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ANGEL TREE
This program features a Christmas tree with tags designating a spiritual, clothing and toy gift for approximately 100 children of incarcerated parents. Members of the congregation select a specific tag, then purchase, wrap and return the gift to the church. Church members then deliver these gifts the week before Christmas.
Yearly/Nov/Dec
ANNUAL CONFERENCE OFFERING
A check is delivered to the VA Methodist Annual Conference to support Mission projects designated by the bishop. In recent years, these projects have included Shade and Water projects in Brazil, schools in Mozambique and the Pathways Project to benefit school dropouts in Petersburg, VA.
Yearly/June
BACCALAUREATE PROGRAMS
A check is given to the Chesapeake Baccalaureate Committee to support special, spirit-filled services offered in honor of the senior class of each high school graduating members of the Oak Grove congregation.
Yearly/May
CHESAPEAKE CARE FREE CLINIC
A check is given to the Chesapeake Care Free Clinic that is used to maintain this facility that provides free medical and dental care to poor working families. Yearly/September
CHESAPEAKE JAIL MINISTRY
A check is given to the Chesapeake Jail Ministry that operates in the Chesapeake Prison System. This is a program that provides spiritual material, Christ-centered counseling and runs Bible studies for the inmates. Members of Oak Grove also donate reading material, books and Bibles that are given to the inmates.
Year Round
CHILE MISSION TEAM
Oak Grove will partner with other district churches to send two teams to Angol, Chile. Teams will work with Missionary John Elmore (www.gbgm-umc.org/umc-chile) at the El Vergel Agricultural School and the Children’s Transitional Home as well as the local Methodist church to repair damage from the recent earthquakes. Trips are two weeks long and scheduled for early August and the first week of October.
Summer & Fall 2010
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
The UMC recognizes the importance of Christian education in everyone’s life. A check is given yearly that is used by the VA Conference to fund the VA Conference Division on Education and for funding leadership development at the district level.
Yearly/April
COMMUNION FUND
This fund is maintained by the Oak Grove congregation and is used to help individual and families in crisis. A screening process is employed to ensure that those most in need are given the most financial help. Funds are collected from the congregation at the communion rail on the first Sunday of the month. A check is also contributed yearly from the mission’s budget.
Year Round
COMMUNITY DINNER
Oak Grove sponsors a community dinner each Wednesday evening to help those in our congregation and community who need help stretching their food budgets. Volunteers provide the food/menu items each week and serve as cooks, servers, greeters and table hosts as we connect with our neighbors.
Weekly/Wednesday evenings
COSTA RICA MISSION TRIP
This team event is sponsored by the Oak Grove congregation and seeks to help those less fortunate outside the United States. This year a team will travel to the mountainous region near San Jose and help with projects that benefit the poorest children. Approximately $8000 will need to be raised per team to purchase materials necessary for the project.
July 2010
FAITH WORKS
This is a program that features short term, one day, missions that benefit individuals and groups needing assistance with smaller projects. These events are designed to use 5-10 volunteers and may involve home repair projects, yard work or craft ideas that benefit folks unable to complete these tasks without help.
Year Round
GIDEONS
A check is given to this international group that strives to distribute Bibles and spiritual material in every corner of the world. Several Oak Grove members are active in the local, Chesapeake chapter and give us a link to this highly respected group.
Yearly/August
GREAT BRIDGE FOOD CLOSET
This ministry helps to feed local families and individuals in crisis during the year. Oak Grove donates non-perishable goods year round to keep the closet stocked and collects special items to support additional food drives at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. A check is also given to help with the purchase of perishable goods like bread and milk.
Year Round
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Oak Grove partners with seven other Chesapeake churches to form Chesapeake Habitat Interfaith Partners. Each year using volunteer labor and donated supplies, CHIPS builds a low, cost house that enables a family to own their own home. Oak Grove supports this ministry with a check, volunteers and donated supplies. Yearly/August
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HEART HAVENS
This ministry provides and maintains group homes for developmentally challenged adults and is sponsored by the Methodist Men’s Organization. A check is given yearly that helps pay the mortgages and maintain these special homes. In addition, the Oak Grove men’s group helps with special projects and events, benefiting these adults.
