Come Serve With Us! 
Feeding the 5,000 – Covid Style! 
GPC’s Lenten Mission Project

The traditional Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving come together in our Lenten Mission Project. Maybe you give up a category of food, like desserts, or maybe you give up food for an entire day, so that you can devote more time to God and God’s people. Some people choose to give up television or video games and use the time for prayer and service to others.
This year, instead of collecting 5,000 food items at the church building, our goal is to raise $5,000 for three local agencies: Manna Food Bank (which feeds all of Montgomery County), UpCounty Consolidation Hub (created almost overnight to meet the emergency needs of Germantown residents), and Gaithersburg HELP (our local food pantry).
Food continues to be an important need in our community. Children who were accustomed to eating at school are missing meals. Adults who have lost jobs and/or who do not qualify for government assistance struggle to feed their families. Our seniors sometimes choose to buy groceries or buy their prescription medicines. Additionally, many neighbors are facing evictions or cut-offs of their water, electricity, and gas.
Give through the mobile app or mail a check to the church or hand-deliver a check to Mary Beth Lawrence. By the way, she is convinced that a goal of $20,000 is not out of our reach.
And a special bonus for those of you who have extra food in your pantries – on Saturday, March 13, church members have volunteered to drive by your home and collect your bags and boxes of food. Email the church office to let Pastor Mary Beth know you want a pick-up.
God of compassion,
we praise you that you look upon our frail lives
with love and understanding,
and that you desire for us all
new life in Jesus Christ.
We are overwhelmed by your love,
which goes to the cross for us,
endures the grave,
and leads us to new life.
By your Spirit,
strengthen our souls
to be brave and bold in Christ’s service.
Take our offerings,
and use them for your purposes,
in the name of Jesus Christ,
our crucified and risen Lord. Amen.
(from The Book of Common Worship)
Help Cook for the MCCH Men’s Shelter! 
We cook hot breakfasts that are delivered to the shelter in Rockville.
- 200 residents receive hot Saturday and Sunday breakfast!
- No experience is necessary – all are welcome!







The Lord’s Table 
Preparing and Serving Brown Bagged Lunches at Epworth Methodist Church

#Refugees Welcome 
Help Outfit an Apartment for a Refugee Family

“…I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” —Matthew 25:35

Rebuilding Together 
Helping provide low-income homeowners with safer homes
Rebuilding Together Montgomery County (RTMC) offers low-income homeowners safe and healthy home repairs at no cost to the recipient. Over the course of a year, RTMC repairs the homes of more than 100 families, reducing their financial burdens and improving the quality of life for more than 500 people across our county. RTMC’s critical services preserve safe and affordable housing, prevent homelessness, protect a family’s most valuable asset, and stabilize our vulnerable communities. GPC works with RTMC to provide home repair services. This program depends entirely on volunteers to repair and/or renovate the homes. Projects take place for one day in April. Volunteers do not need to be GPC members; anyone older than 14 years of age with any skill level (but experts are also needed!) can participate. GPC offers scholarships to volunteers who cannot afford to contribute toward materials for the projects.



Gaithersburg HELP 
Lending support to this local food pantry in many ways

SOME (So Others Might Eat) 
Serving up French toast and more on the first Tuesday of every month

Volunteers can participate in two ways: (1) join the GPC SOME Crew and help cook breakfast when you can, and (2) donate the ingredients for breakfast. The SOME Crew is made up of people who have said that they would like to help prepare breakfast at SOME with a group from GPC. Each month an e-mail is sent to everyone on the list and a group is assembled based on the responses.
Prison Ministry 
Connecting with local inmates

Community Schools 
Supporting students and teachers in many ways

We’ve changed our name but not our mission. More than 10 years ago, GPC began its involvement with Summit Hall Elementary School. Our goal is still to reach out to families and students that need extra help with winter clothing and occasional money for groceries and necessities not covered by food stamps. In 2018, the Community Engagement committee expanded our reach to include Rosemont Elementary School and Forest Oak Middle School. These schools have similar needs and are grateful for the goods and gift cards we can send their way as well as our prayers and good wishes.
A few summers ago, Summit Hall ES added two eight-classroom portables. The teamwork of GPC men that helped move classroom materials and even two pianos to meet the deadline for the beginning of school was remarkable. Unfortunately the portables take up so much space that the loved Move It Monday running program that we helped staff had to be discontinued.
GPC volunteers still help in classrooms at Summit Hall, by working on math or writing with the students, and doing copying for the teachers. One member has diligently updated the bookroom used by the teachers. Our support to Rosemont ES and Forest Oak MS is primarily through contributions.
Collecting Box Tops for Education is something we can all do by checking our food boxes and labels. These little stamp-like items earn money for the schools to spend on extras that their budget can’t provide. There are collection boxes in Lindsay Hall and the church office.
Our Christmas Giving Tree tags help GPC members know the needs of families, so that many of our members can support the school families. Some volunteers have worked on trash pickup, trimming trees, planting chrysanthemums, and providing craft programs for kids during family dinners at school. One summer, the GPC youth group spent a 90° day helping with outdoor cleanup, and cooling off inside, labeling new books for the bookroom.
The opportunities are endless and new events may include meeting with a group of mothers to get to know them and have them hear English in an informal learning opportunity. Also, a reading specialist is looking for volunteers to help collate papers into packets.
Some of the mothers of Summit Hall students helped us cook breakfasts at GPC for the Men’s Shelter. They look forward to another opportunity to join in that activity.
Please consider helping us with this neighborhood project. The rewards cannot be measured.
Interfaith Works Women’s Center

Week of Meals
December 19–25, 2021 {DATES TO BE CONFIRMED}