The third time He said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” John 21:17 NIV
We believe in community service and volunteerism at Easter Hill. These are projects that our church members organize and volunteer for:
Angel Tree Program: Our yearly Angel Tree program provides Christmas gifts and a party for the one in 28 children in our community living with a parent’s incarceration. EHUMC members deliver gifts to those unable to attend. It is our aim to help these children feel loved and valued. https://www.prisonfellowship.org/about/angel-tree/
Black History Month: Easter Hill UMC celebrates Black History each Sunday in February with members providing presentations about persons, events and factual information regarding the history of a People at both the 8:00A and 10:30A service. The month long celebration includes various forms of historical information and entertainment including musicals by the adult as well as the Youth and Children’s Ministry. Soul Food tasting, health fairs and performances by the Black Cowboys have been integral productions during the month’s celebrations. Members of the greater community are invited to attend.
California Alliance for Retired Americans (CARA): Once monthly, representative(s) from Easter Hill travels to Sacramento to attend the meetings of CARA that lobbies for the rights and needs of the Senior community with emphasis on Medicare and Social Security issues. Aging issues facing seniors are of great consequence to the entire community as the U.S. population lives longer. Easter Hill is committed to serving and being at the forefront of topics of interest and importance to this populous. http://www.californiaalliance.org
GRIP: Our church proudly supports the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program (GRIP), www.gripcares.org an organization that feeds, clothes and provides living spaces for those in need. Our support for GRIP includes a year-round food drive for their Souper Kitchen with church members volunteering weekly at the Kitchen. Once yearly, in the fall, the Church and Society Ministry collects and delivers gently used clothing to GRIP. The Senior Committee at Easter Hill recruits volunteers to participate in GRIP’s yearly Harmony Walk to raise money for the organization. www.gripcares.org
Mission Food Baskets: Easter Hill members in association with city and county charities and grants provide 100 food baskets at Thanksgiving and Christmas to those in the community needing assistance. A family in need, in alliance with city and county organizations, must pre-register and sign up for baskets to receive one.
The Prayer Ministry: The Easter Hill Intercessory Prayer Ministry and the Upper Room Remote Prayer Center provide prayer and support for church members and community requests for prayer as well as prayer to callers from all over the world needing prayer and encouragement. Easter Hill is the designated United Methodist Church Upper Room Prayer Center request call in: 1-800-251-2468.
Scholarships: Easter Hill UMC is proud of its commitment to education. We provide scholarships toward the education of our youth: (1) The United Methodist Men (UMM), (2) The United Methodist Women (UMW) and (3) the Youth Educational Scholarship (YES) awards monies to college bound students. Throughout the year fund raising efforts for each scholarship includes golf tournaments, musicals, high teas and other activities where monies raised from these endeavors are marked toward the education of our youth. The students must meet criteria for grades, written goals, accomplishments, etc. Each of the scholarship monies are awarded no matter their church affiliation or city/state of residence.
Voter Registration: Easter Hill members take the civic duty of voter registration seriously. Members of the Church and Society Ministry volunteer at Contra Costa College, Farmer’s Markets, and other locations throughout the city to register voters. The League of Women Voters: www.lwv.org, supports the church volunteers in this endeavor.
“Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.”
Isaiah 58:10