Year Round
MEALS ON WHEELS
Oak Grove assists with delivering approximately 100 hot and cold meals to those individuals needing assistance. 20 volunteers are needed on the 3rd Friday of each month to cover 10 routes.
Monthly/3rd Friday
MISSIONARY SUPPORT
Each year Oak Grove contracts to support two missionaries, who are sponsored by the VA Conference. Currently Oak Grove has a covenant with John Elmore, assigned to Chili, and working with the El Vergel Agriculture School in earthquake affected Angol. Oak Grove also has a covenant with Judy Matheny, assigned to West VA, who works with low-income families in Appalachia, who struggle with the basic necessities of life.
Yearly/March
NEST
Norfolk Emergency Sheltering Team is an organization that helps to shelter the homeless during the cold winter months. Oak Grove sponsors NEST for one or two weeks each year and provides a place where these individuals and families may come in out of the elements, receive dinner, breakfast and a bag lunch and also be referred for medical, mental and financial counseling as requested.
Yearly/March
NOTHING BUT NETS
A Mission Campaign shared by the United Methodist Church, the National Basketball Association and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to purchase mosquito netting for the saving of lives by reducing the spread of malaria.
Yearly/January
PARK PLACE SOUP KITCHEN
Oak Grove sponsors a soup kitchen at Park Place UNC in Norfolk once a month on the first Thursday. Team members precook and transport a hot meal to the soup kitchen in addition to setting up and serving approximately 200 guests per session. They also assist in manning a clothes closet and food pantry on the premises.
Monthly/First Thursday
PAINT YOUR HEART OUT
An Oak Grove team of about 20 folks coordinate and spend a day painting, repairing and landscaping the home of a person in need. Partnering with the Rotary Club each year, this team assists a homeowner who is unable to do these necessary tasks.
Yearly/April
PROJECT HOMELESS CONNECT
Oak Grove partnered with the Chesapeake Coalition for the Homeless, the City of Chesapeake and other private and public organizations to provide a one-day event for individuals and families that are homeless. All these services and organizations that serve the homeless population set-up at the Cuffee Community Center and provided a one-stop resource center that allowed those seeking services to ask questions and register for programs.
April 2010
RED CROSS BLOODMOBILE
Oak Grove sponsors the Red Cross bloodmobile six a year and conducts a blood drive among the congregation. This blood drive is also advertised in the community and seeks to aid the Red Cross in this worthy endeavor.
Six times a year
SAMARITAN FUND
A check is given to support this VA Conference program that maintains homes for low income, elderly, retired persons unable to afford housing on their own.
Yearly/May
SEVEN SPECIAL OFFERINGS
The United Methodist Church asks each individual church to raise funds to support specific ministries that help communities of worth. These offerings are Human Relations Day, One Great Hour of Sharing, Native American Ministries, Peace with Justice Sunday, World Communion Sunday, Global AIDS Program and United Methodist Student Day.
Yearly
UMCOR/CONFERENCE KITS
The congregation is asked to collect supplies and donate money in support of kits used world wide in times of crisis. Oak Grove puts together hundreds of health, baby, school, sewing and birthing kits each year as well as assembling flood buckets as needed.
Yearly/May/June
TEREKEYA ORPHANAGE CONTAINER PROJECT
Oak Grove will partner with other Norfolk district churches to fill a shipping container with goods needed to supply the newly opened orphanage at Terekeka, Sudan. Twenty seven children, ages 4-8, currently live in this orphanage in Southern Sudan and this facility is expecting rapid growth. Harvesters Reaching the Nations (www.hrtn.org ) is the founding organization.
Summer 2010
UNITED METHODIST FAMILY SERVICES
A check is given in support of this ministry that helps families in crisis. Services may include financial support, family counseling and other programs as needed.
Yearly/December
WEST VIRGINIA MISSION TRIP
Oak Grove will partner with other district churches to send a team to the Appalachian area of Iaeger, West Virginia. Teams will work with Hands of Hope Ministry (www.hohm.org ) to do local home repair projects as well as serve in several Women’s Outreach Ministries. This trip is one week long and scheduled for September 25th-October 2nd.
Fall 2010
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