Outreach

Reaching out with tangible love to our neighbors in need.

The Outreach Committee listens for and responds to local, national and international neighbors in need with hands-on and financial support.

Locally, the church actively assists Bethany Women's Center, FACETS (Fairfax Area Christian Emergency and Transitional Services, Inc.), Food for Others, NOVACO, Reston Interfaith, Refugee Resettlement, and Sunrise Assisted Living Center. These groups work on a daily basis with the hungry, poor, ill-housed or homeless persons in our local and surrounding communities. Church activities range from weekly sandwich making to making and serving monthly dinners to annual filling of Easter baskets, school backpacks and Christmas stockings for homeless children.

Nationally, a large Church of the Good Shepherd led team travels annually to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota to provide repair, new construction and community support for the Oglala Lakota Tribe. We also send teams in support of UMVIM sponsored emergency response to areas hard hit by overwhelming disasters.

Gleaning efforts benefit Society of St. Andrews and cookie baking benefits Kairos, an ongoing prison ministry.

Internationally, the church encourages and supports mission trips. Delegations have traveled to and will continue to travel to the Gulf Coast for repair work. A Haiti support team looks at ways to work in Haiti and takes a yearly trip. The church sponsors refugee families and we are awaiting the arrival of a family. We support the Heifer Project and World Vision. As a Global Mission Partner we have an ongoing commitment to support missionaries.