PRAYER OF INVOCATION
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Your first word of creation, 0 God, was "Let there be light" and there was. Jesus came as the light of the world and then called us to become light-bearers in our lives. As we worship during One Great Hour of Sharing, may we shine our light here in this place as well as in the world to which you have called us to live. It can be so easy to get so caught up in our own lives that we forget the simple act of illuminating the world around us with our love, compassion, acts of service, justice and advocacy and kind words to others. Show us the paths where we might follow in the footsteps of Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.
The Outreach Committee will send $100 “seed” money to each fund. If you would like to help this amount grow, use the special pew envelopes, donate online by clicking "support our ministries", or send your gift to the church (156 High Street Portland, ME Attn: Linda Russell). Please indicate that your gift is for the March Special Offering. All donations will be divided equally between the ABC-USA and UCC. Thank you for your generosity.
The Outreach Committee
Wayside Community Meals
UPDATE 3/20/2024: Wayside Community Meals continues to meet in the parking lot on Forest Avenue, just west of (down the hill from) Congress Square Plaza, on the back side of the Westin Hotel, which offers subsidized housing to Seniors. Meals are available for takeaway from 1:30-2:30 pm. They also offer a sit-down lunch on Mondays at 409 Cumberland Avenue, Portland / Corner of Forest Ave. / Served at 12PM
WIUC has a strong outreach ministry from within the church family to Portland neighborhoods and greater community, and even more broadly to those within the state, nation, and world.
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Ministering—Serving others in things both small and large, the Pastor, while being the front-line of Ministry, is not the only one who ministers to those in need.
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What a joy it has been to arrive at our church, open the front door (so long closed due to safety concerns for all), set up a large table on our front steps, pile on the prepared and packaged meals from Wayside Food Programs, and greet our growing clientele of people who stop by to enjoy and benefit from these nutritious and tasty meals. There is no attendance taken or records kept—just friendly smiles (behind masks, of course), greetings, and warm well-wishes to whoever happens by each Thursday afternoon between 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm.
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We are blessed to welcome some who visit weekly and some who just happen to be walking down the street. We have been giving out about 50 meals each week, assisted by regular Wayside Volunteers.
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All in all, it is a totally pleasant and meaningful way to reach out to people in our community in partnership with Wayside Food Programs.
One of our ministry partners is Grace-Street Ministry,
an outreach ministry offering a consistent, compassionate, pastoral presence to the homeless and marginalized in downtown Portland, Maine.
Here's is a letter from Rev. Jeffery Logan,
Executive Director and a co-pastor at Grace-Street Ministry.
Winter, 2022