SERVE In Our Community
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” -- Matthew 5:16
Serve the City
- …A lifestyle and not an event
- …A culture and not a program
- …A way of being His Church as we serve our neighbors in need
COMMUNITY WIDE OUTREACHES
Portland’s Christmas Celebration: A Concert
This annual musical production is presented to our community free of charge and features over 400 musicians and singers, including adult choir, live orchestra, children’s choir, youth choirs and handbells. It is truly a highlight of our community’s holiday season! But it takes a herculean effort to pull off an event this huge! Opportunities to serve at this event range from singers and musicians, to cuddling babies in the nursery, to helping in the kitchen, decorating the foyer, or assisting on the greeting or parking crews.
Project Coordinator: Kristin Lockaby [ ]
Community Care Day at Robert Gray Middle School
Join friends, school employees and neighbors for our annual Community Care Day each August. This three-hour volunteer work party meets at neighboring Robert Gray Middle School and prepares the grounds and landscaping for the beginning of the school year. It’s truly amazing what we can do in such a short time. Join us again in 2012 for our eighth annual Community Care Day, in cooperation with the Portland Area Season of Service.
Project Coordinator: Pastor Bob Ward [ ]
Neighborhood Repair and Building Projects
One of the unseen ministries of the church, but hugely appreciated is when a group of men and women invest time in repairs or upkeep on a home for someone who can’t physically or financially afford to do the work themselves. When possible a team of volunteers will help repair front steps, maybe replace a fence, or simply clean up overgrown landscaping.
Project coordinator: Pastor Joel Slater [ ]
Neighborhood House – Multnomah
A strategic partnership with Neighborhood House has allowed the church to help the hungry, and sometimes homeless, in the Multnomah/Hillsdale neighborhoods. Throughout the year we help financially to purchase food and supplies. During the year we also collect food to help restock empty shelves. And Neighborhood House can always find a job for the willing volunteer. Whether it’s giving a financial gift, or volunteering your time, you will be making a difference in our own backyard.
Project Coordinator: Pastor Bob Ward ]
Teen Challenge Drug and Dependency Program
We believe that there is hope for recovery for every individual who is bound with life controlling problems such as addiction to drugs or alcohol by establishing a relationship with Jesus Christ. We believe there is hope even when everyone else says "just give up." Teen Challenge offers a safe place for recovery based on Biblical principles to eligible individuals, regardless of their ability to pay. Portland Christian Center has maintained a strategic relationship with Teen Challenge in order to assist them in helping men and women in the Portland area. Our involvement involves financial support, mentoring, and including Teen Challenge students in our ministry when possible.
Project Coordinator: Pastor Bob Ward [ ]
CHILDREN’S NEEDS
Preemie Project:
This is an opportunity for anyone to knit or crochet hats for premature babies born at Doernbecher Hospital. Approximately 50 hats are distributed each month. Building bridges to the parents of premature babies is important. Often these relationships lead to lasting friendships and spiritual change. And most importantly, each preemie hat is a gift of love bringing spiritual and physical warmth to these tiny babies.
Project Coordinator: Barb Signalness ]
Pregnancy Resource Center Annual Baby Bottle Drive
Join our annual springtime drive to collect money to benefit five local Pregnancy Resource Centers. Participants “adopt” an empty baby bottle and over the course of four weeks fill it with spare change, cash or even a check. At the conclusion of these four weeks all of the money is given to Pregnancy Resource Center to help expectant mothers and save unborn children.
Project Coordinator: Barb Signalness ]
Royal Family Kids' Camp
Every July, Portland Christian Center sponsors a week of a very special camp, Royal Family Kids’ Camp, to minister to abused and neglected foster children from the Portland metropolitan area. Over the last 10 years, we have made a positive difference in the lives of over 500 local kids! We need volunteers year-round in a variety of positions. If you have a heart for reaching Portland’s foster children, this may be the place for you to serve! Royal Family Kids’ Camp is a nationally recognized organization completely devoted to helping abused and neglected foster children all over the United States.
Project Coordinator: Jeanie Gergen [ ]
Young Champions:
This evening sports camp for preschool-elementary kids is held each summer in July at neighboring Wilson High School. Through a fun and safe environment, kids improve their athletic skills, make new friends and develop character. Opportunities to serve at this event range from assisting in the snack bar to coaching a sports event, to helping at registration. Over the past ten years hundreds of neighborhood children and kids from Portland Christian Center have celebrated the long days of summer because of the efforts of all of our adult and high school student volunteers.
