Local Outreach & Mission Trips

A willingness to serve is the greatest indicator of a Christ-focused and healthy church. First United Methodist Church of Arlington is committed to providing opportunities to serve and share the love of Christ with our neighbors locally and around the world. Below is a list of ways to help be the hands and feet of Jesus through local outreach and mission trips.

Looking for a place to serve but not sure where to start? Let us help you - send us an email or give us a call!

Refugee Services of Texas

We are saddened to announce that our apartment set-up partnership with Refugee Services of Texas (RST) will be ending. Due to a loss of funding, RST's Fort Worth office will be closing on May 31. We want to express our sincere gratitude to each and every one of our faithful volunteers and those who have donated items and financial gifts for the apartment set-ups. Your dedication and unwavering commitment to loving God and loving people has made a significant impact on the lives of the many families we have had the privilege to serve. For more information on RST's closing, please see the news article at the link below.

news article about rst

NEW DAY

New Day, a ministry that supports food insufficient students in Arlington ISD, has opened it's fourth site at Good Shepherd UMC. We believe God calls us to serve our neighbor at the most basic levels, and would love for you to partner with us.

Ways to Be Involved: 

• Package and assemble food with us each week (ongoing and flexible)
• Be a delivery driver (typically Thursdays) to our school partners.
• Help to transport food from wholesale to the pantry at the Good Shepherd UMC.
• Donate money directly to New Day here or through First UMC Arlington to New Day to purchase the food.
• Donate single serving packages of food from the following list to the church office at Good Shepherd UMC:

For more information on getting involved, contact Rev. Molly Hayes, Lead Pastor at Good Shepherd UMC.

PARTNER WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS

We have volunteer opportunities available at local schools, including Kooken Educational Center, Thornton Elementary, and Carter Junior High. Throughout the school year we provide teacher encouragement & appreciation (goody bags, breakfasts, etc). Other opportunities include volunteering at special events like Trunk or Treat. For more information, visit the link below or contact Betsy Spencer.

school partnership opportunities

EMERGENCY RESPONSE TRAINING

One of the primary ways the Central Texas Conference responds to disasters is via our Early Response Teams (ERT). The Central Texas Conference ERTs respond to disasters within the conference, as well as to help other areas facing disasters. The mission of an Early Response Team is to provide a caring presence in the aftermath of a disaster, under very specific guidelines that enables a team to be productive and caring while causing no further harm or being a burden to the affected community.

If you are called to serve as a member of the CtC ERT, you must register and participate in one of the trainings taught throughout the year. These trainings are taught by "authorized" UMCOR trainers, and team members are given authorized ERT ID badges from UMCOR as evidence of completing the training. The topics covered in the class include the who, what, when, where and how of doing disaster response ministry, as expected to accomplish in the face of a disaster. All volunteers must have completed the ERT training, in addition to Ministry Safe.

If interested in completing the requirements to be an ERT member, please contact Rev. Michelle Clark for more information.

LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND PROJECTS

THE ARLINGTON LIFE SHELTER

The Life Shelter is Arlington’s primary homeless shelter. It provides short-term shelter and services that assist the homeless integrate into their own housing and find employment if needed. FUMC of Arlington supports the Life Shelter through two dinner teams and two breakfast teams per month.

Volunteer Opportunities

• Miscellaneous projects throughout the year such as helping process mailings, teaching classes, helping with the children, etc. 
• To volunteer for other projects please call: 817-548-9885
• Work on a food team, make sandwiches

ARLINGTON URBAN MINISTRIES & Nu2U Resale Store

Collaboration by Arlington United Methodist churches to provide assistance to those in transition or crisis through financial assistance, emergency food and toiletries and spiritual support.

Volunteer Opportunities

• Collect shelf-stable food  and hygiene items for street homeless sack lunches/homeless student backpacks (check AUM monthly newsletter or email Kathryn Dowd for current needs) 

• Do a hot weather bottled water/Gatorade drive for the street homeless 

• Donate for school uniforms/backpacks for homeless AISD students contact Kathryn Dowd) 

• Provide holiday assistance for an AUM family participating in our Rental Assistance Program (contact Valda Ridgely) 

• Serve  on the Boots, Chaps and Cowboy Hats fundraising event Committee or join with others to create a themed donation basket for the Boots Silent Auction (Email Executive Director Jennifer Weber) 

• Greet and serve customers on the sales floor or sort and organize donations (Contact Store Manager Patti Casey) 

• Organize a donation drive for Nu2U (Contact Store Manager Patti Casey for current needs) 

FIRST FRIDAYS

A program designed to provide an evening of respite for parents of special needs children once a month during the school year. A team of volunteers provides childcare the first Friday of each month while parents enjoy a night out with friends and family or tend to home needs.

Volunteer Opportunities

• Be a playmate to a special needs child or sibling
• Provide a meal for the volunteers
• Provide special entertainment such as storytelling, music, magic tricks, etc.
• Volunteer coordinator: Rev. Kay Lancaster 817-274-2571

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

An ecumenical partnership of God’s people in building affordable houses to help strengthen neighborhoods. Both FUMC of Arlington as a whole, as well as individual Sunday school classes, participate in Habitat projects during the year.

Volunteer Opportunities

• Construction—build on a worksite
• Assist with special events
• Help in the office with clerical duties
• Volunteer Coordinator for the church: Rev. Michelle Clark 817-274-2571 

OTHER WAYS TO GET INVOLVED IN ARLINGTON

• Work with the children at the Life Shelter with reading and evening activities while parents are in classes.
• Bake cookies and make placemats for Kairos Prison Ministry that participate in four weekends per year at the men’s and women’s prisons.
• Assist at the Christian Women’s Job Corps by mentoring a participant, helping out in the office, leading or assisting in the classroom, helping with technology – there is something for everyone!
• Go on a short-term trip to the south Texas coast to help rebuild after Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
• Build with Habitat for Humanity or provide food for volunteers that are working to provide affordable housing to families in Tarrant, Johnson, and Erath counties.
• Partner with Project Transformation team at FUMC to provide meals or be a summer reading buddy for a week for struggling students trying to improve their reading.
• Connect with the Wesley Foundation student ministry at the University of Texas at Arlington. Provide a meal for worship night, “adopt” a student not from this area, assist pastor with special projects.
• Be a Clinic Day Volunteer at Justice for our Neighbors. Do you have good people skills and an interest in meeting people from foreign lands? Can you provide a warm welcome while at the same time collecting very personal and confidential information? Help 1 or 2 times per month on a weekday for 3 or 6 hours (morning or afternoon… or both!) Days of Service: Second Wednesday at Genesis United Methodist Church in Fort Worth, Second Thursday at Arapaho United Methodist Church, and Second Saturday at First United Methodist Church Grapevine.
• Help receive and sort food at Arlington Charities.
• Drive for Meals on Wheels and connect with local elderly or disabled who need the nutrition and friendship.
• Sing, play the piano, do crafts at a nearby nursing facility