| Spiritual journeys don’t happen “only on Sundays”. At Middle church, we believe that God’s call to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8)” is central to a holistic experience of Christian faith. Just as Jesus was actively engaged with the world during his ministry, we too, are called to act in our city, nation, and world as well.
Worship gives the spiritual sustenance needed to effect meaningful, positive change. It is in Middle’s Social Action and outreach ministries that something marvelous happens – in reaching out to others, we too are touched by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Whether it’s singing with the Jerriese Johnson East Village Gospel Choir down Fifth Avenue in our float with the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Pride March, or serving people on Mondays in our Celebrate Life Meal, or riding together to a Peace March on Washington, both “giver” and “receiver” are blessed, brought into a deeper relationship with one another and with our just, compassionate, welcoming, and loving God. Social Action at Middle enables us to “walk the walk” as well as “talk the talk”, affording the opportunity to work faithfully and meaningfully for social change as an expression of individual and communal faith.
Outreach at Middle involves many things: missions, financial support, offering meeting space, making available office facilities, providing supportive services, developing programs to meet the needs of a diverse neighborhood and city, and establishing partnerships with communities of faith and other groups to make our local and global neighborhood a home for us all.
Middle Social Action and Outreach is……
- Providing a welcoming and safe space for people living with HIV/AIDS through our Celebrate Life Meal
- Educating the congregation on important issues and providing vehicles for individual and social action through Middle Justice Works
- Enlightening and empowering people do live out God’s call to “speak peace, live peace, and act peace” through Peace Talks
- Establishing Middle Church’s presence as a Community Center through:
- Responding to our call to help those in need through
- Middle Clothes Closet
- Middle Food Pantry
- Butterfly sack lunches for the homeless
- Social Worker and supportive services
- Being engaged in the life and well-being of the neighborhood through
- Second Ave Street Fair
- HOWL Fest
- Lower Manhattan Together
- Creating community, making a difference through
- Jerriese Johnson East Village Gospel Choir
- Ministry to the Concerns of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Communities
- Social Actions (marches, protests, vigils) to advocate for human rights issues in our city, nation, and world
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