Opportunities to Serve
Use your unique gifts and talents to invest in the community around you. Whether you volunteer within the GracePoint walls or outside in our neighborhoods, Giving Grace through service is at the heart of who we are. (1 Peter 4:10) Signing up to serve is also a great way to get connected with others in our church family!
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Ministry happens at GracePoint because of people just like you! There are lots of ways you can be involved.
Check them out here. The Community Life team wants to help connect your passions and gifts with the right ministry opportunity. Take this quick Spiritual Gifts Assessment to see where you are gifted. You will be able to see your results once you finish and a member of the Community Life team will be in touch with you to help guide your next steps. |
Connecting with our surrounding community is a foundational element of our mission to
Encounter Grace, Grow in Grace, and Give Grace.
By supporting specific community organizations we can develop meaningful relationships
through consistent service opportunities.
Encounter Grace, Grow in Grace, and Give Grace.
By supporting specific community organizations we can develop meaningful relationships
through consistent service opportunities.
Option 1 Women’s Health Center helps women and families experiencing unplanned pregnancy to make the healthiest choices for themselves and their unborn children. Option 1 provides free pregnancy testing, parenting education, abortion information, pregnancy assistance, STD information, post-abortion counseling, and abortion alternatives.
Looking for ways you can get directly involved? Option 1 is currently seeking volunteers in the below areas:
Ready to learn more? If you have a heart for building healthy families or practically supporting the ministry of Option 1 through the love and grace of Jesus Christ, contact Laura at csd@option1.org for details today.
Looking for ways you can get directly involved? Option 1 is currently seeking volunteers in the below areas:
- Client Advocates, who work side-by-side with moms and their partners who have courageously said “YES” to life by leading them through the “Earn While You Learn” program. There is no class preparation that needs to be done by the Client Advocate for these classes; Option 1 only asks that these volunteers come ready to love clients where they’re at. Client Advocates serve twice a month during evening time slots.
- Cleaning Volunteer, who will come and clean Option 1’s office location 1-2 times per month. All supplies are provided on-site for the light cleaning duties required, so there is no need for you to bring your own. If you’ve been thinking about getting involved at Option 1 but don’t feel that working directly with patients or clients is the right fit, maybe this is the spot for you!
- Reception Team, responsible for welcoming all visitors into the Option 1 center, checking clients in and out of their visits, as well as scheduling appointments and other day-to-day tasks that keep Option 1 moving. If you are organized, have proficient computer skills and excellent written and verbal communication skills, Option 1 would love to hear from you!
- Men’s Mentoring, Option 1 is seeking men who will serve not necessarily as a mentor or a client’s male support person at this point, but rather have a passion for behind-the-scenes leadership. These men will be a part of building the Men’s Mentoring program from the ground up! Prayerfully consider how you can be a part of shaping this ministry to men in our community.
Ready to learn more? If you have a heart for building healthy families or practically supporting the ministry of Option 1 through the love and grace of Jesus Christ, contact Laura at csd@option1.org for details today.
The mission of the Brookings Backpack Project (BBP) is to assist children and youth in Brookings who may not have enough food to eat at home by providing them with easy-to-prepare weekend meals and snacks throughout the year. By helping to sustain these children, BBP seeks to promote their physical, cognitive and social development, and to enhance their overall sense of well-being.
Did you know? According to the most recent census data, about 18% of the Brookings population lives below the poverty line—more than the national average of 12.3%.
Before the COVID-19 crisis, the food insecurity rate for children in Brookings County was over 13.7%. We know the data always lags a couple of years behind the reality, so that means more than 13.7% of kids in our community are currently struggling to get by without proper nourishment.
Brookings Backpack Project, one of our GracePoint Community Partners, serves directly to meet this need—and you can help in November and December. Brookings Backpack Project assists children and youth in Brookings County who may not have enough food at home, by providing them with easy-to-prepare weekend meals and snacks throughout the year.
Every week, about 450 bags of food are packed and distributed through local school systems, discreetly providing students with nourishment to get through the weekend. The number of children supported has dramatically increased this school year, especially now that many COVID relief programs have ended.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Along with our other Community Partner organizations, Brookings Backpack Project offers an entry point to serve, learn more about the realities we’re facing every day as a community, and grow into areas of further involvement at whatever level you’re able to commit to. Just sign up to serve and start asking questions!
Ready to see where God will lead? Check out the dates and sign up to volunteer with Brookings Backpack Project here.
Did you know? According to the most recent census data, about 18% of the Brookings population lives below the poverty line—more than the national average of 12.3%.
Before the COVID-19 crisis, the food insecurity rate for children in Brookings County was over 13.7%. We know the data always lags a couple of years behind the reality, so that means more than 13.7% of kids in our community are currently struggling to get by without proper nourishment.
Brookings Backpack Project, one of our GracePoint Community Partners, serves directly to meet this need—and you can help in November and December. Brookings Backpack Project assists children and youth in Brookings County who may not have enough food at home, by providing them with easy-to-prepare weekend meals and snacks throughout the year.
