LOCAL & GLOBAL MINISTRIES
IN OUR COMMUNITY
UBC Ministries
Backpacks Full of Food
Each week we send backpacks of food home with Venable Elementary School students who do not have a stable source of meals outside of school.
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Ice Cream Ministry
On Wednesdays during the warmer spring and summer months, we give out many cones of soft serve ice cream to passersby and members of the community. We set up around lunchtime and continue serving ice cream until we run out!
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ESOL Classes each Sunday
UBC offers free English classes for anyone who needs them. ESOL information is available here.
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Collections Throughout the Year
Throughout the year, UBC engages in collections to support local causes. From assembling cards and toiletry kits for the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women to gathering school supplies for children in need within our community, we strive to make a meaningful impact. Additionally, our annual collections for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank reflect our commitment to addressing hunger and supporting those facing food insecurity.
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Wednesday Work Team
Every Wednesday morning between 9 and noon, a group of individuals from the church gathers to repair and improve the building and grounds. Periodically, the group will go out to breakfast, too.
Community Partnerships
Alliance for Interfaith Ministries
AIM is an ecumenical organization which also provides aid to the less fortunate.
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Love INC (Love in the Name of Christ)
Love INC is a Christian organization that matches churches with needs in the community, such as providing furniture or appliances, moving, cleaning, painting, transportation for medical appointments or grocery shopping, financial assistance and education, etc.
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PACEM Overflow Homeless Shelter
UBC partners with other downtown churches in Charlottesville to provide an overflow shelter for the homeless during the winter months. For two weeks each winter our Fellowship Hall is shelter for those needing a place to spend the night when the Salvation Army is full. We provide dinner, a cot to sleep on, and breakfast in the morning. In the evenings, church members have the opportunity to visit with our guests, do their laundry, play games, watch movies, etc.
Hospital Ministry
With a major hospital located just across the street from our church, we are always looking for opportunities to be good neighbors. Listed below are some of the ways we have attempted to serve the patients, families, and staff at the UVA Health System, along with some exciting partnerships that have developed in the past few years. If you have additional ideas, let us know!
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Collection of toys for the Children’s Hospital
Our WMU recently sponsored a toy drive to collect Play-Doh, bubbles, chapter books, and Lego kits to be distributed to kids in the hospital. This collection was a focal point for our 2017 Vacation Bible School, with many of the families participating, and we were able to deliver hundreds of these toys to the Children’s Hospital.
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Touch-a-Truck
One of our most exciting annual activities is Touch-A-Truck, hosted in UBC's parking lots. Over 300 people typically come to this free community event, where they get to climb in, explore, and touch a variety of cars, trucks, and special vehicles. This has been a great way to serve our community together, and it’s a lot of fun!
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Cookies and Goodies
Members of our congregation—from our kids to our seniors—provide cookies and other goodies that we regularly place in staff lounges at the Battle Building, an expression of our appreciation for their work and our desire to build a closer relationship.
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Providing a Space for Support Groups
Several support groups meet at UBC, including groups from the Emily Couric Cancer Center. There are support groups for cancer survivors, families of cancer patients, grief and pregnancy loss groups, and even a writing workshop for cancer patients. We are pleased to be able to offer a warm and friendly environment for these groups to meet, conveniently located yet also removed from the medical setting.
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Ronald McDonald House and Hospitality House
Our relationship with both the Ronald McDonald House and the UVA Hospitality House extends back many years. We have regularly engaged in service projects such as painting, gardening and yard work, cooking meals, and collecting kitchen supplies and other necessities.
IN OUR STATE AND AROUND THE WORLD
We partner with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) and Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Virginia.
We contribute to CBF mission work in Nada, Kentucky, addressing systemic rural poverty.
WOMEN’S MISSIONARY UNION (WMU) CIRCLES
Two women's groups at UBC gather regularly for fellowship and service. They meet monthly, supporting various local and global missions, including aiding the University of Virginia Hospitality House, sponsoring a kindergarten class in Kentucky, and assisting non-profits such as The Alyssa House and Love INC.
They also organize special projects like collecting items for refugee families and providing support to shut-ins and homeless individuals. Both groups welcome new members!
