Family Promise Host Week Dec. 3-10
12-5-23
We are blessed to host and serve families who are experiencing a housing crisis this week through Family Promise. Thank you to all who are serving and thank you for praying! If you serve this week or have ever served through Family Promise, we’d love to hear about your experience! The Family Promise leadership team will be in Community Room 3 after the service on Sunday, Dec. 10. Please stop in to enjoy a special “thank you” donut, share your experience, and any suggestions you have for how we can continue to strengthen this ministry to support both the guests and volunteers. You can also provide feedback through the QR code.
11-28-23
Our Family Promise guests will be arriving this Sunday, December 3! Here is a glimpse into how the week is spent for the guests and our church volunteers. On Sunday after church, volunteers will move in beds and other supplies to set up our Sunday school rooms upstairs as bedrooms for up to 5 families (often a mother or father with a few children). The guests arrive at church in the evening for Sunday dinner and to settle in for the new week, greeted by a dinner host volunteer. During the week, the guests spend each weekday at a job or at the Family Promise Center where support is provided to help families address barriers and identify new housing, and children are bused to their schools. Each night, they return to church for a dinner prepared by our volunteers. At least one volunteer host is available for the evening to play with children or help in other small ways as families relax for the evening. Two volunteers come at 8:30 PM to be the overnight representatives from our church on site. The volunteers are available for any needs that arise but also get a good night’s sleep on rollaway cots in a private area of the main room. After helping to make sure all guests are up, everyone is out the door again by 7 AM.
On Saturdays, the Family Promise Center is not open, so the church is open all day and volunteers are available in 2-hour shifts throughout the day to provide hospitality to those who stay in to rest and to open the doors for those who may be coming and going with activities during the day. The week wraps up on Sunday morning with volunteers transporting guests and their belongings back to Family Promise and cleaning up to convert the space back into Sunday school classrooms. There are many ways you can get involved! Please look at the Sign-Up Genius to see the spots that remain open where you could serve. If you are interested in a role but would like to observe for the first time, we’d love to pair you up with an experienced volunteer. Please click HERE for SignUpGenius. Please call or text Joel Wierenga (215) 859-0380 or Marijo Zimmerman (616) 446-5246 if you have questions about volunteering.
11-21-23
Fifth has supported Family Promise for more than 25 years but if you have never volunteered, you might have lots of questions about what this ministry looks like in action. We encourage you to watch this 3-minute video to get a glimpse of what you can be a part of when you sign up to support families experiencing a housing crisis this December 3-10. Could you share a pizza on Saturday night with our guests? Or help with moving beds out and cleaning up on the final Sunday morning? Would you like to learn more about what is involved in staying overnight at church? Those who’ve done it say you’ll be surprised how easy it is! A Family Promise team leader will be in the Lobby following worship to assist anyone who needs help signing up. We would love to answer any questions you have!
click HERE for SignUpGenius.
11-14-23
Our Family Promise guests who are experiencing a crisis in housing will be arriving for the week on Sunday, December 3 and all are invited to consider how you can show God’s love expressed through hospitality. Opportunities are still open to bring meals or to be a gracious “host” making sure families feel welcome in our church home during the weekday evenings, during the day on Saturday, and overnight. Please use the Sign-Up Genius by using this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0E4BAAAF2EA64-33685453-family#/.
You won’t want to miss out if God is calling you to help. A Family Promise coordinator will be in the Lobby following the service to assist anyone who needs help signing up or wants to learn more about what it is like to volunteer. All questions are welcome!
