Newspaper Page Text
Church marks 25th year of serving others
By Jadyn Turner
More than 1,000 volunteers joined
Peachtree Road United Methodist
Church’s Great Day of Service on March
25.
“For us, the Great Day of Service is
the introduction to service,” said Rev. Bill
Britt, the senior minister at the church at
3180 Peachtree Road, which is marking
its 25 th year of serving the community.
“They come on this one day of the year,
and it inspires them to get involved in
other ways throughout the year.”
More than 25 organizations
will join in, along with
members of the congregation
and the community.
The event provides
volunteers for 39 projects
that focus on children, the
impoverished, health and
education. It is timed to
coincide with the Christian
observance of Lent, a period
of fasting, penance and self
reflection leading up to Easter.
“As Christians, we are called to go
out and serve,” said Beth Spencer, the
director of local outreach and volunteer
service. “We are a fortunate church and
financially blessed as a congregation. It’s
our moral duty to help our brothers and
sisters in our city to help improve their
quality of life.”
The day begins with communion and
breakfast at 8 a.m., followed by service
projects across the city. It ends with a
barbecue in the afternoon.
In celebration of the 25th year,
PRUMC will recognize those who have
volunteered since 1992. Church leaders
have invited back the two women who
thought up the idea in 1992: Rev. Vickie
Smith, originally a church member who
has since became ordained, and Melanie
Johnson. In the first year, Smith thought
100 congregants would participate.
Instead, 500 showed to donate their time
and energy.
“In the early years it was meant
to get us pew-sitters into
service as true disciples,” said
Claire Bowen, a longtime
volunteer and human resources
consultant. “It has had a ripple
effect of people who want to be
involved in service since.”
The Great Day of Service
also allows for the church to
interact with different partners
in the community and help
those who are less fortunate,
Spencer said.
“Over the years, it becomes
something you don’t want to miss,”
Bowen said. “The camaraderie and feeling
you get after you get in your car, knowing
you made a difference, is something I
look forward to.
Spencer said that the event is inspired
by the words of John Wesley, the founder
of Methodism, who said, “Do all the
good you can, By all the means you can,
PRUMC
Youth volunteer Caeley Ellinger joins Rev. Bill Britt, senior minister of
Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, at the PRUMC’s 2016 Great
Day of Service last spring. Caeley was one of hundreds of volunteers who
donated time at community service projects across Metro Atlanta.
In all the ways you
can, In all the places
you can, At all the
times you can, To all
the people you can
... As long as you
ever can.”
“During Lent we
often times are asked
to give something up,
or take something on
... so we ask them
to take time out of
their busy lives to
give back to their
community, even if
it’s just for an hour,”
Spencer said.
Projects include
volunteer work
with Llabitat for
FFumanity, New
FFope AME Church,
Covenant FFouse,
Police Athletic
League and The
Agape center.
Volunteers will have a chance this year
to work at two new sites: Urban Recipe,
a food co-op in Grant Park where
volunteers will help ready a garden for
planting; and The Hollis Innovation
STEM Academy, a school in its first
year that PRUMC helped launch where
volunteers will help work in a garden and
on stage sets for the school’s upcoming
musical production of “Willy Wonka and
the Chocolate Factory.”
“Worship and outreach is the
heartbeat of our church,” Britt said.
“It is the very life of everything we do.
Otherwise, we just become insulated and
would think only of ourselves.”
To view the full list of community or
for volunteer registration, visit
prumc.org/greatday or call the church at
(404) 266-2373. Dd
L
bjl:
KICK knee pain
Don’t let knee pain keep you down.
The orthopedic professionals at
WellStar Atlanta Medical Center
focus on one thing...you, living
without pain.
Make an appointment today!
404-265-KNEE | wellstar.org
WELLSTAR^
Atlanta
Medical Center
22 April 2017 | HU
AtlantalNtownPaper.com