Every week, about 450 bags of food are packed and distributed through local school systems, discreetly providing students with nourishment to get through the weekend. The number of children supported has dramatically increased this school year, especially now that many COVID relief programs have ended.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Along with our other Community Partner organizations, Brookings Backpack Project offers an entry point to serve, learn more about the realities we’re facing every day as a community, and grow into areas of further involvement at whatever level you’re able to commit to. Just sign up to serve and start asking questions!
Ready to see where God will lead? Check out the dates and sign up to volunteer with Brookings Backpack Project here.
If we stop and think about what would happen if we went through a hard time, many of us might say we have plenty of people we could reach out to for support—relatives, friends, neighbors, coworkers, church family, etc. What do people do when they DON’T have those safe, supportive relationships in their lives? That’s the relational poverty facing so much of our community and culture right now. But here’s where we turn the tables, GracePoint—even if we ourselves grew up without those supports in our lives when we were kids, we can be that support in the life of a kid now! YOU are the only person who can connect with a K-12 student in our community the way YOU can! Consider being matched with a K-12 student on BCYMP’s waiting list.
BCYMP will fully train you, equip you, and match you with a student in the Brookings area. You just commit to meet with your mentee 1 hour a week for 1 school year. It doesn’t have to be intimidating, and you don’t need any special qualifications. BCYMP will even help out with providing a place to meet or suggesting ideas for activities to do together.
Find out how you can be a part of this important work in Brookings County.
BCYMP will fully train you, equip you, and match you with a student in the Brookings area. You just commit to meet with your mentee 1 hour a week for 1 school year. It doesn’t have to be intimidating, and you don’t need any special qualifications. BCYMP will even help out with providing a place to meet or suggesting ideas for activities to do together.
Find out how you can be a part of this important work in Brookings County.
If you are searching for a way to support BCYMP with in-kind donations, here it is! These are needs for both our office and from Mentees/their families.
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Donations can be dropped off to:
601 4th Street, Suite 107, Brookings (feel free to email bcymp@bcymentoring.org if you want to make sure we will be in the office.)
OR
Central Bank, 600 Main Ave, Brookings -- ANYTIME during banking hours now through the end of the month!
601 4th Street, Suite 107, Brookings (feel free to email bcymp@bcymentoring.org if you want to make sure we will be in the office.)
OR
Central Bank, 600 Main Ave, Brookings -- ANYTIME during banking hours now through the end of the month!
What are the real needs in Brookings? Consider some of the resources and abilities that can often be taken for granted in our society. For instance, if someone needs to go to the doctor, how hard is it to get in a vehicle and go?
For hundreds of people in our community, this is a rigorous, often daunting challenge. Those of us who struggle with disability or disorders might find it difficult or impossible to drive; those of us who struggle with financial insecurity might not have a vehicle or a source of reliable transportation. Many, many people face life daily without a supportive network or relationships or a sense of belonging to a community.
Volunteer Service Bank exists specifically to meet needs like these—neighbors helping neighbors—serving the Brookings community for more than 25 years as a locally funded non-profit organization that is committed to making a difference.
VSB volunteers provide services to the elderly, youth, people with disabilities, and under-resourced individuals of our community in 3 main ways:
With increasing demands on community resources, combined with an unprecedented rise in the need for access to healthcare and mental health services during the pandemic, VSB is more in need of volunteer drivers than ever. If you have a driver’s license, reliable transportation, and a desire to be a real and meaningful presence in the lives of neighbors in a time of need, click here to download a volunteer signup form and learn more.
For hundreds of people in our community, this is a rigorous, often daunting challenge. Those of us who struggle with disability or disorders might find it difficult or impossible to drive; those of us who struggle with financial insecurity might not have a vehicle or a source of reliable transportation. Many, many people face life daily without a supportive network or relationships or a sense of belonging to a community.
Volunteer Service Bank exists specifically to meet needs like these—neighbors helping neighbors—serving the Brookings community for more than 25 years as a locally funded non-profit organization that is committed to making a difference.
VSB volunteers provide services to the elderly, youth, people with disabilities, and under-resourced individuals of our community in 3 main ways:
- Medical Transportation: helping people get to & from their much-needed medical appointments, including routine physical or psychiatric care
- Errand Helping: picking up pre-ordered groceries or assisting with grocery shopping for those unable to perform these tasks on their own
- Snow Removal: providing safe walkways, steps, and driveways for people who have difficulty getting around at home
With increasing demands on community resources, combined with an unprecedented rise in the need for access to healthcare and mental health services during the pandemic, VSB is more in need of volunteer drivers than ever. If you have a driver’s license, reliable transportation, and a desire to be a real and meaningful presence in the lives of neighbors in a time of need, click here to download a volunteer signup form and learn more.
The Safety Plan Providers program is an opportunity to become a part of a family’s “safety plan,” offering loving care in the form of in-home visits and regular check-ins, to walk with parents and children who are in the process of making positive changes toward safety in the home.
This program was piloted in Huron a couple of years ago with encouraging results, and GracePoint has the opportunity to help begin this program in Brookings.
