Community Outreach
Our faith in action!"Somebody Loves You" Afghan Group
Interfaith Hospitality Network
Good Cheer Days
Knoll View Sunday Services
A SOUL CAFE - A Senior Outreach with Unconditional Love/Caring About Forgotten Elderly
Food Certificate Program
Ecumenical Food Pantry
Manna House
RISE - Risingville Interfaith Service Effort
Rainbows
People Help
Furniture Ministry
"Somebody Loves You" Afghan Group
For the past few years, caring people, both from our church and the community (including some of our homeless friends), ages 8 through 98, have been working on afghans to share the love of God with others. We work on our own and we meet the last Sunday of each month to work together. Feel free to join us (even if you don't knit or crochet). We have simple work to do and we'd love to teach you to crochet or knit. We share a lot of laughs and have great fellowship.
If you know someone who would like an afghan, please let us know. We've given afghans to people who are elderly, incarcerated, homeless, sick, burned, depressed adn bereaved. We'd love to give you one to take to a person who is struggling. In February, we donated 20 afghans to the Red Cross, who give them out to people in house fires. The Red Cross also donated our afghans to every Hurricane Katrina victim who ended up in our area, on our behalf. When there was a serious school bus accident on our corner, Charlie and Julie used our afghans to wrap around hurt teenagers and the school bus driver. Each afghan has a label sewed in the corner that says, "Somebody Loves You", with a cross "+" in the "o" of loves.
If you have yarn or needles to donate, we'd love to have them. And... we'd love to have you help us. Join us at 5:30pm the last Sunday of each month to work together. We provide a light meal and lots of laughter.
Interfaith Hospitality Network
The Sussex County Interfaith Hospitality Network (SCIHN) is a cooperative faith based effort to help families through periods of homelessness. The Sparta UMC is a host church providing a place for the families to stay for a one week period at different times throughout the year.
Please watch the weekly bulletin for the next event at our church and volunteer to help out by serving a meal, visiting with our guests or hosting overnight at the church.
Good Cheer Days
Bringing good cheer to Knoll Village. After the 10:30am Worship Service on February 3, 2008, we will be visiting door to door throughout Knoll Heights bringing good cheer and handmade gifts from the Sunday School. After, we will gather in Knoll View with the residents for light refreshments.
Knoll View Sunday Services
Once a month, we provide a Sunday morning worship service for the residents at Knoll View. Would you like to assist?
A SOUL CAFE - A Senior Outreach with Unconditional Love / Caring About Forgotten Elderly
Interested persons can learn more about the program by visiting the A Soul Cafe website. For information call 973-729-2300 weekdays or the church office at 973-729-7773.
Food Certificate Program
With more families in our community requiring assistance, our food certificate program is in need of ongoing support. The church receives 2% of the face value of the Food Certificate which goes toward the purchase of additional certificates to be distributed to the needy. So we encourage our congregation and friends to buy certificates for their own use. When purchasing your own grocery store certificates, please consider purchasing one (or more!) for the families in need in our area. If donating, please provide your name and the amount, for recording and credit purposes.
Ecumenical Food Pantry
The Ecumenical Food Pantry at the Sparta First Presbyterian Church is in need of food supplies. Food donations can be placed in the box at the top of the stairs by the coat rack or brought directly to the Presbyterian Church.
Manna House
The ecumenical food kitchen called Manna House operates out of the First Presbyterian Church of Newton NJ providing a hot lunch every Monday to Friday to individuals and families in Sussex County who are in need. It is staffed by different groups each day. Sparta UMC is responsible for helping on the first Monday of each month from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm. We are always looking for volunteers to help cook, dice, stir, set tables or serve food. Please contact Laura at 973-579-0140.
RISE - Risingville Interfaith Service Effort
Participate as an adult helper/chaperone in a one week mission trip during the summer to Steuben County NY. Youth who have completed grade 9 through grade 12 assist with home repairs for those in need.
Rainbows
The Sparta Ecumenical Council sponsors Rainbows, a program supporting children (kindergarten through 8th grade) of single-parent or step-family homes. Rainbows offers peer support along with the guidance of trained, caring adults who will listen and give yougsters a safe place to express their feelings about the changes in their family's dynamics. This may be a result of death of a parent, divorce, separation, or incarceration of a parent. If you are interested in becoming a Rainbows facilitator or would like information regarding registering your child for this program, please call Pat at 973-729-3233.
People Help
People Help provides financial assistance to many Sussex County residents, covering expenses such as fuel, rent, auto repairs, food and medicine, when they are faced with an isolated crisis and have "fallen through the cracks" of other agencies. Donations can be mailed to People Help at P.O. Box 202, Sparta. Volunteers are available by phone five days a week during normal business hours. Contact Gail at 973-726-9131.
Furniture Ministry
The Furniture Ministry provides used furniture and appliances to people in need. If you have furniture to donate or could help with pick up and delivery of the furniture, please call the church office at 973-729-7773.