How We SERVE

serve (out) - share the love of christ

Jesus did good to the body and soul of people wherever he went. He cared for their spiritual needs as he invited them to return to God and find life for their souls. He cared for their physical needs as he healed the sick and fed the hungry. He paid particular attention to those on the bottom and the margins as he reached out to the least, the last, and the lonely.

The SERVE rhythm of life fulfills Christ' s mandate to love one another, help those in need, and make new disciples. We believe our faith must be accompanied by our actions. Working together, we can make an impact and truly build bridges in our community by sharing the love of Jesus Christ. 

Together: Hands-On Service and Generosity
Personal: Daily Acts of Kindness

Additional SERVEing occurs by learning your Spiritual Gifts, finding a cause to be passionate about and investing deeply, attending Mission Trips, Connecting with local non-profits.

we serve through:

• Missions - giving our time, skills, and money to others
• Service - working alongside those in need, sharing our time and talents
• Outreach - building relationships through our service by sharing the love of Jesus, thereby bringing others into a relationship with Christ.

our ambition is to:

• Be incarnational (hands and feet of Jesus) and contextual (what's needed here and now).
• Involve each person at CUMC in some aspect of SERVE.
• Work together, with community partnerships, to make an impact and truly build bridges in our community by sharing the love of Jesus Christ.

we focus our serve projects on:

• Housing and shelter
• Food and hunger
• Children

Through each of these we will provide opportunities for Missions, Service, and Outreach at the local, as well as the national and international levels. Our aim locally is to partner with already existing community agencies to enhance their work and outreach. Our aim is to support United Methodist endeavors for national and international projects.

alternative gifts

Join CUMC in giving an Alternative Gift during the holiday season. Purchase a gift from one of our SERVE ministries and your donation will change lives in our community and beyond. 100% of your donation will be used in the ministry you choose. Alternative Gifts become available for purchase in November.

our partners:

God has placed us in Carlisle, PA to make a difference in this community. We believe that we must partner with the "experts" who understand the needs of our local community. 

our leaders:

Our leaders make things happen! They connect the passion of CUMC to the needs of our community to serve together, getting our hands dirty, and improve where we live. Serve leaders are the critical key between our church, our partners, and our volunteers.

All our leaders serve as volunteers in programs learning the ropes before moving into a leadership position. Our goal is to have co-leaders of each team to have shared responsibility and not burn out one leader.

i want to get involved...

Check out the pages of each of our SERVE ministries and read the volunteer descriptions to see what fits best with your gifts and your time. There are options for 9-year-olds to 90-year-olds, there are opportunities for everyone to SERVE in and beyond our community.

If you have questions, or can't decide which is best for you, contact Kathy Charette at