Outreach at Believers Fellowship

Shouldn’t the church be leading the way in making the world a better place? We think so.

Early in His ministry, Jesus entered a synagogue and read from the scroll of Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” (Luke 4:18–19 NIV)

Jesus was about reaching out to others, and so are we.

We believe Christian outreach is very important, and Believers Fellowship participates wholeheartedly in a number of outreach endeavors. We encourage everyone to get involved with a ministry, non-profit, or charity outside of the walls of the church. From alleviating poverty on the Key Peninsula to mentoring at-risk teens in Tacoma, the people of Believers Fellowship support a spectrum of causes in Pierce County and around the world.

Because not everyone can devote time every week to a non-profit, our church sponsors regular outreach events. Once per quarter, the church gets together to do something big so that everyone has the opportunity to make a difference. Here are some of the major outreach events we have hosted recently:

Habitat for Humanity 2010

God has always had a heart for the homeless (Psa 68:6, Isa 25:4). As followers of Jesus, we have been called to provide homes for the homeless and clothing for the naked. Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, Christian organization dedicated to eliminating substandard housing and homelessness worldwide.

This summer, we are partnering with Habitat for Humanity International in their Build on Faith project, in which one Gig Harbor home will be built entirely by churches. It’s an awesome opportunity! We are raising money for the project and scheduling volunteers to work on weekends in June–September.

If you would like to participate in the build, please sign up in the foyer.  We have adopted Friday June 11 and Saturday 12 (framing), Saturday June 26 (trusses and roof sheeting), Friday September 24 (towel racks and medicine cabinets), and Friday September 25 (shelving) as our work days.  There are over 70 slots to be filled, so feel free to sign up for more than one!

We also need lunch crews for each work day. If you’re not interested in swinging a hammer, but you’d like to help make lunch for those who are, sign up for a lunch crew! We need a crew for each work day!

Finally, we are raising money to cover the build costs. This house will be completely built and funded by Gig Harbor churches, and we’d like to do our part! If you would like to donate to the project, write a check out to Believers Fellowship and write “Habitat for Humanity” in the memo line.

 

Building a Church in Tecaté, Mexico

In Summer 2009, Believers Fellowship sent a team of nineteen people to Tecaté Mexico with True Light Ministries. We worked with a house church, building them a new space for worship. We also ministered side-by-side with them to the people in the villages surrounding Tecaté.

When we had finished the project, we worshipped with the local congregation in the building we had constructed together. It was awesome to see what God is doing in Mexico!

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Great Strides Walk

In Spring 2009, we partnered with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in their annual Great Strides Walk. Team Josh on the Go kicked off with a benefit concert at the Harbor Greens Wine Bar, raising $1200.

On the heels of the concert was the Great Strides Walk. The sun was out, walkers were in full stride, and team Josh on the Go raised $6193 for Cystic Fibrosis research.

Outreach Projects – Spring 2009

On April 4th, Believers Fellowship partnered with Need-a-Break and Youth for Christ on a couple of outreach projects in conjunction with our Generations sermon series. One of the things that we have noticed about the projects is that they have been a great way for people of different ages to work out their faith side by side. The project was a perfect complement to the sermons series.

One team went out to YFC Tillicum to finish the project we started in November (see below). The sheds are up and done and they look great!

The other team worked with Need-a-Break, who partnered us with a couple in need of some home repairs and landscaping. Previous teams had cleared away blackberry bushes and destroyed a rotting deck, so our team was tasked with rebuilding. We constructed a beautiful deck for the couple, planted some rose bushes, and made their lawn look new. The couple was extremely grateful for our work, as they are both disabled and they couldn’t afford to hire someone to do the work.

The project was a huge success. It was a great way for our faith to benefit the community.