Please take some time to prayerfully consider this opportunity to connect with a family in need of supportive relationships here in Brookings. This is a real and meaningful way to love our neighbors where they’re at and fill a critical gap in our community while building lasting connections that can quite frankly change lives - theirs and yours. We give thanks that God has opened this door and that He’s put GracePoint here to answer!
Commitments may be short-term or long-term, and check-in times/frequency are flexible according to your availability.
There will be a CPS Family Safety Plan Provider Training, Monday, July 11, 5:30-7:30PM in Room 210. If this time doesn't work for you, please contact Pastor Serenity at smiller@gracepointwesleyan.org to coordinate a time for training.
This program was piloted in Huron a couple of years ago with encouraging results, and GracePoint has the opportunity to help begin this program in Brookings.
Please take some time to prayerfully consider this opportunity to connect with a family in need of supportive relationships here in Brookings. This is a real and meaningful way to love our neighbors where they’re at and fill a critical gap in our community while building lasting connections that can quite frankly change lives - theirs and yours. We give thanks that God has opened this door and that He’s put GracePoint here to answer!
Commitments may be short-term or long-term, and check-in times/frequency are flexible according to your availability.
There will be a CPS Family Safety Plan Provider Training, Monday, July 11, 5:30-7:30PM in Room 210. If this time doesn't work for you, please contact Pastor Serenity at smiller@gracepointwesleyan.org to coordinate a time for training.
Ever look around and wish you knew your neighbors better? Maybe you've lived in the same spot for years and you've never learned your neighbor's name—and now it would be awkward to ask! Or maybe you just moved into a new neighborhood and you're not sure how to introduce yourself without feeling intrusive.
Here at GracePoint, the heart of our hospitality & local outreach ministry is to be people who "welcome actual people into our actual lives." One way we do this is by hosting Summer Block Parties all over Brookings and the surrounding area!
Hosting a block party is an easy way to remove barriers between neighbors, connect with one another, and develop meaningful, family-friendly relationships with the people around us.
From July through August, our goal is to see GracePointers host 20 block parties! Whether it's a small backyard BBQ or a big bash at a local park, here's an open invitation for you to invite everybody over and build relationships to last year-round. Who knows, maybe you'll begin a new annual tradition that brings people together year after year!
We want to make it as easy as possible for you to host a party. Our block party "starter kit” includes a party trailer with a bounce house and lawn games, a readymade packet of invitation flyers, a planning checklist, and more—including a $100 gift card for you to purchase food or supplies to host a gathering!
There are two ways to be involved:
1) Sign up to host a party! You'll receive a planning packet to start the process. Choose a date, invite your neighbors, get out the grill, round up some friends to help, and start building community!
2) Talk to your neighbors who already attend GracePoint, and recruit a team to host together. If you know other GracePointers in your area, get together to plan a block party as a group. The more the merrier!
Our mission as a church family is to be people who Encounter Grace, Grow in Grace, and Give Grace. Let's be thinking and praying through ways a neighborhood gathering can open doors into the lives of those around us—for His grace to be experienced and His presence to be made known. Practicing hospitality (Romans 12:13) and loving our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31) is a simple way for us to give grace.
Ready to host a Summer Block Party in July or August? Stop by the Info Center to receive a planning packet full of suggestions and resources. Or, request a digital planning kit here.
Questions? Email Pastor Serenity.
Here at GracePoint, the heart of our hospitality & local outreach ministry is to be people who "welcome actual people into our actual lives." One way we do this is by hosting Summer Block Parties all over Brookings and the surrounding area!
Hosting a block party is an easy way to remove barriers between neighbors, connect with one another, and develop meaningful, family-friendly relationships with the people around us.
From July through August, our goal is to see GracePointers host 20 block parties! Whether it's a small backyard BBQ or a big bash at a local park, here's an open invitation for you to invite everybody over and build relationships to last year-round. Who knows, maybe you'll begin a new annual tradition that brings people together year after year!
We want to make it as easy as possible for you to host a party. Our block party "starter kit” includes a party trailer with a bounce house and lawn games, a readymade packet of invitation flyers, a planning checklist, and more—including a $100 gift card for you to purchase food or supplies to host a gathering!
There are two ways to be involved:
1) Sign up to host a party! You'll receive a planning packet to start the process. Choose a date, invite your neighbors, get out the grill, round up some friends to help, and start building community!
2) Talk to your neighbors who already attend GracePoint, and recruit a team to host together. If you know other GracePointers in your area, get together to plan a block party as a group. The more the merrier!
Our mission as a church family is to be people who Encounter Grace, Grow in Grace, and Give Grace. Let's be thinking and praying through ways a neighborhood gathering can open doors into the lives of those around us—for His grace to be experienced and His presence to be made known. Practicing hospitality (Romans 12:13) and loving our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31) is a simple way for us to give grace.
Ready to host a Summer Block Party in July or August? Stop by the Info Center to receive a planning packet full of suggestions and resources. Or, request a digital planning kit here.
Questions? Email Pastor Serenity.