Jesus had a habit of running toward what others ran from. Where the world saw crisis, He saw opportunity. Where others saw problems, He saw people—beloved, valued, worth everything. At Erwin First, we follow His lead. We believe that every moment of need is a doorway for God's love to walk through. That's why we get to serve amongst the least, lost, lonely, and forgotten. When you see the world through Jesus' eyes, crisis becomes sacred ground.
A child receives a bag of school supplies and suddenly the year ahead looks possible instead of impossible. A family gets a new mattress and furniture, and a house becomes a home again. College students gather on Fridays to share a meal and find fellowship, discovering they're not alone in a new and overwhelming world. These aren't small gestures. They're moments when God's love stops being abstract and becomes tangible, real, unforgettable.
Our outreach takes many forms because needs come in many shapes. We support the Brown Memorial UMC Food Pantry and the Westcott Center Food Pantry, ensuring that no one in our community has to choose between paying bills and feeding their family. We frequently prepare meals for the Brown Memorial UMC Sunday Community meal, where food and fellowship flow freely.
But here's what we've learned: outreach isn't just about meeting physical needs. It's about restoring dignity. It's about saying, "You matter. You're seen. You're not forgotten." When we serve, we're not just giving supplies or meals—we're delivering a message that changes everything: God loves you.
Crisis becomes opportunity when followers of Jesus show up with compassion, resources, and a willingness to see people the way He does. At Erwin First, we're showing up. We're running toward the crisis, not away from it. We're serving the least, the lost, the lonely, and the forgotten because that's exactly where Jesus would be.