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BY MELISSA LAUBER
UMCONNECTION STAFF

At United Methodist Community Services they believe that Christians serve God when they serve others. They also believe that the churches of the Baltimore-Washington Conference can significantly enhance their ministries when they work in connection with the community and one another.

Insisting on being connected in service is not always the easiest way, but it is the United Methodist way, said the Rev. Don Llewellyn.

Toward this end, UMCS has recently launched an online human services directory that will link the ministries and resources of many United Methodist churches. This information can be vital when pastors are seeking referrals to help people in need in their communities, Llewellyn said.

On the website, “211 Information” is provided by regional human service providers for assistance with such things as child care, eviction prevention, food pantries, job training, health care and low-cost mortgage, rental, prescription and utility assistance.

More than 90 churches also provide a detailed listing of the services they have available.

All this information is available in a searchable data base.

The online directory has been a long time in the making, but Llewellyn, the director of UMCS, is excited about its potential and is encouraging every local church to share the ministries they offer.

UMCS, in operation for 28 years, also operates service centers, which give referrals to people seeking assistance. Depending on the location, they also provide food pantries, hot meals, clothing banks, transportation service and prescription assistance.

UMCS, which has a communications office at Linthicum Heights UMC, is a conference Advance Special, chosen by Baltimore-Washington Conference members as a cause that should be the recipient of people’s “second-mile giving.”

There are three models of UMCS service centers, Llewellyn explained.

• Several churches (even small congregations) can combine their mission efforts, like the Northeast Baltimore Service Center.
• A church can also seek the help of another more affluent congregation, as is the case with the Homestead Service Center, which receives significant assistance from Towson UMC.
• Or a church can draw on the aid of several churches, linking suburban and urban congregations, as was the case of ministries like Carpenter’s Kitchen at Mount Vernon Place UMC in Baltimore.

These service centers are busy, especially in this challenging economic time, Llewellyn reported. At Thanksgiving, Homestead UMC distributed 224 Thanksgiving baskets, served 650 hot meals and gave away 392 bags of groceries. In October and November, the Northeast Baltimore Service Center, located at Faith Community UMC and supported by Hiss and Bethesda UMCs, distributed 400 bags of groceries and served 500 dinners.

United Methodist Community Services has resources for churches interested in starting service centers at their facilities.

The UMCS board is looking for churches that want to become service centers. They are also continuing to raise money for the grants they provide to various outreach ministries. Plans are on the drawing board for a fundraising golf tournament.

“Our denomination needs to address, in a focused, systemic and coordinated way, the challenges of the poor. That’s what we’re about,” Llewellyn said. “Joy comes to us when we are making a meaningful contribution to the lives of others. That’s what Christ is about. That’s what our faith is about. Jesus tells us, ‘your greatness is in your service.’”