Summer Communities of Service

"Change your Life. Change the World."
May 30 - August 11, 2012

Begin your application process today!

Transform your Life - Transform the World
(An Ecumenical Collaboration of UCC Volunteer Ministries and the Alliance of Baptists)

Community Living
The "intentional Christian community element" makes this program distinct and effective. Volunteers share in common their food allowance, transportation funds and spiritual growth insights. They live in community with each other and with their hosts and their temporary city.
Leadership Development
In the UCC diversity is a big piece of our identity. The UCC issues socially progressive statements and advocates politically from a faith perspective. These diverse, community-service-integrated ministries are the church showing (volunteers) where this is happening in our midst. The projects help volunteers develop commitment to engage in this kind of ministry long-term. Their involvement also encourages the churches to which they are assigned.
Hands-On Justice Advocacy/Service Opportunities
Diversity is manifest in the volunteer group in gender, age and education and even includes a Jewish social work graduate who is fluent in Spanish and will work with a day laborer ministry. This will be a setting where the church can learn how to be the church in a different way.
Faith Conversations
2010 Volunteer Melanie Fox said she had almost given up on the church because she didn't see it "being" the church. "This gives me reason to believe," she said

2012 Hosts for Summer Communities of Service Host Churches

Ellis Avenue Baptist Church
Chicago, IL

In Chicago, volunteers will live in and work out of Ellis Avenue Baptist Church, which is in a 100-year-old house. They will work at a food bank, in hospital chaplaincy, tutoring and vacation Bible school.

Wellspring UCC
Centreville, VA

Wellspring UCC is in the Washington exurb of Centerville, VA., and is preparing to open a day laborer center. Volunteers will be involved in all aspects of finishing the work, promoting and opening the facility. Experience the summer of 2011 with the Centreville Immigration Center interns. Read Stephanie and Grace's blog!

Back Bay Mission
Biloxi, MS

In Biloxi, Back Bay Mission serves people on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi from a homeless day shelter and emergency assistance to transitional housing and building affordable housing. Volunteers help facilitate the work of volunteer groups serving for a week at a time in housing recovery.

Metro Baptist Church
New York, NY

Metro Baptist Church in New York will utilize volunteers in urban ministries, where they will interact with "people on either side of their New York City Dream," said host pastor Alan Sherouse. Often people who arrive in the Big Apple with stars in their eyes but neither a clue nor a dollar find their way to Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries. There they mix with people who came, failed, and are trying to get back home.

Hyaets Community
Charlotte, NC

Volunteers at the Hyaets community in Charlotte, N.C., will work in urban ministries and community organizing. Hyaets resident families live and work in a difficult urban neighborhood to be the presence of Christ. Their homes are open always and to all. "Hyaets" means "tree of life" in Hebrew

New Hosts for 2012

Central St. Matthew UCC
New Orleans, LA

Interns will serve with Belle Reve, a transitional residence and program for men and women who are HIV positive and at risk of bring homeless, {Belle Rev, New Orleans} and with Uptown Shepherd Center, a senior adult day care program, providing service coordination and life skills activities for older adults.
{Uptown Shepherd's Corner}

Stephanie Gans, Summer Communities volunteer and Jewish graduate of William and Mary who will help establish the day laborer center at Centerville, said she loves consensus and is "so impressed" with how the volunteers were arriving at consensus despite their diversity. "In the future when I hear 'I don't know if that will really work,' I can say I know some people it works for," she said.

Summer Communities of Service 2012
Begin your application process today!