Mission and Outreach

Have you ever been interested in participating in our VIM (Volunteers in Mission) ministry?  Each year we have a small team that travels to sites where home/building repairs are needed following disasters such as fire or flood.  This year we're planning our trip to San Diego to support a community affected by last January's "100-year flood."  San Diego normally receives 10 inches of rain in a year... But in January of last year the city received more than those 10 inches in 2 days, overwhelming creeks and the drainage system.  1800 homes were damaged and 95% of the homes did not have flood insurance.  We hope to support their recovery from that flood by doing interior home remodel work. Our trip will take place this upcoming May from 5/4 to 5/10.  We are hoping to recruit some new members from our church community into the team.  We welcome adults — including those with no construction experience - to join us.  If you have any questions or would like to join, please reach out to the church office office@fumcturlock.org  THANK YOU!

Turlock Caring Ministries

The First United Methodist Church is in a partnership with Crowell Elementary. Our goal is to provide support to students and staff. We do this by having volunteers assisting students in the classroom. We take monthly donations of snack items like granola bars, cheese crackers and fruit snacks to the school. We celebrate the staff at their monthly meeting with treats. We have assisted new teachers to buy books and items for their classroom. We support the nursing team by providing needed hygiene items. If you would like to get involved contact Dawn Mallory at dmallory@fumcturlock.org.

Prayer Shawl Ministry
Over forty people have knitted and crocheted over 1,600 baby blankets and prayer shawls, which have gone all over this country and as far away as Europe, Africa, Asia, and S. America. They are a lasting reminder to the recipients that God’s abiding love and comfort is always there for us.  All are welcome to knit and worship with us. We meet every Tuesday morning at 9:00 A.M. in the Florence Porter Room at the church.

We Care Meals
The first Thursday of every month beginning in September we prepare and serve meals at the We Care Shelter.  Please contact Jennifer Christopher at jnnfr_christopher@yahoo.com if you would like to sign up to cook, deliver, and/or serve a meal.

Oodles of Noodles
Our church, working with Village Fresh Market,  purchased over $850 worth of egg noodles this year for the United Samaritan Foundation Daily Bread Lunch Truck program. These funds were donated on one Sunday alone!  We are their sole provider of noodles and annually take donations the last Sunday in January.

Salvation Army Bell Ringing
Each December we have a day in front of Village Fresh Market where volunteers ring the bell and take donations for the Salvation Army Kettle Drive. 

Turlock Together
We are a "Blue Barrel" drop off location! Donations of new toys and non-perishable food items may be brought down to the church and placed in blue barrels late November through early December.  These items are then distributed to those in need in Turlock.  Our Junior High and Senior High Youth Groups deliver meal boxes to elderly shut ins on distribution Saturday

Salvation Army Christmas Lunch 
Our church partners with the Salvation Army to prepare a portion of the meal they serve on Christmas Eve. Volunteers arrive Christmas Eve morning and prepare all the stuffing and green beans for this event by noon.

Love Turlock
Late April we gather as a church and work on projects that will impact our community. Some projects have included:  blankets for shelters, benches at Salvation Army, clean up at city parks, yard work at the animal shelter, yard care for Crowell School and repair projects at Jessica's House and the We Care Shelter. 

Our efforts to care for others are a grateful response to the love of God that we have experienced. For the past several years, some of our church members have traveled to other parts of the country (or even around the world) to share God’s love through service. We have sent volunteers to repair storm damaged homes in New Jersey, Indiana and Louisiana. We have also sent teams to Weed, CA to repair homes damaged in wild fires. Three of our college age students went to Nicaragua to help build a school. Our high school students annually travel to Native American Indian reservations or urban cities sites to repair & weatherize homes.

Volunteers In Mission

Paradise, CA

Weed, CA

Hope City

New Orleans, LA

Volunteers Making a Difference

Ghana Mission 

Video By Lee Parker First United Methodist Church in Turlock, California sponsored a mission to Ghana, West Africa, January 17-31st, 2009. The objectives of the mission were to assist in the reconstruction of a girl's school in Winneba and bring needed medical supplies to the Rafiki Orphanage in Winneba and to a women's medical clinic in Enyan Abasa.