We have lots of outreach opportunities right here in Central Indiana where people need to see God's love in action. Keep reading to see what tangible help we offer to our neighbors through our local outreach partners.
Str8Up is a ministry for teens living in Northwest Indianapolis. It is run by Jill and Aaron Wilson. Many teens in this area are exposed to challenging situations including: single-parent homes, abuse, neglect, prejudice, racism, violence, and drugs. The Wilsons are showing the love of Jesus and building life-changing relationships with kids who may feel like and are sometimes treated as “the least of these.” ZPC is inviting you to serve in these areas: Unskilled labor is welcome and there are also generally a few projects that can be tackled by a Home Group, family, or even 2-3 families working together. Visit str8uplikfe.org for more information about this ministry. For more information about getting involved contact: Family Promise (formerly IHN) is a partnership of congregations and community organizations responding to the crisis of children and their families who are homeless. They work to eliminate homelessness in Greater Indianapolis. They believe families should stay together–not be separated–during the most difficult times in their lives...no matter the makeup of a family. While their beliefs vary, their motivation for what they do is rooted in spiritual faith and a profound call to service. This allows Family Promise to bridge differences for the sake of helping others without proselytization. • Collect items for one of ZPC’s houseware drives. + Dave Stricker [317.409.2869] The Jeremiah House ministry is designed to assist men, who have graduated from the Wheeler Mission Hebron Addictions Recovery Program, and to integrate them into the ZPC church family while assisting them with housing, savings, and employment. ZPC mentors are assigned to each participant to assist them in integration and Christian growth. When men graduate from the Hebron Program, their biggest challenge is isolation. These men will have spent the past one-to-two years in an environment of strong Christian fellowship. They need to establish a new Christian fellowship and support structure outside Hebron Program. The Jeremiah House provides a transition from the highly-structured Hebron Program to being on their own. The Mission Commission, with the assistance of Wheeler Mission, provides oversight of the Jeremiah House Ministry. As ZPCers, we can help by welcoming the men living in the Jeremiah House into our community, encouraging the men to get involved in programs at ZPC such as a Bible study, Home Group, or the Great Banquet, and praying for the men and their mentors. > Linda Forler [317.402.9613] Since 1984, Habitat for Humanity of Boone County (HFHBC) has been offering a hand up not a hand out, enabling partner families to achieve pride in home ownership working side-by-side with volunteers to build houses. At the end of 2022, HFHBC will have built 70 homes and helped over 200 hard working adults and children with their dream of housing stability. Habitat’ envisions a world where everyone has a decent place to live. They work toward this by acting as Christ’s hands and feet to build and improve homes in partnership with those in need of decent, affordable homes. HFHBC partners with volunteers, donors, and corporations to break the cycle of poverty. The affiliate maintains a foreclosure rate well below that of a typical lender and selects partner families based on housing need, ability to repay a mortgage, and willingness to partner with Habitat for Humanity by earning between 200-400 hours of “sweat equity” or volunteer time. At ReStore, shoppers will find constantly changing inventory, prices well below retail, frequent markdowns, and one-of-kind items. Profits from ReStore go toward building homes for families in need. + Dan Puck [317.796.1976] Sort-Rip-Cut-Design-Sew-Iron-Tie-Knit-Crochet-Pray-Repeat! That's what the ladies of Loose Threads do each Thursday in Room 202 to help make a difference in our community making quilts for the homeless and knitted or crocheted prayer shawls for the sick. Come for an hour or two or four! + Sue Armstrong [317.873.1625] ZPC’s Shepherd Totes ministry is an annual service opportunity that provides food items to keep children nourished over their school’s winter break. For Shepherd Community Center’s neighborhoods, 8 out of 10 kids rely on their school for meals. ZPC helps “stand in the gap” during the winter break by donating packed boxes of food sufficient to provide two weeks’ worth of meals for each child. Food items are all shelf-stable and serve as easy meals that kids can prepare themselves. Individuals and families can sign up to fill a tote(s) and ease the burden for families during this time. + Stacy Nelson [317.374.3009] Kairos Prison Ministry addresses the spiritual needs of incarcerated men, women, children, and their families, as well as those who work in the prison environment. Kairos is based on the Cursillo movement and is supported by volunteers from ministries such as Walk To Emmaus and Great Banquet. Many opportunities exist to serve in all of Indiana men's and women's adult prisons. > Jack Ellett [317.873.0059] The mission of the ZPC Hispanic Ministry is to build relationships, equip leaders, and create communities with excellence in the three areas in which they work - Local Hispanic churches, Mexico,and Dominican Republic. They do this through evangelism/discipleship, church planting, and leadership development. Some of the ways ZPC has supported these missions are Vacation Bible School (all ages), construction trips (youth and adult), supporting new church plants and leadership retreats (adults). We share their passions of disciple making and evangelism. + Larry Larew [317.435.4129] + Val Lindenschmidt [317.509.3449] + Barry Sumner [317.840.5638] Fuller Center for Housing of Central Indiana is a grass roots, faith-driven, all volunteer local chapter of Fuller Center for Housing International. They leverage partnerships with individuals and community groups to build and rehabilitate homes for people in need. Along the way, they help families develop the personal habits necessary to ensure their fiscal accountability and future success. As part of their Christian philosophy, they do not charge interest to the families for which they build. Their total mission is to help those adults in poverty get a “hand up” and not a hand out. All of their homeowners provide over 200 hours of sweat equity. We show the love of God to every person we touch and building homes is a great way to make new friends. + Mike Crabb [317.341.2922] Wheeler provides Christ-centered programs and services to the homeless and those in need in the Indianapolis area through various programs and at their facility. > Fritz Breisch [317.590.2031]
> Greg Rankin [317.590.6334]Ways to be Involved:
• Join a team to prepare and deliver a meal weekly to a family in an apartment shelter during one of ZPC’s participating months.
• Join a rapid response volunteer team to be emailed opportunities for set-up and clean-outs of apartments as needed.Ways to be Involved:
Ways to be Involved:
Ways to be Involved:
Ways to be Involved:
Ways to be Involved: