The Downtown Presbyterian Church

2003 Outreach Committee Report

It has been a great year for our church and especially the Outreach Committee. Your support has enabled this Church to reach out to many, many people and organizations that make this city, and world, a better place to live! And we do this in many ways.

One way is through the meals that we provide for people in need. Of course the Wednesday Lunch continues to be the focal point, with 7,527 meals being served to individuals last year. But now the Lunch has become supplemented by the Sunday Breakfast that is being served. The Breakfast has been kicking around the Church for many years but this version of it is the brainchild of Jim Barr and the Adult Sunday School class he teaches. It was started in February and has already served 2,053 people. Many people from our congregation, other Presbyterian churches, and the community at-large have helped us serve both meals.

Another way we serve is through the giving of our Benevolence fund. We contributed to: the Martha O’Bryan Center, the Presbyterian General Fund benevolences, Monroe Harding Center, Matthew 25, Project Return, TNT, Nashville’s Table, Siloam Health Clinic, Campus for Human Development, the Covenant Association, Reconciliation House, Second Harvest Food Bank, Manna Food Program, and St. Patrick’s Shelter.

We have also gotten involved in the Room at the Inn program at our neighbor church, McKendree United Methodist. The Room at the Inn is an initiative by the Campus for Human Development that works with people who are working but need places to stay at night. We are currently helping on the 3^rd Wednesday of every month by supplying a volunteer to spend the night. And McKendree is helping us about once a month with our Sunday Breakfasts.

One way that we felt an out-pouring of support from the congregation was in the way of giving to the quarterly offerings that we collected. You gave to the Living Waters mission, two food collections for people in need who come to our door, the Senior Services ministry of Second Presbyterian after the fire, and the Pastor’s Discretionary fund. That is a lot of giving! Thank you for it!

Something else that happened was that we have begun to look for grants and outside funding for some of what we do. And because of the hard work of David Maddox, we were able to receive a grant for about $1,500 from the United Way for the Wednesday Lunch.

The Outreach committee will continue to help lead the Church in looking for ways to serve God and the community. Please continue to help us with your financial support and prayers. And we would love to have your ideas! In this next year we would love continuing growing in our outreach. But it can only be done with your help and support.

Submitted by Doug Hausken