Project Coordinator: Children's Ministry Director [ ]
YOUTH in our COMMUNITY
Dinner And A Movie: Homeless Youth
Homelessness can happen at any age but it is particularly prevalent in the youth population in Portland. Dinner & A Movie is committed to helping Portland’s lost youth through providing for their physical, psychological, emotional, mental and spiritual needs. Dinner & A Movie and Portland Christian Center believe in the value of the whole person, and seek to enable street youth to progress in every facet of their lives. This is why Portland Christian Center provides financial support and support the staff and volunteers at Dinner & A Movie who are dedicated to re-parenting the broken hearts of our city’s lost youth. We share the love of Jesus by providing hope and a chance at new life. This is one very tangible way you can become involved in helping the homeless youth of our community.
Project Coordinator: Pastor Bob Ward [ ]
Rake ‘N’ Run Middle School Outreach:
This is a service project our middle school students do every fall to help others. They arrive at a neighbor's house, rake the leaves quickly and thoroughly...and then "leaf". They don't do it for money or recognition; they do it for FREE to show God’s love!
Project Coordinator: Pastor Aaron McKee [ ]
Witness Missions Tour for Middle School Students
Priority Missions Tour for High School and College Students
One of the most effective ways to make a difference in a life is by letting your own life be changed at the same time. All of our middle, high school and college students have the opportunity to be involved in a ministry team making a tangible difference in their world and experiencing life change at the same time. After months of preparation, Priority and Witness travel on a week long Missions Trip, ministering wherever an open door exists. This is one of highlights of the year for our students. Encourage everyone you know in middle school, high school and college to be involved in one of these groups.
Ministry Assistant: Kristin Lockaby ]
ENDING HUNGER – ENDING HOMELESSNESS
Portland Rescue Mission Monthly Outreach
Portland Christian Center provides financial support and monthly volunteers to Portland Rescue Mission. Portland Rescue Mission provides food, shelter, addiction recovery and other vital services to homeless men, women and children in Portland and southwest Washington. Their 2- to 18-month recovery residential programs offer healing in every aspect of a person’s life through addiction recovery, education, life skills training, counseling and spiritual renewal. In 2010 alone, Portland Rescue Mission served over 232,000 meals and over 60,000 people took shelter at night. Your support helps provide a powerful solution to the root causes of homelessness. We are always looking for new volunteers to help us as we partner with this vital local ministry!
Project Coordinator: Pastor Bob Ward ]
Union Gospel Mission:
Developing strong relationships with Christ-centered organizations results in dynamic ministries which can only help people in need. Portland Christian Center also provides financial support and volunteers to Union Gospel Mission. Union Gospel Mission provides assistance to the homeless and people in need in the following ways: meals, clothing, resource referral, and prayer/spiritual support. Ultimately, it is always the hope that the clients of Union Gospel Mission will eventually be able to return to a healthy and productive life. The Mission's LifeChange addiction recovery program is one way that this can happen. We hope that you will consider how you can become a vital part of this ministry to the local men, women and children who need our help.
Project Coordinator: Pastor Bob Ward ]
COMFORT AND HEALING
Deborah Ministry
If you like quilting, you’ll love Deborah Ministry! This group gets together at 9:30 AM the first and third Thursdays of every month in the Fireside Room, and creates beautiful quilts for various outreach organizations. These quilts have comforted the dying, warmed the hearts of women in Latin America and have been sent to Eastern Europe. You never know where the quilt will go, but the love which motivates each quilter is felt by those who receive the quilts. Come join this fun group of women using their talents for ministry!
Project Coordinator: Jan Rasmussen [ 503-638-9728 ]
Prayer Shawl Group:
Portland Christian Center’s prayer shawl group has knitted or crocheted, and delivered over 100 shawls and lap robes to people in our church community, area hospitals and beyond. What an amazing accomplishment, and labor of love! They are always looking for new people to join their group to help bless more people through these handmade gifts. Meetings are Monday mornings at 10:00 AM in the Hospitality Center.
Project Coordinator: Suzi Steele [ ]
Bedside Buddies - Stuffed Animals for Kids
Portland Christian Center partners with Candlelighters, a non-profit organization that provides support to families of children with cancer. We collect new, small to medium sized stuffed animals. These are given to the children at Doernbecher & Emanuel Hospitals each time they are admitted to the hospital (even multiple times for the same child). About 100 stuffed animals are distributed each month.
Project Coordinator: Barb Signalness [ ]
Komfort for Kids
Portland Christian Center partners with Candlelighters, a non-profit organization that provides support to families of children with cancer. We provide fleece blankets (throw size, approx 50” x 60”) to each child and teen at Doernbecher & Emanuel Hospitals each time they are admitted. The Candlelighters organization distributes an average of 15 blankets per month.
Project Coordinator: Barb Signalness [ ]