One of the great things about my church is the amount of missions that we take part in. This has been the reputation of the Lacey United Methodist Church in Forked River, New Jersey, for quite some time now. The Mount Zion mission at LUMC houses homeless veterans in coordination with Vetworks. We also offer a Hot Lunch Program on Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon. The Hope Chest Food Pantry is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 12:30pm and 1:30pm for anyone in need of food. The Joy Of Angels Thrift Shoppe not only raises money for our missions through sales but also gives clothing and necessities to those in need.
In addition to those mentioned above, LUMC also participates and hosts many fundraisers and community events throughout the year. A good measure of success for any church is the increase of membership. I have witnessed a fair amount of newcomers entering our church over the past two years. Covid had really messed with the attendance rate, especially among children, leaving every church struggling to make a comeback.
Since last year, I have been determined to increase our youth attendance. After all, they are the future of our church. The Sunday School attendance has increased over the previous year, even though there are some weeks when sports and other activities interfere. Sunday School is currently off for the summer but will be returning on September 7th. I should be moving the youth to a classroom sometime next year.
On Sunday, August 24th, we will be hosting a video game competition at 12:00pm until 2:00pm. There will be pizza and refreshments. This event is taking place with the help of an intern, Chris Campbell. It is advertised for all ages, but one of our goals is to also get older youth involved. There are also plans for the youth to take over one of our services. I am excited for what the future holds and maybe we can get younger members that are willing to be a part of this revolution.
