The challenge: Donate 50,000 hours of service to our community.

Are you up to the challenge?

Mt. Gilead has identified Churches in Mission and the five elementary schools in the Mooresville Consolidated School Corp. to help in the Mooresville community in 2011. We believe that if the majority of people focus their efforts to volunteer in these areas we can maximize our impact on Mooresville. 

Opportunities at the elementary schools

Guest reader: A guest reader is someone who comes into a classroom and reads a book to a class or helps an individual student read a book. This is a one-time commitment for one hour at the elementary school of your choosing.

Study buddy: A study buddy is someone who schedules weekly time with a teacher to help a student or group of students with homework. This is a one hour a week commitment at the same school for three months.

If you are interested in either of these opportunities, contact the school of your choosing (schools and phone numbers are listed below). If it helps, follow this simple script: "Hi, my name is ________. I am from Mt. Gilead Church and I would like to be a (guest reader or study buddy)." The school will walk you through the rest of the process to get you started.

Mooresville has five elementary schools:

• Neil Armstrong, 831.9210, www.mcsc.k12.in.us/narmstrong/
• Newby, 831.9212, www.mcsc.k12.in.us/newby/
• North Madison, 831.9214, www.mcsc.k12.in.us/nmadison/
• Northwood, 831.9216, www.mcsc.k12.in.us/northwood/
• Waverly, 831.9218, www.mcsc.k12.in.us/waverly/

Join an elementary school volunteer team: We are creating a team of people who would be available to help with various projects that crop up at the Mooresville elementary
schools, including All Around the Town, providing breakfast for the elementary teachers and other hands-on projects. 

If you sign up for this team, it only means that you will be contacted when opportunities are available. At that point, you can decide if the opportunity fits in your schedule, etc.

Click here if you would like to sign up for the elementary school volunteer team.

Opportunities at Churches in Mission

Many opportunities are available at Churches in Mission, including grocery shopping, clothes sorting, front desk support, pantry sorting, loading/unloading and stocking shelves. Contact Alice Cordes at 831.3987 or visit www.churchesinmission.org. Please note: A new window will pop-up when you click on the link.

All-church opportunities

In 2011, Mt. Gilead is planning a food drive in the first quarter, a playground cleanup day at the Mooresville elementary schools in the second quarter, Community Impact Day in the third quarter and Baskets of Hope in the fourth quarter. Check back for more details!

Small group opportunities

Serving with members of your small group is a great opportunity to get know the people in your group as well as help others. Here are a few ideas for small groups, but don't hesitate to brainstorm your own ideas. More opportunities specifically for small groups will be posted on the small group web page as well.

• Do a lesson room for VBS
• Take breakfast to a local school for the teachers
• Adopt a widow
• Work at a homeless shelter on holidays
• Send care packages to the troops
• Organize a car wash with proceeds benefitting a mission
• Go to a nursing home on Christmas
• Pass out beverages at a community event
• Work on a Habitat for Humanity project
• Adopt a senior couple at church
• Beautify a spot on the walking trail with landscaping

Individual opportunities

Here are a few ideas to help you get started:

• Serve in youth or children's ministry at Mt. Gilead
• Adopt a needy child
• Become a Big Brother/Big Sister
• Start a Bible study at work
• Attend the National Missionary Convention in Atlanta (Nov. 17-20)
• Tutor an IUPUI student from the Middle East (Crescent Project)
• Volunteer at Special Olympics of Indiana
• Invite 10 people to Resurrection Sunday services
• Bring 5 friends to Christmas Eve services
• Bring a child (non-relative) to VBS each night
• Ring the bell for Salvation Army
• Volunteer with the prison ministry
• Meet someone's financial need anonymously
• Sell an item and give the money for Kingdom purposes
• Give a gas card to someone in need
• Volunteer to work a week at Camp Allendale
• Babysit for someone who is serving at church
• Maintain (i.e. weed) an area of the church grounds during the summer

Global opportunities

White Fields World Ministries

If you would like to donate money to White Fields, please make checks payable to White Fields World Ministries and mail them to White Fields World Ministries c/o William Brossmann, Vice President Finance & Operations, Great Lakes Christian College, 6211 W. Willow Highway, Lansing, MI 48917. If you have questions, call 517.321.0242, ext. 212.

Here are specific needs:

• Bibles for church members (1,150 are needed in one area): $3 per Bible
• Help with the mortgage payment for a girls orphanage home: $7,815 per month
• Preacher's salary in India: $80 per month
• New Testaments for distribution in India: $0.70 each
• Dresses for the orphans: $7 each
• Dresses for the widows: $5 each
• Reference Bibles for preachers: $45
• Build a church building: $2,500
• Build a church hut: $500
• Adopt an orphan in India: $33 a month