OFFICE OF COMMUNITY SERVICES

Lillie Buckingham
Interim Coordinator 901.355.8785

Barbara Barnes
Interim Coordinator 205.792.5524

Elayne Bedney - Secretary (Ext. 143)

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INNER CITY OFFERING
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NOTE:

On June 22, 2007 the Executive Committee voted that Sis. Barbara Barnes and Sis. Lillie Buckingham would serve as interim Community Service/Disaster Relief Coordinators. A Conference Community Service Director will be appointed before the end of the year 2007.

Adventist Community Services encompasses a wide range of ministry endeavors (ADRA, Local Disaster Relief, Homeless Ministries, Foodbank Services, Job Training, Tutoring Programs and more.

Each church is encouraged to explore the needs of their community and inspire their members to use the spiritual gifts and talents to help meet these needs.

In a local Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Community Services Director is responsible for coordinating willing volunteers who wish to help others through specific projects (meals for the homeless, health screenings, disaster relief assistance, etc). Each church decides what their emphasis is, based upon the communities needs and their church's available resources.

Effective Community Services Directors Have:

1. A desire to help other people
2. The ability to organize and inspire volunteers
3. A passion for sharing Christ's love
4. Patience with difficult people
5. The ability to sooth anxious hearts
6. A network of community contacts
7. The confidence of their pastor and church board
8. A vision for what they want to accomplish
9. A longing to make a difference for Christ

An Action Plan

If you are the elected Community Services Director for your church, find out what's been done in the past. What has your Community Services done over the last 10-15 years?

Depending upon your setting, you may walk into a job that's already defined. You're simply taking over where the last leader left off and continuing a well established ministry (i.e. operating a tutoring program for children from low income families).

Then again, you may be step into a role where nothing has been done for years. Before reading any books or manuals that describe what you "should" be doing, go out and learn what other service organizations are in your community. If possible, visit each one and speak with the director. Out of this try to define needs that are not being met. Then ask yourself if your church might be positioned to meet any of these needs.

Once you know what the needs are, talk with the pastor and other key leaders in your church. Get their feedback on the list of needs you have compiled.

Adventist Community Services: Disaster Response (ACS DR)

Adventist Community Services and Health Ministries Institute
March 8-11, 2007
Oakwood University, Huntsville, AL
Download more information [ here ] (Word Document)
For a color PDF, click [ here ]. (get the Acrobat Reader [ here ])

For a registration form, click [ here ].

Adventist Community Services: Disaster Response (ACS DR) operates its Disaster Response program under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Federal emergency Management Agency, the American Red Cross, and many state emergency management agencies. ACS is also a founding member of the inter-agency compact called national Voluntary Organizations Active in disaster (NVOAD) and the affiliated state VOAD’s. South Central Conference/ACS DR is the lead agency in disaster preparedness and response within its five state region of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Northwest Florida.

Services to be provided:

1. Emergency Distribution of Relief Supplies – Services include collecting, processing, and distributing groceries, drinking water, blankets, personal comfort items, diapers, cleaning supplies, hand tools, plastic sheeting, roofing felt, and clothing are provided to meet immediate needs of families.
2. Warehouse Operations- Inter-agency “Reception Centers” for truckloads of donated goods are operated by ACS under contracts with state and local governments.
3. Community Collections- ACS works closely with radio stations, churches and civic groups to gather donated goods when emergency needs exist.
4. Listening Posts and Door to Door Visitation of Victims - The emotional and spiritual needs of disaster victims are addressed by providing opportunities for them to ask questions, chat informally, or request personal prayer.

Inner City Offering 2006
ACS Inner City Offering 2006
December 9, 2006

What is the ACS Inner City Offering?
ACS Inner City Offering is an annual opportunity for people like you to provide financial support to help people who are unemployed, working poor, uninsured and disadvantaged in metropolitan areas throughout the United States and Bermuda.

How does the ACS Inner City Offering work?
The funds collected are used to strengthen local ACS programs that serve people in need through charitable services such as: food pantry services, clothing services, housing assistance, medical and healthcare services, substance abuse awareness and prevention training, job skills training, tutoring and mentoring programs, addiction treatment, crisis intervention, domestic violence aid, family and parenting counseling, teen pregnancy services, homelss shelters and more!

Why is the ACS Inner City Program important?
ACS Inner City Program seeks to lead communities to wholeness by helping community members equip themselves with skills to become self-sufficient.

You can begin investing in people and help build a better world today! Click here to donate.

South Central Conference Disaster State Coordinators:

TBA
Federation President's Coordinator
E-mail

Alabama
Barbara Barnes
Alabama ADR Coord/SCC
Tuscaloosa, AL 35405
E-mail

Mississippi
Sharon Applewhite
Mississippi ADR Coord/SCC
West Point, MS 39773
E-mail

Tennessee
Robert & Lillie Buckingham
Tennessee ADR Coord/SCC
Memphis, TN 38109
E-mail

South Central Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists

OFFICE OF COMMUNITY SERVICES

Services