Summer Camp
The Uptown Metro Ministry Group is busy planning our third year of hosting a summer camp for the children of the Woodbourne-McCabe Neighborhood. we have 5 churches working together to cover 3 weeks of camp. Each week will be focused on a curriculum based on children’s books. This camp is made possible in part through the work of the Strong City Baltimore Community Builder who we support with the majority of our MInistry Group resources. We believe funding this position is a vital way to build relationships between our churches and this community. The position also serves to encourage community building in the neighborhood and advocates for social justice issues faced by community members.
Our newest initiative is an application for a Chesapeake Bay Trust Conservation Corp Intern to serve our Ministry Group. This will be a full time fully funded intern interested in the field of environmental advocacy and stewardship. We envision this young person visiting each of our churches on Sunday mornings to provide education, make connections, and build relationships. They would be tasked with support each church in their environmental stewardship initiatives whatever they may be.
Finally, we have our annual Elder/Church Leader Training scheduled for Saturday, September 22nd. And we have just agreed to provide this training in partnership with West Side Story Ministry Group. All active Elders and any church leaders are invited to attend this training event.
McCabe Project
Havenwood Presbyterian Church, Maryland Presbyterian Church, Faith Presbyterian Church, Second Presbyterian Church, Roland Park Presbyterian Church, and Ark and Dove Presbyterian Church all joined The Center Baltimore for cleanups, crafts, and kickball in the Woodbourne McCabe neighborhood.
From the Beginning
We are unanimous and enthusiastic in our commitment to the McCabe Neighborhood and its residents as an expression of the reconciling love and justice of Christ. We are finding that in reaching out to these neighbors we are being strengthened in our own faith and witness and growing in community with each other as we work together toward a common and tangible goal. We expect that our commitments will continue to grow as we empower and work with the McCabe neighborhood as it builds a hopeful and sustainable future for current and future residents.
Goals
From the beginning, the goal was to have a deeper engagement with this neighborhood in ways that would empower and support their work of renewal and transformation. We have listened to the neighborhood association president talk about their hopes and dreams of a safe place for children and families. We want to be careful and intentional about our involvement so that it is truly supports the efforts and goals of the residents themselves and not our ideas of what should happen Over the course of several meetings we discerned that employing a community organizer was the best way of achieving this. We have chosen to work with and through Strong City Baltimore which has a proven track record of helping communities rebuild and flourish. Attached is a draft job description and the anticipated costs. The organizer would be accountable to the ministry group through Greater Homewood, would be expected to attend our Ministry Group events and identify and facilitate engagement between our congregations, the neighborhood and the York Road Partnership. Our ministry group, after thoughtful consideration, committed to fund this position for two years.
Moving Forward
We are unanimous and enthusiastic in our commitment to the McCabe Neighborhood and its residents as an expression of the reconciling love and justice of Christ. We are finding that in reaching out to these neighbors we are being strengthened in our own faith and witness and growing in community with each other as we work together toward a common and tangible goal. We expect that our commitments will continue to grow as we empower and work with the McCabe neighborhood as it builds a hopeful and sustainable future for current and future residents.
