LOCAL MISSIONS

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:30-31


LOVE YOUR GOD. LOVE YOUR NEIGHBORS.

In these two commandments, Jesus summarizes all of God’s rules into two simple principles: love God and love others! When you love God with your heart, soul, mind, and strength, you inherently want others to have the same. Sharing your love of God through serving our neighbors helps you live into this Great Commandment.


GOD CREATED YOU TO LOVE!

We invite you to care for people in a transformational way. To love your neighbor as yourself! Our very neighbors in the downtown Shreveport community need your love and compassion. First Methodist Church believes in transformational missions, which develop relationships and community.  

Many of these opportunities would be perfectly suited to sharing with your Sunday school class or a Connect Group. Perhaps you could choose a day to serve and create a volunteer calendar to make sure it’s staffed. All opportunities have different levels of service from simply providing goods to leading a team. We believe that these opportunities provide for complete First Methodist Church vision to Connect, Grow, Serve, and Lead. 


LOVE GOD and LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR.

*Serving that involves children requires completion of Safe Sanctuary training, a simple online process, which allows us to protect both the children and the volunteers.


DIRECTOR OF LOCAL MISSIONS

Michelle Osborn

email: mosborn@firstshreveport.com

phone: 318.424.7771 ext. 108

volunteer opportunities

Caddo Council on Aging – assist with senior meal delivery

Christian Service – Sort and prep clothing donations; prepare and serve meals, two served 7 days a week


Common Ground – prepare, distribute, clean after Thursday night meal; tutor students at Atkins Elementary; tutor middle and high school boys in Youth Program; Mommy and Me volunteers to work with mothers and children in the program; assist with special events; on going needs in maintenance, pantry/food drives, school supply/snack donations, admin support, librarian assistance


Community Renewal International – Friendship House programming; elementary math tutors


Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse of NLA – activities and service projects at facilities, like sports or arts; special events for holidays or graduations; minor repairs and gardening


Food Bank of NWLA – Donate food; pack food boxes; serve at food pantry


Fuller Center for Housing NLA – volunteer on build sites, both skilled and unskilled labor needed; provide meals for volunteers; work in the warehouse and thrift shop; board member


Gingerbread House – In Kind donations like busy bags or books/toys; Adopt-a-Family program; Luncheon and fundraising committee; board of directors and committee positions


Goodwill – reentry coalition assisting those coming out of incarceration; donations; tutoring HiSET students; provide mentoring for youth transitions program


Highland Center Ministries – Thursday Highland Blessing dinner servers and table hosts; clothing closet and thrift shop workers; seasonal event volunteers; volunteer tax preparers


Holy Angels – provide soft skills, leadership, medical support training; grief support; tour facilities; Angel Buddies to residents


Hope Connections – monthly meals for Safe Haven residents; group projects like painting or deep cleaning; donation drives


Holy Cross Hope House – meals and snacks for clients; clothing and toiletry donations

Martin Luther King Community Development Corporation – Senior citizen events; after school and summer tutoring; Thanksgiving and Christmas meal delivery


MLK Health Center and Pharmacy – medical volunteers; wellness education; gardening; exercise leaders; medication sorter; officer greeter and worker; facility maintenance; health screening events

Mary’s House Pregnancy Care Center – receptionist, general volunteer; make baby blankets with FMC Novice Knitters; host Embrace Grace group, mentoring mothers needing support; host baby showers for Embrace Grace groups


The Philadelphia Center – yard work; meal donations; pet grooming


Praise Academy at Lakeside – reading buddies; musicians and artists to teach students; workshop training like car repair or woodworking; coaching in all sports


Project Celebration – donate meals; supply items for shelter needs; Christmas and Thanksgiving meal preparation


Providence House – volunteer at Child Development Center; Youth Advisory Council; provide or serve meals; maintenance to building and grounds; sponsor children’s activities for birthdays or holidays; donation center; tutor children or HiSET students; babysit children during adult events; share the vision with the community; special projects not supported by operating budget


Renesting Project – sort, test, clean, pack, and prepare donations; pull donations for clients


Renzi Education and Art Center – teaching assistants; volunteers for planting spring and fall gardens


St. Luke’s Episcopal Mobile Medical Ministry – assistants with clinics and health fairs, especially Hispanic specific clinics needing interpreters


Shreveport Bar Foundation – paralegals and attorneys to donate time


Shreveport Bossier Rescue Mission – serve meals; on-site volunteers; donations through Amazon Wish List; pray for our guests and staff!


Shreveport Green – MLK Community Garden volunteers; Urban Farm volunteers; Install new beds, picnic tables, etc.; mobile markets; household hazardous waste collection; Great American Cleanup


Shreveport Volunteer Network – assist in warehouse; attend training; respond to disaster relief efforts


Supermen for Christ – weekly community feeding; teach life skills and Bible studies


The Arc Caddo Bossier – Read Across America volunteers


The Bridge Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center – facilitator for caregiver support group (FMC hosts one monthly on our campus.)


The Hub: urban ministries – attend Equip Training; share/serve a Lovewell meal; mentor or teach classes; attend outreach; jail and stripped volunteers and mentors; teaching biblical, recovery, creative, and exercise classes to Purchased Not for Sale participants; mentoring in Purchased; Reclaimed Juvenile Program mentors


Volunteers for Youth Justice – mentors; CASA Advocates; TBRI Advocates; participate in Battle of the Gumbo Gladiators fundraiser


Volunteers of America – Tutoring and other services for Bayou Grande, CIS, and LightHouse students


Woody’s Home for Veterans – special projects and field trips for residents; meals for residents


YWCA of Northwest Louisiana – offer workshops for teens and women on variety of topics from health to professional development; Fab Finds resale shop workers