Local Community Outreach… 
A Call to Service

by Derek O. Scarbrough

WHEN GOD CALLED ME TO HIS SERVICE, it began a journey of unbelievable awareness of His presence in my heart and an overwhelming desire to serve Him in anyway I could. As awesome as my experience has been I know it is nothing I have done, but that the Lord has simply used me as an instrument of His will.

Derek Scarbrough discusses  community outreach with OBC members

The Place to Start….. 

During my first visit to the local Drop In Homeless Shelter in August 2003, I was informed about the Cooperative Counsel of Ministries (CCOM). CCOM is a membership of over 40 local churches which provide meals for the Family Shelter on Route 1 and for the Drop In Homeless Shelter near Potomac Mills. CCOM meets monthly and attendees share various outreach activities underway at their churches. Members on the counsel include representatives from Prince William County (PWC), the Northern Virginia Department of Social Services (NVDSS), and Action in the Community Through Service (ACTS). At my first meeting with CCOM, I immediately registered OBC as a member church. OBC members were quite receptive to the idea of becoming a member church and the wonderful journey of helping the needy and homeless in our community began. Our God is an awesome God!

Helping the Poor ….. 

When I learned about ACTS and the various services this group supports (suicide crisis line, family shelter, utilities/rent assistance, food bank, to name a few), I immediately saw this as an opportunity for OBC to help support the poor and needy in the community by supporting the ACTS food bank. Since we began the weekly food drive, the OBC congregation has donated over 12 cases of canned goods and many other non-perishable items. In addition, nearly $50.00 in cash contributions donated was used to purchase additional canned goods. The ACTS food bank drive is ongoing and contributions are collected weekly. Our God is an awesome God!

Helping the Elderly…. 

During further research, I discovered the Prince William County, Agency for the Aging, Friendly Visitation Program. This discovery is another way the Lord has used me in service to the needy. The Friendly Visitation program matches volunteers with senior citizens in the county over the age of 60 who have requested someone to visit them on a weekly basis for 1 hour. When I registered on a Tuesday, the volunteer coordinator told me it might take 6 months to a year before I was actually matched with a senior citizen. The following Saturday when I attended my 30 minute training session, I was told there was an immediate opening and I could begin my volunteer work the next week. Even the coordinator was amazed. After about 2 months of weekly visits, the center where I visit began a weekly bible study on Saturdays. I asked the gentlemen I was visiting if he would like to check out the bible study and he said "sure". He now looks forward to the weekly bible study. Since I announced this program to the congregation, two others have signed up to serve as volunteers. Our God is an awesome God!

Helping the Homeless ….. 

A more pressing need is that of providing meals for the Drop In Homeless Shelter. This shelter provides support for the homeless that live in the woods, their cars, or other outdoor locations. I volunteered OBC to provide meals to feed up to 30 people on two Monday nights in October 2003. After sharing the need with the congregation, several families signed up to help and we were off and running. Since the first two meals went quite well, I volunteered OBC to provide a meal every Sunday during the month of December 2003. In December, the number of people we needed to feed was up to 50 (more homeless come in during the winter months). Once again, the congregation provided support immediately. Feeding the homeless is an ongoing service that OBC continues to support.

OBC has enhanced how the meals are provided. While many other groups simply drop off the meals and leave the serving to the shelter staff or residents, we at OBC set up the tables and chairs and during the meal we mingle among the guests and get to know them. One of our young servers (Matthew Kim) played chess with one of the residents. I have also been blessed to have the opportunity to discuss the bible during mealtime. And of course, before each meal, we bless the food with the residents.

In addition to providing meals, our congregation has provided many other donations to the shelter including, toiletries, clothing, and enough bibles for every resident to have their own copy. Every Saturday I drop by the shelter to deliver a case of water, coffee, cream, and sugar. During January and February of 2004, I am sharing the Tuesday night meal provisions with another church by providing the sodas.

What's next…. 

Starting in January 2004, I began serving as the recording Secretary for the CCOM. I now serve as the OBC representative for bi-monthly ACTS roundtable meetings. Within a few weeks, OBC will begin providing Saturday morning bible study at the shelter. During February, OBC will provide dinner on Sunday nights. This week OBC will begin having a towel and face cloth drive for the shelter. In March 2004 OBC will be providing Saturday morning brunch for the shelter. At the end of February I plan to attend a conference in Midlothian, VA to get involved with a ministry that visit prisons. Wherever the Lord leads me to serve, I will go. Our God is an awesome God!