"Yea, we have a goodly heritage!" (Psalm 86:6) This truly applies to Heritage's efforts in reaching out to address the needs of our local community. In its forty year history our congregation has engaged in a number of activities in our Route One area. Our efforts have focused on the areas of hunger, education, housing and homelessness. The activities include:
Our congregation lives in the richest county in America yet there are many needs all around us. This provides us with many opportunities to answer Christ's call to minister to "the least of these."
The 40th Anniversary Committee, in the spirit of our heritage is challenging the congregation to get involved in an outreach activity. February has been designated as a time to recognize outreach activities as part of our 40th Anniversary celebration. During the month, the web site, bulletin board, Sunday Bulletin and worship service will be used to highlight: the biblical basis for outreach, how we address the needs around us and how you can get involved.
It is the hope of the Committee that at least one member of every Heritage family will sign-up to participate in one outreach activity during 2002. There will be an "Opportunity Fair" after the worship service on February 24th. Representatives from the various outreach activities will be present to answer questions and to sign you up TO GET INVOLVED.
Dave Lyons
February 3, 2002
Heritage has a history of addressing the pain and suffering of hunger by feeding those in need. Our Heritage community is active in helping our neighbors who are in need of food. These individuals and families need help because they have lost their jobs, or their salaries are simply not enough to pay rent, pay bills and have enough left over for adequate food.
The primary organization for distributing canned and dried food items is the United Community Ministry (UCM). Since 1988, our "Heritage Pantry" has provided a place for congregation members to leave food contributions. This food is then transferred to UCM's food pantry on a monthly basis. The quantities approach nearly a ton a year. Each year at Thanksgiving time our Heritage youth provide the congregation members with a shopping list and grocery bag to provide all the "fixin's" except the turkey. In addition, members also provide liquid refreshments one day a month for residents of Mondloch House, a temporary shelter serving homeless families. There are others in our community who are homebound due to illness or age. Meals-on-Wheels is a group that provides a very vital link with our lonely brothers and sisters.
During the 1980's, Heritage members spearheaded the establishment of the annual CROP walk for the Mt. Vernon area. This event not only raises funds to address local, national and international hunger, but also helps to educate our friends and neighbors on the causes and extent of hunger. Heritage continues to be the largest organizational participant in this event with 33 walkers in 2001, and many others providing monetary support.
The need is still great! You can help by signing up during the February 24th Opportunity Fair to participate in one of the Heritage's outreach efforts to "feed those in need."
Dave Lyons
February 10, 2002
Tonight over 750,000 Americans, one third of them families with children, will not have a home to cook dinner or a place to go to sleep. The suffering is real, the numbers have grown, and both become unfathomable when we consider those outside our borders. Now we can, and frankly should, argue about what the government should or should not do. But as individuals and as a church, our responsibility to help the homeless is clear. Our faith is not an academic or mystical exercise for personal edification, but a faith based on concrete action. In Isaiah 58, God says, "Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard." The point being, if we want to show our devotion to God, back up the words and phrases spoken in church with acts of compassion and love for one another.
We know a need exists, and it's something we're called to address. What can we do? Heritage Church has numerous opportunities to put our faith in action and help the homeless. Each week we can contribute to the food bank, we can participate in the annual summer mission trip, the Crop Walk or Christmas in April. We can give. Through the years we have funded various shelters and contributed to emergency aid overseas. This year, in celebration of our 40th anniversary, Heritage is sponsoring a special program specifically to help the homeless.
The program is called "Families in Transition." In a nutshell, HPC will be directly assisting one family in their effort to get off the streets. The program will encompass mentoring, some subsidy of the rent, maintenance of the dwelling, and most importantly, prayer. Each of these areas is an opportunity to participate, keep your eyes and ears open for more details. This is just one more way for us to live our faith in a way that pleases our Lord.
Jim Galambos
February 17, 2002
The Outreach Theme this final week is February addresses a fundamental part of being a Christian—identifying and satisfying needs. We as Christians are called upon to open our hearts and extend a helping hand to all members of Christ's family. We are then "serving Christ by Serving Others." Matthew 25:40 (Jesus said,) "Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me."
No matter where we go or what we do, we are members of Christ's family; and we have a responsibility to care for one another. One of the ways in which we begin to do that is by discovering and claiming those whom Christ claims and then choosing to live in a way that shows we acknowledge our responsibility for their lives and welfare in our world. Who are the brothers and sisters of Christ? We are told in the Bible, according to the Book of Matthew, that the list includes the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison. Those who are needy in this way create the special membership in Christ's family. We all are God's instruments with a Gift to reach out to all our family.
We as members of Heritage are committed to embracing all our brothers and sisters in need. This month, in celebration of Heritage's 40th Anniversary, has been dedicated to Outreach—as a time to celebrate and learn more about Outreach activities and possibilities. Our hope is to have all our members participate individually, or as family units, in at least one program of outreach. The list of programs covers a wide spectrum of commitments with many varying degrees of time and effort involved. To name a few: Elementary School Tutoring, Oak Meadow Nursing Center, Heritage Presbyterian Women Relief Packets, Meals-on-Wheels, Families in Transition, Alexandria Jail Ministry, Christmas in April and CROP Walk.
In other words, there is something for everyone depending on your interest and the time you can commit. To help highlight the many ongoing programs, an Outreach Opportunity Fair is just a few steps away—in the Fellowship Hall, following our Worship Service today. We will distribute a separate handout that describes each of the programs and provides a point of contact. Best of all, at the Opportunity Fair, you have the chance to hear first hand about the programs from their representatives who will be happy to address your questions, clarify your participation and, hopefully, motivate you to act now. When we discover the people in this world whom Christ definitely includes as members of the family, we can help satisfy their educational and spiritual needs—and accept those people as belonging to us, as cherished and embraced in our lives.
By Jo Ball
February 24, 2002