Outreach
And the King will answer them, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did if for me.” – Matthew 25: 40
The Body of Christ, the Church, is to be Jesus’ light in the world. As his followers, we are invited to go beyond our walls and comfort zones and serve among the poor, the marginalized, and downtrodden. These are our “neighbors” as Jesus talks about in his parable of The Good Samaritan. All human beings are valuable in the eyes of God, and when we serve the “least of these” we are serving Christ himself, just as he served us. Serving and sacrificing on behalf of others is what God does. It’s what love does.
At St. John’s, we support the following:
Operation Serve
Operation Serve is our church’s local, ecumenical youth program that engages junior and senior high schoolers in rigorous and meaningful service work in our community. Whether it’s re-stocking food pantries, or painting buildings, cleaning up cemeteries or preparing meals at Horizons, Operation Serve (OS) puts our young citizens to work for the sake of others.
Learn more about Operation Serve
Horizons Soup Kitchen
Located at 224 S. 8th Street in downtown Quincy, Horizons is a 5-day-a-week soup kitchen that serves well over 100 hot meals a day. Staffed by professional and faithful leaders, and supported by hundreds of volunteers from 15 partner churches, Horizons is an independent 501(c)3 and the only full-time soup kitchen within a 100 mile radius. Horizons also provides a food pantry on Mondays.
Quincy Community Garden Coalition
St. John’s is the management and resource ministry for the Quincy Community Garden Coalition, a partnership of 13 community gardens located throughout our city. Our gardens, each with its own “Guardian,” provide outreach opportunities, ag-education, and hunger relief for many of our soup kitchens and some of the most poor and vulnerable in our community.
Learn more about the Coalition
The Salvation Army
The Quincy Salvation Army’s mission is to bring about positive change in lives by meeting spiritual and physical needs. Through the church’s food programs, Family Store, Emergency Relief Shelter, and Joan & Ray Kroc Center, The Salvation Army in Quincy is a place of hope and compassion in our community.
Learn more about The Salvation Army