Next Steps Fellowship – October 10

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Walking Together with Our Homeless Neighbors

Do you want to be part of a new effort through Good Sam to reach out and better care for our neighbors? So far, we have made a good start with “Our Daily Bread” Food Pantry and through the WARM program. Here is a new and engaging opportunity called the Next Steps Fellowship!

Since the spring, leaders from Good Sam, Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, Ascension Episcopal Church, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, the Department of Social Services, Three Oaks Shelter, and Southern Maryland Rescue Ministries, Inc. have met together every two weeks to develop the mission and vision for Next Steps Fellowship.

next stepsOur mission is to develop relationships between members of faith communities and the homeless community, with transformation, growth, and life change happening on both sides. In order to accomplish this, we are creating a regular fellowship of folks who want to be about this process.

It is a Fellowship of Companions and Advocates

A primary activity of this fellowship of companions and advocates is to gather ourselves for training, encouragement, visioning, and problem-solving as we seek to empower each other in caring for our neighbors in ways that are safe for both us and them. During our time together, we hope to build healthy community, share techniques, and invite others to join us in this work that belongs to the whole Christian community.

At these fellowship meetings, we will move toward making a difference in the lives of others by:

  • Receiving training for being in relationship with individuals in need and who are homeless
  • Sharing new and helpful resources in our greater community that are available to address specific needs our neighbors have
  • Praying together and seeking encouragement for the relationships we have begun
  • Problem-solving our specific situations where the next step is not clear or easily discovered
  • Emphasizing relationship, care, good boundaries, and safety for all
  • Learning techniques for choosing a neighbor to help, as well as when and where to find them
  • Sharing approaches that worked for us
  • Caring for one another in this ministry to our neighbors

If you enjoy learning about relationships, meeting new people, caring for people who are struggling, and/or connecting people to community resources that can really help them—this fellowship may just be for you. We will encourage each other and learn effective ways to make a difference.

We invite you to the monthly fellowship meeting at 6:30 pm on Thursday, October 10 at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church (23101 Town Creek Drive, Lexington Park, MD 20653).