overwhelmed with donated lumber from his clients. He now leads Central members and volunteers in building beds for those children in need in the Florence School District One each year.
Our next Build-A-Bed Day will be held from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm on Saturday, October 20.We are inviting all ages and people with or without any labor skill sets. We have trained people who are willing and able to assist you in your area of building interest. Also, if you have a hand-held router or cordless drill, please bring them along with your charger and drill bits.
Costa Rica Mission Project
The Outreach and Advocacy Committee of Central United Methodist Church sponsors the annual Costa Rica Mission Trip. All ages are welcome to attend. Children younger than 14 years of age must be accompanied by a parent. Central works with missionary Wil Bailey and the Costa Rica Mission Project (CRMP) organization.
American Red Cross Blood Drives
Central supports the community and American Red Cross by holding blood drives approximately every 56 days. Every single blood donor offers the ultimate gift anyone could ever offer another person – the gift of life. You can register to donate by calling the church office, stopping by the front desk in the church office, or signing up online at Red Cross.
Central's Christmas in April
Though it has gone by many names, Central’s April service project has been going strong for over 25 years. This year, Central members will gather together to work on repairs to the House of Hope’s Men’s Shelter in Effingham. We will gather at the church at 7:00 am for a light breakfast then travel together to Effingham to be the hands and feet of Christ. There are many ways to help. Please click below to volunteer.
Digging Deeper
Central's mission focus, Digging Deeper, was introduced in our casual service, The Well, in February of 2017. Digging Deeper features a local social service agency or organization each month. This program serves as a way to acquaint our congregation with agencies supplying much-needed services to others, many within walking distance of Central. Our hope is that Digging Deeper will spark an interest among our members to get involved beyond just a monetary donation. In addition to the monthly presentations, a Sunday Community Workday is held twice a year as part of the regularly scheduled worship hour. Through this workday, we "become the hands and feet of Jesus," providing various kinds of support and assistance to agencies highlighted through the program.
Santahatchie Youth Mission Project
Central UMC sponsors a Santahatchie Project in the Florence area each year. The week following Christmas, teams of youth and adult volunteers camp at Central and work on several homes to make them warmer, safer, and drier. These homes belong to people unable to afford these repairs otherwise. All meals and accommodations are provided at the church.
Salkehatchie Youth Summer Mission
A summer mission which repairs homes at sites throughout S.C., Salkehatchie has become a watch word for our church youth in July of each year. Our Outreach budget provides scholarships for deserving youth who have financial constraints. In 2017, our church sent 16 youth to Fairfield to join a total of 210 persons who served this community by making much needed home repairs while sharing the love of Jesus Christ.
Parking Lot Mission
Central supports this vital ministry to those in need in the parking lot behind the old HopeHealth at 600 East Palmetto Street at 7:00 a.m. on scheduled Saturday mornings throughout the year.
Epworth Children's Home
Epworth Children’s Home is a vital part of the ministry of this church and of the United Methodist Church in South Carolina. For most of us, we have never heard the actual voices of children who have suffered abuse and neglect. We take part in the Epworth Mother's Day Offering and Epworth Work Day Offering each year. For more information about Epworth, visit their website.
A 2x3 Collective Impact Initiative to Mitigate Poverty, Food Insecurity, and Poverty, and Diabetes
More information coming soon!
Other Outreach Opportunities:
Central supports other ministries in the Florence area and abroad. If you would like more information about how to serve these ministries through Central, please contact our Associate Pastor at the contact button at the top of this page.
Pee Dee Coalition Against Sexual Abuse & Domestic Violence
United Methodist Volunteers in Mission