Community Outreach

God calls us to love and serve people and the world around us, and we answer His call by hosting and supporting many community outreach projects. Some are year-round activities, others are seasonal or one-time efforts, but all of them offer opportunities to get involved, make friends, and make a caring difference for people in our neighborhood and community. Scroll down past the photo for information about specific outreach projects, and about our Missions & Outreach Team.

 

Kids and adults alike enjoyed our summer "Make It Science" outreach, with interactive projects featuring fun experiments using everyday materials.

 

Some Ways We Reach Out

 

  • North End Community Ministry (NECM) Food Pantry and Supper House - Northlawn UM Church and other northeast Grand Rapids congregations support these critically important programs, which offer help year-round to many people in need.

 

  • Northeast Community Churches Blood Drives - We join with other nearby churches to host blood drives in partnership with Michigan Blood, the nonprofit blood bank that provides blood for all Grand Rapids hospitals.
  • Vista Springs Northview - We provide on-site worship devotions for residents at this assisted living facility every other month.
  • Neighborhood Fun - We host a variety of free events for area kids and families, such as Outdoor Summer Movie Nights (movies, popcorn, hotdogs for everyone), Make It Math (fun, interactive games using numbers), Make it Science (cool, hands-on experiments using everyday materials), spring Plant Swap (bring some/take some, help your garden grow), and more.
  • Grapevine Harvest Craft Show - We provide a welcoming venue for 60 crafters' booths, plus we serve coffee and lunch, and host a home-made baked-goods sale, cookie walk booth, Rada cutlery booth, and Treasure Room. We donate all craft show proceeds to Grand Rapids area nonprofit agencies and ministries.
  • Thanksgiving and Christmas Food Baskets - Making holiday dinners possible for needy families in our area is a helping tradition at Northlawn UM Church. We donate food and assemble baskets for families referred by neighborhood agencies. 
  • Christmas Eve Dinner for First Responders - We prepare and serve a free dinner from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the church, for any on-duty police officers, firefighters, and rescue/EMT personnel who are able to stop in on their meal break. This is our way of saying thanks to the public safety and emergency workers who protect and serve us all year long.
  • United Methodist Outreach - We support and take part in a variety of projects organized by the United Methodist Church and its West Michigan Conference / Grand Rapids District. These projects range from local efforts, such as Hands Across The City to help improve neighborhood parks and playgrounds, to national and global mission and aid initiatives, such as Imagine No Malaria. 

Missions & Outreach Team

This caring group of volunteers works on all kinds of projects and activities that touch the hearts and lives of many people year-round. Team members plan projects, distribute flyers and posters to publicize activities, and help out at events. If you'd like to lend your time and talents to help Northlawn UM Church reach out with love and service, please use the Contact Us form on this page to ask for someone to contact you with more information.