WAYS TO SERVE AT
FIRST CHURCH
Teaching + Leading
If you want to share the life of Christ with others through teaching or leading adults or children, we have opportunities for you to use your gifts. Our youth group and Sunday School classes (both youth and adult) are led by people with a vision for ministry and heart for Christ.
Card Making
Our Card Stampers group was started in 2005, by two First CRC Deacons for relationship evangelism and fellowship. Participants have met once per month on a Saturday afternoon for over 14 years, with more than 50 women enjoying the creative card design process. Approximately 600 cards are created in a year’s time. The cards are offered for free for birthdays, anniversaries, condolences and thank you's. Anyone can choose a card, fill it out and place it in the mailboxes in the foyer, or mail a car
Sew
+
Sews
The Sews & Sews ministry is a group of women who meet twice monthly to sew infant and children's clothing and accessories for special needs groups, such as Denver Health Medical Center, a Haitian orphanage and Bethany Christian Services. New seamstresses are always welcome. In May 2019, Sew & Sews received another Governor's award for sewing nursing cover-ups, receiving blankets and sleep sacks for Newborns at Children's Hospital.
Helping Hands
The Helping Hands ministry supplies meals to members and others in our neighborhoods and communities who need a little help with food: while recuperating from an illness or surgery, after experiencing a loss, who have just moved, or have difficulty making their own meals. These meals are frozen and placed on the top shelf of the freezer, in the church kitchen.
Prayer Shawl Ministry
Compassionate prayer warriors knit lovely prayer shawls while praying for future, yet-unknown recipients. Shawls are delivered to those with a need for comfort care. If you would like to join this team of knitters (the pattern is a simple knit/purl pattern), or know someone who could use this tangible evidence of comfort and prayer, contact the church office today.
FAMILY PROMISE
Family Promise of Greater Denver provides housing for families in crisis, and
aims to form relationships with each family by providing a spectrum of supportive services as they obtain stability. The programs offer different interventions, based off each family’s housing needs. First Christian Reformed hosts families through the program twice per year, for two weeks each time.
WAYS TO SERVE IN
THE COMMUNITY + WORLD
Volunteers In Action
Volunteers in Action is a Christian non-profit service organization that serves the local community by equipping and enabling Christian volunteers and churches to be Christ's transforming presence in the lives of people in the greater Denver area. VIA connects and mobilizes followers of Jesus to be in a supportive helping relationship with people who are elderly, have a disability or are struggling with poverty.
Contact your Grow Group deacon or Donn Hansum or Sheri DeHaan at the VIA office 303-713-9144 for information on how you can get involved.
World Renew and Disaster Response Services (DRS)
World Renew joins with the world’s families to change the story of hunger, poverty, and illness. For nearly 60 years, hundreds of thousands of people have shared in this calling: staff, local partners, global communities, and people like you. Every day, people like you give in response to a disaster, offer monthly support to Free a Family™ from poverty, or travel with our volunteer teams to help renew hope firsthand. Together, we change stories, and those stories change the world.
WAYS TO SERVE WITH
OUR MISSION PARTNERS
Youth for juvenile Justice ministry
Chaplain Claire Froehlich has been working in the Juvenile Justice Ministry with Youth For Christ (YFC) since June 2009. Claire has a passion for discipleship and helping at-risk youth come to know the life-changing love of Jesus Christ. She serves on the YFC Juvenile Justice Ministry team as a chaplain at Mt. View Youth Services Center. Claire offers tours of Mt. View Youth Services Center, where people meet some of the girls, learn about YFC's ministry, and have the opportunity to become a mentor to one of the girls.
EN GEDI CHILDREN'S HOME IN
ATHI RIVER, KENYA
Margaret Njuguna is the Founder and Director of En-Gedi Children's Home in one of Nairobi's suburbs. En-Gedi Children's Home is the model in Kenya for best practices in the support and care for children with special needs. It enriches the lives of children with special needs through collaborating with families, government departments, like-minded agencies, faith-based organizations, and corporations to build a continuum of compassionate care.
The overall goal of En-Gedi Children's Home is to provide a home that will offer children with disabilities a healthy and safe environment where they can grow, learn, thrive and develop to their fullest potential.
Currently there are 17 children living at the home. Margaret says, "My heart for the children has been getting bigger and would like to take in more (especially those who are hidden and tethered behind dark rooms) and thus share God's love and light with more families and more communities." Her goal is to house up to 30 children in their newly constructed facility.
The Table
Nourishment
Community
Grace
These three values are found most tangibly at the table as we eat, have conversation, and extend hospitality. The Table is a unique church in Denver's Platt Park Neighborhood that values all three by combining urban farming, community meals, and lively conversation in multiple venues. We aim to help people eat well, experience life-giving and authentic community, and explore the depth and breadth of the grace of Jesus Christ. No matter what your background or experience of faith, you're welcome to participate. Feed your body, feed your soul, and feed your community.
NICARAGUA CHRISTIAN ACADEMY INTERNATIONAL
IN MANAGUA, NICARAGUA
Liam Starkenburg is the Director of NCA, which partners with Christian parents in developing spiritual, social, physical and academic excellence in students so that they can be active disciples of Jesus Christ. They currently have about 300 students enrolled. Jessica teaches art classes at NCA, and is involved in several additional ministries. Liam, Jessica, and their four children (Caleb, Judah, Belen, and Asher) enjoy living, working and playing in Managua, with occasional trips back to the U.S. to visit their families and supporting churches.