This is a thank you card we recently received from Southside Middle School. Over the course of February, Commonway collected food and hygiene items, along with new or gently used clothing, to supply the “Panther Pantry,” a new program at Southside focused on providing essential supplies for kids who may need some extra help over the weekend.
Let me just say a huge, “Thank you!” Your generosity blew us and the staff at Southside away. We’re so thankful you for how you showed up, in such a big way. The great news is that we can continue to serve in this very practical way, for as long as we want (if you’re interested in volunteering or donating more, just send us an email – hello@commonwaychurch.com)
At Commonway, one of our core values is generous service. Because we know how much God has already done for us, so we give of our time and energy to reflect God’s goodness into the lives of people we see and the community we are a part of.
In our last blog post, we outlined who are our global mission partners are. We are serious about being a church committed to serving others, with our time and resources. 10% of everything you give to Commonway, we commit to turn around and give to strategic partners, organizations, and missionaries, providing financial support for important work being done every day. Your generosity is the engine behind real change happening in Muncie and around the world.
Old West End Neighborhood Clean Up Day, May 2015
So you might be asking yourself, “Where do people from Commonway serve? How can I get involved?” Below you’ll find a list of organizations that we work with at various levels. We encourage you to learn more about these partners, work directly with them, or let us know how we can help you get connected and involved in the work of making a difference in Muncie.
First Choice for Women
www.firstchoiceforwomen.org
First Choice for Women is a pregnancy resource center based in Muncie, Indiana. Originally founded in 1986 as Heart to Heart, First Choice provides compassionate care to hundreds of women facing unplanned pregnancies each year in Delaware County and its surrounding areas.
Stripped Love
www.strippedlove.org
Stripped Love is a non-profit focused on taking God’s love into commercial sex trade strip clubs. With a mission to “consistently show up and befriend women in sex trade and love them just as God loves us,” Stripped Love recruits, trains, and equips women to minister to other women caught in the sex industry. Outreach Team members share life with the women in the clubs, first by going into the clubs to get to know the women and establish relationships, then aiming to build lasting friendships and deliberately live out the Good News in all areas of life.
Christian Ministries
www.christianministriesmuncie.org
Christian Ministries of Delaware County is a non-profit, social service agency that serves the poor and needy of our community with emergency assistance through its programs and commissions.
“Our vision is to meet the short-term needs of people while assisting each individual to become self-sufficient. In order to do this effectively, we have established multiple channels of assistance, including a food pantry, emergency assistance for rent and utilities, the Main Street Treasure Shop, sleeping room shelter for single men, family shelter (mom, dad, and children), school supplies program, Christmas assistance, and many more!”
Small group members helping at the Christian Ministries Food Pantry
Kids Hope
www.kidshopeusa.org
Kids Hope USA develops one-on-one relationships through the creation of church-school partnerships that pair church members with at-risk kids in supportive, mentoring relationships. Several people at Commonway serve as mentors with students at Longfellow Elementary, spending one hour per week, reading, talking, playing and listening. By helping the child feel loved and valued, they help that child to learn, grow and succeed.
Inside Out
www.insideoutmuncie.com
Inside Out is a community development organization, empowering vulnerable people at our community’s core by providing job training and life skills development as a means of transforming community. All of our programs seek to embrace the downtown core of our community and to give strength to the families and individuals who represent it.
TreeFort
www.treefortindiana.com
Treefort is our newest local partner. Created to offer a place for boys whose lives and families are in crisis, Treefort, helps these boys avoid the system that otherwise lies ahead. Treefort will offer these boys a foundation of faith, a love for learning, and opportunities for emotional healing. “Treefort is not a program, it is a place. It is not just a home-like setting, it is a home. There is nothing artificial about it — Treefort creates a real, functional family for boys who need it. Along with family comes structure and guidance and protection. And along with that comes a brighter future.”
Commonway also loves to help in unique ways, too. In the 2015, we began working with the Old West End Neighborhood Association, our literal neighbors since they are directly west of the Horizon Convention Center where we meet. Special clean up days and providing funding for special projects have been the early steps of developing our relationship.
Originally shared in the First Choice for Women January newsletter.
Each year, we have participated in a shoe drive with Hearts and Hands United, as well as leading a coat drive at Longfellow Elementary. And as mentioned above, we held a food and clothing drive for Southside Middle School in February. Many of our small groups, like Nate and Erica Clark’s group pictured to the right, take time to regularly serve with one of the partners above, or simply by finding someone who needs help and stepping up when the opportunity arises.
We are always on the lookout for ways that we can support what God is doing in Muncie. And we want to help you take steps to do good, too.
Have questions, want help taking a next step, or have an idea? Send us an email – hello@commonwaychuch.com or check out our Volunteer page: www.commonwaychurch.com/volunteer
