First United Methodist Church of Festus/Crystal City supplies Blessing Bags filled with personal care items, hats, gloves, socks, snacks, and more for congregants to keep in their cars to give to someone they feel might be able to use the contents. But these bags aren’t just a handout for unhoused neighbors. They’re an avenue to connection.
When a church member hands a blessing bag to an unhoused neighbor, it’s a chance to look them in the eye, ask their name, and make them feel truly seen. With the help of a ministry grant from your Missouri United Methodist Foundation, FUMC was able to expand their unhoused ministry to include tents, sleeping bags, tarps, and propane heaters.
In the last year, FUMC has partnered with the James II Project to provide a meal each week for 20-45 people that include unhoused neighbors, older community members looking for socialization, residents of a nearby group home, and participants of a day program for developmentally challenged adults. Also in attendance each week are several local organizations that provide other community resources.
Here are just a few of the success stories that have come out of this partnership:
Paul was unhoused. He and his wife had come to the area from North Carolina and were involved in a crash which took his wife’s leg. As a result of all this, she was in a nursing home in the area, and Paul was homeless. He began coming to our lunches, and attending church. Today he has gotten a job at the local Cracker Barrel, was able to buy a motorized bike, rented an apartment, and his wife has been able to move in with him.
Nic was from Utah. He had a terrible breakup with his girlfriend, and just left. He ended up in Missouri and quickly ran out of money and was on the street. A member of the church met him when he was sitting on a bench outside the library. They started talking to him, heard his story, and invited him to lunch AND to church. He quickly became a regular at lunch and at church! As winter closed in, he shared he didn’t think he could do the winter outside and expressed the fact that he had talked to his girlfriend, and would love to be able to go back to Utah. The James II Project and St. Vincent dePaul partnered to get Nic a train ticket home. He called last week to say he and his girlfriend had gotten married, and he has joined the army (basic training to start in June). We are all so excited for Nic!
Quentin came to lunch and church, and captured everyone’s heart. He was unhoused and struggling. The church hired him to shovel snow last winter, he attended church and even served communion one Sunday. He has gotten a job at one of the local restaurants and is now living with three other people in a house.
Nathan was unhoused, and struggling with his mental health. He attended church every week, and was loved by so many. He wanted to obtain his ID, so James II helped get that process going. Nathan is now in a 90 day facility where he is being helped to get his medication straightened out, and they cannot release him until he has an address. SO, the facility will help him find housing in order to be released.
The unhoused community has come to see FUMC as a safe space. But more importantly, the congregation has become a loving family for these neighbors.
What are YOU dreaming of for YOUR church?
Twice each year, the Foundation Board receives and considers proposals for ministry projects from United Methodist churches and related agencies throughout Missouri. Applications can be found here, and must be postmarked by April 1 for Spring consideration and October 1 for Winter consideration.