September 2025

Ministerium Social Outreach and Planning Meeting 
September 4, 2025 
Doug Lamb Conference Room, CPOW 

Welcome: Doug Lamb 

Introductions & Prayer: Doug Lamb 

Community Updates: 

Informational Updates: 

  • EACTC- Gail Viscome 

  • Tutoring at the high school is ongoing. They need volunteers that sit with the students and help keep them on track. These are students who aren’t doing well in a class or are failing. Training for the mentors is available. Look for more info on that, once finalized.  

  • Applied for grants, but no action yet from the government. 

  • Block Party September 13 

  • Rx Take Back at Giant October 25th from 10am to 2pm.  

  • UCEA- Doug Lamb 

  • Community Cupboard 

  • EASD- Jenn Fields 

  • Bear Bags- all volunteer driven and community funded. Shopping available once a week and food bags that go to the schools. 

  • Has a new role at the district. She’s overseeing the 2 social workers and counselors. Look for a flyer from our email. 

  • Homelessness- about 76 students identified at the end of last year, that fall under the mandate. They started the year with 32. The act is McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act 

  • Naaman Center Teen Challenge- Peter Graustein 

  • Faith-based addiction counseling center.  

  • Locations in Etown Borough, Londonderry Township, and Berks County in-treatment center. 

  • Out-patient from 14 years and up, in-patient from 18 years and older. They’re able to get people into treatment, if that’s a need within your congregation. They have high success rates and a huge mission in Kensington (one of the highest open-air drug markets in the country).  

  • Second Grace-  

  • Serves women Lancaster County who are single moms helping them in mentorship, education, and employment areas of their lives. 

  • Love, Inc.- Jay Rairigh 

  • Moved in January to Salem United Methodist Church in Manheim.

  • Call center has had 580 calls, and solved 41% of them through churches. 

  • Served 218 homes home repairs. 

  • The Meal will be ramping up for Thanksgiving with church’s families  

  • Pilot- Faith and Finance course happening next Tuesday, 6pm to 8pm, at Pleasentview in Manheim 

  • Allies come along side of those in the 12 week class to keep them accountable and mentor. They call once a month for 9 months for continued encouragement and accountability. 

  • Reach out to Jay if you have congregants that could benefit from this class. $20 is the cost for the course...dinner included. 

  • Threads & Treads- Galen Russel 

  • Successful event in July 

  • Raised $4,000 at the event and around $11,000 total (including donations from outside the event). 

  • Everance- Lynette Morales 

  • Offer workshops for pastors and congregants that are usually free of charge. 

  • If you want an assessment of your church’s stewardship funds...they offer those for free as well. The deadline has passed, but you can contact Lynette asap to fill out the assessment. 

  • Upcoming Ministerium Events: 

  • The next ministerium meeting will be held September 18th at The Marriage Hub for the Pastor’s Spiritual Enrichment & a light breakfast. 

  • The next Social Outreach & Planning Meeting is scheduled for October 2nd. 

  • Final Block Party Planning Meeting September 10th, 10am at Doug Lamb Construction [1180 Zeager Road, Etown, PA]. We are always in need of help planning the block party and volunteering the day of. To sign up to volunteer: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C4EADAF2CA5F49-56739216-block  To get involved with planning this important community event you can text PLAN to 7173404307.  

  • Elizabethtown Block Party 9/13/25! 

  • Closing Prayer- Various 

Heather Elicker