We are a giving church.  Our efforts touch lives here in our neighborhood, our community, our nation, and around the world with our direct ministries and through our partner agencies.  Every month we highlight a different outreach effort in addition to our long-term outreach projects.

Love In The Name of Christ (Love INC)

 is a ministry in the Cedar Valley that pools the strengths of area churches to reach out to those in need in the community.   Our church, FirstUMC of Cedar Falls, is one of 19 member churches.  Love INC grows from the fact that many times, people in need will approach a church for assistance.  Unfortunately, many churches are not equipped to meet the variety of needs that are presented.  That's not a failure of the churches - at their core, they are faith organizations, not relief agencies.

But, the Christian imperative is to help.  Some churches are better helping in certain ways than in others, so Love INC works like this:  when someone approaches a member church for assistance, they are referred to the Love INC intake office. Love INC staff then conducts an interview to fully determine the need, and which church is best able to assist. This allows churches to specialize in their area of expertise:  food, infant supplies, transportation, moving assistance, rent and utility assistance, home maintenance and yard work and more.  

Our church's contribution to the Love INC mix is Wee Care, a ministry of providing infant and toddler supplies to families who find it difficult to purchase them.  Wee Care will provide a family with diapers, hygiene products and clothing.    

Love INC is also now beginning to launch Transformational Ministries: programs designed to assist and empower clients to break free of the circumstances that cause their situation of need.  Love INC will be working in areas of self-confidence, financial planning and more.  As Love INC works to transform the lives of their clients, the lives of the volunteers are transformed, as well, as they take stock of the blessings in their lives and experience the joy of sharing God's love with others.  Love INC is non-denominational.  By working across denominational lines, Love INC volunteers experience a greater sense of belonging to the larger body of Christ.  

The people of God, working together, reaching out to each other and transforming lives - that Love, in the name of Christ.