YFC Tillicum Youth and Family Center (Fall 2008)

On November 8th, Believers Fellowship went out to Tillicum to work with Youth for Christ. YFC is building a youth and family center there—a safe place where kids can stop by after school to do their homework, play video games, and hang out with people who will mentor them, teach them life skills, and pray for them. We built a couple of storage sheds for YFC, and we helped demolish some windows and bar equipment that had to go before construction can begin on the center.

In addition to the construction project, we also helped YFC with their annual fundraising auction. We put together two packages—a “grandparent survival kit” and a gardening kit. Both items were auctioned off and the proceeds went to YFC of Pierce County’s annual budget. We love what YFC is doing for the youth and families of Pierce County. We had a great time working with them and we prize our relationship with them.

Believers Fellowship Braves the Rain for Care Net (Summer 2008)

By Matt Edwards

In September 2008, over 70 people from Believers Fellowship rode, walked, or ran through the rain at Point Defiance Park to raise money for the unborn and moms in crisis. The activity was all a part of 4US—an annual benefit race raising money for Care Net.

Care Net is a Christian pregnancy center that ministers to women in crisis and encourages them to choose life. Money raised by 4US is used to purchase ultrasound machines for this great ministry. Overall, 4US was able to raise $117,000—enough to purchase 3 ultrasound machines and train 11 ultrasound technicians.

To find out more about 4US, go to www.4us.org. To find out more about Care Net, go to www.care-net.org.

Sound Youth Counseling/Northwest Leadership Foundation (Spring 2008)

By Matt Edwards

In June 2008, Believers Fellowship went “out there” to NLF to learn more about how we can be present for the people around us both in Gig Harbor and in Tacoma. We loaded into a bus and toured East Tacoma, learning about the lives of the people who inhabit the most uninhabitable places in our city. We learned some of their stories and talked about the difference between caring for people and merely serving them. Then, we returned to NLF headquarters where we discussed how we can develop a healthy relationship with the city.

Love INC (Winter 2008)

Over three weekends in February of 2008, Believers Fellowship transformed a barn at Love INC into a place to store furniture to be donated to people in need. First, we hauled away nearly 5 tons of junk that was in the barn and then pressure washed the inside. Second, we put up a wall to seal off an exposed side of the barn and constructed some racks on which to store mattresses. Finally, we held a used furniture drive in which we filled a 26 foot moving truck with couches, desks, tables, and chairs. Love INC was overwhelmed with the generosity of our church and the encouragement we gave. Great job, guys!

Ride4US (Fall 2007)

In September 2007, we biked, ran, and walked with Ride4US—a non-profit organization dedicated to raising money to purchase ultrasound machines for pregnancy centers. Ultrasounds go a long way in encouraging women to choose life, but the cost prohibits many centers from owning one. In 2007, Ride4Us had more than 800 volunteers and raised over $90,000—enough to purchase three machines. Believers Fellowship was able to raise $24,000 from our congregation alone! The event was a huge success.

Paint Tacoma Beautiful (Summer 2007)

In the summer of 2007, we painted two houses for Paint Tacoma/Pierce County Beautiful—a non-profit program offering free house painting to the elderly on a fixed income. We adopted one house in Tacoma andone on the peninsula, donating over 200 volunteer hours from over 60 volunteers. Both houses underwent spectacular transformations, providing an appreciated service for those of limited means and mobility.

Tacoma Rescue Mission family shelter makeover (Spring 2007)

In April 2007, we went to Tacoma to serve the homeless. First, we took over 500 lunches to the Friday Night Feed, a grass-roots soup kitchen ministry under I-705. Then, we went to the Tacoma Rescue Mission to work at their family shelter, a 71 bed transition house for women and children in need. The residents seemed touched by our work and the staff was greatly encouraged.

Gig Harbor FISH Food Bank makeover (Winter 2007)

In January 2007, we went to the Gig Harbor FISH Food Bank to make it over. The food bank serves ourcommunity by offering food, clothing, financial assistance, counseling, and transportation to people in need. The food bank’s new look was a major encouragement to the volunteers there, and the space-saving improvements were a tremendous help.

 

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