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Serve Week 2026
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” -1 John 4:11
Serve Week is our week-long initiative connecting our church members with local ministry partners. During Serve Week, we’ll get hands-on experience with our partner ministries, and it is our prayer that we would be able to forge new relationships between our members and these local organizations that extend beyond Serve Week — to all year long! Serve Week is designed with our church’s mission in mind: to make “disciples in our neighborhood, our communities, and the world.”
Serve Week
Check out the opportunities below to minister to our community through our partner ministries with FPC teams during Serve Week. We hope you’ll try out one or more of these opportunities and consider how you might make serving a part of your regular routine.
Daily Service Opportunities
Monday Morning at Mustard Seed
1085 Luckney Road, Brandon
The Mustard Seed seeks to meet the spiritual, physical, emotional, and intellectual needs of adults with developmental disabilities by providing a loving and protected Christian community with meaningful activities that allow the participants to fulfill the potential that God has created within them. Several participants (called “Seedsters”) are members of First Pres!
Join us on Monday, September 28, beginning at 9 a.m. as we will lead an interactive devotional and singing with the Seedsters. From 10-12, we will work at the Mustard Seed campus with a variety of indoor and outdoor projects. Volunteers may come and go if needed and all ages are welcome!
After-School with Oasis at Mission First
417 West Ash Street, Jackson
Come serve with Mission First’s “Oasis” program, a ministry providing after-school care and tutoring for elementary-age children in inner-city Jackson. From 2:30-3:30 p.m., volunteers will provide snacks, help children with homework, and spend time getting to know them. This is a relational ministry and a wonderful opportunity to build meaningful connections while encouraging and investing in the lives of local children.
A Morning at Harbor Day School
6000 Old Canton Road, Jackson
Harbor Day School is a Christ-centered, tuition-free early intervention school serving children from birth to 6 years old with special needs and the families who love them. Here, calling and impact come together, creating a place where children flourish, families find hope, and every act of generosity becomes part of a greater story. At Harbor Day School, your time, talents, and resources help children with special needs discover their God-given purpose while you live out yours.
Join us on Tuesday, September 29, as we assist the kids with their morning circle time and activities. You’ll serve alongside staff members, therapists and other regular volunteers, interacting with the kids from 8:30 until 11 a.m.
Dinner and Evening Chapel at Gateway Rescue Mission
328 S. Gallatin, Jackson
Gateway Rescue Mission serves the homeless on the streets of Jackson by offering clean beds in an overnight shelter and by providing 3 meals a day, 365 days a year. They also offer hope to men seeking help in overcoming addiction through their 6-month, residential, Biblically-based “New Life” program.
Join us on Tuesday, September 29 as we serve the men of Gateway. We’ll serve them dinner beginning at 4 p.m., then worship together in an evening chapel service at 5 p.m. with preaching by David Strain. This is an opportunity to encourage the men in the program, engage with the homeless, and share the love of Jesus Christ with our neighbors. Ages 12 and above are welcome!
An Evening with Internationals
1390 N. State Street, Jackson, Patterson Hall
Since 1995, international students and scholars in the Jackson area have enjoyed our Conversational English Class offered on Tuesday nights at FPC. You can answer God’s call to love our international neighbors while experiencing the joy of “meeting the world” by simply sharing your knowledge of English and the love of Christ through this class. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we pray that many will come to know Christ and become part of God’s family for eternity. Our instruction focuses on pronunciation, idioms, and American culture.
Join us from 5:45-7:30 p.m. in Patterson Hall for an enjoyable evening of English lessons, snacks and fellowship.
Food Distribution with Care Center Ministries
785 N. President Street, Jackson
Serve alongside residents of the Care Center Ministries addiction recovery program in their weekly food distribution (“The Basket”) to those who are at or below the poverty line in downtown Jackson. Fresh food donated by Costco and Sam’s Club is boxed up by volunteers, then distributed to the cars that have lined up all morning. Each car receives a box of food and a prayer led by the volunteers. This is a great opportunity to share the gospel and much needed food with low-income residents in our own neighborhood.
Lunch at Gateway Rescue Mission
For over 25 years, FPC members have served lunch to the homeless in Jackson and the men in the “New Life” program at Gateway Rescue Mission. Volunteers serve from 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. by engaging with the program men who prepare the meal, preparing lunch trays and serving water, as well as sharing a brief devotional from God’s word with the transients. Ages 12 and up are welcome.
We Will Go Food Pantry
328 S. Gallatin, Jackson
Through education, essential food, and engagement, the programs of We Will Go are centered around evangelism and sharing the love of Christ with our neighbors in downtown Jackson.
Join us as we assist with their weekly food pantry on Thursday, October 1. You’ll help box up groceries, distribute to low-income recipients and pray with each one. This is another great opportunity to share the gospel, much needed food and the love of Jesus Christ with our neighbors. All ages are welcome!
Sweet Treats with Care Center Ministries
785 N. President Street, Jackson
Join us for a special evening with the men and women of Care Center Ministries’ addiction recovery program as we gather for a time of preaching, singing, fellowship, and fun! Following a gospel message from Wiley Lowry, we’ll treat our friends at Care Center to an ice cream bar—complete with all the toppings—and spend time with men and women who are working hard to rebuild their lives. You don’t need to have a special skill or experience—just come with a willing heart and a desire to encourage someone who is walking a new path in life. All ages are welcome!
Saturday at Twin Lakes
155 Milner Road, Florence
Join us for a morning at Twin Lakes on Saturday, October 3. We’ll start with sausage and biscuits on the porch of Milner Lodge from 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. Then we’ll work until 11:30 a.m. on meaningful projects that will have an impact on campers and conference goers for years to come. Feel free to bring a picnic, lawn chairs and fishing pole and enjoy the afternoon at Twin Lakes. All ages are welcome!
