CPC 2000 Annual Report:
Social Action Committee

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The mission of the Social Action Committee is to understand and proclaim Christ's compassion for all people, by awareness and involvement in social issues and through intentional outreach to the community. The committee seeks to educate, challenge, encourage, and provide opportunities for the congregation to demonstrate Christ's response to social needs and injustices, thus moving people toward Christ.

Most of Central's intentional outreach to the community is through partnerships with other churches and ministries, thus moving people towards Christ by modeling God's mercy, justice and desire for unity among believers. This year Central has loaned two families to Seventh Baptist Church, a Project Justice partner, to help strengthen and grow their multi-cultural ministry in a challenging Baltimore city neighborhood. Central's Children's Ministry and M&M Kids also worked with members of Seventh to conduct our Very Exciting Bible School at their church last summer, as well as at the Christian Community Center. Robin Shano, a member of the Social Action Committee, has joined the board of the Agape Family Empowerment Center. We believe these partnerships are also helping us understand how to build cross cultural relationships within our own congregation.

The highlight of our year was sponsoring "Joy Ride", a concert by contemporary Christian recording artist Kelly Willie to benefit the Baltimore Christian School. We are so grateful to report that proceeds from the concert and related gifts have allowed a playground to be funded. Construction is almost complete. Take a ride by the school at 505 E. 42nd St. to see how the Lord has blessed this endeavor!

Your generosity with time and resources has blessed many other people this year. We continued to collect food and other goods for ACTC, the Christian Community Center, Love & Action, and the Greater Baltimore Crisis Pregnancy Center. Dedicated crews renovated a house in Sandtown for Habitat for Humanity and served at Our Daily Bread. Several small groups have worked actively with Chuck Trader, Jean Pollitt and the Baltimore County Department of Social Services to mentor and minister to families in crisis in our area. A high school student from one of these families is an active participant in Central's high school youth group and made a profession of faith at Beachmont this summer. Praise God!! Central members and friends provided 150 gift bags before Christmas that were distributed by Love & Action to men, women and children suffering with AIDS.

Our education efforts included an Adult Education Class on racial reconciliation last spring led by Rick Barnes and Darnell Oliver and one in the fall examining the role of Christians in government and electoral politics. We are looking forward to having Dr. Ronald J. Sider, president of Evangelicals for Social Action and author of Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, as the speaker at Central's Christian Growth Speaker Series on March 9-11.

Our budget includes support of twenty organizations providing holistic ministry locally, nationally and around the world. In 2001 we will add operating support for two additional ministries: Woodberry Crossing, an outdoor education center in Parkton for inner city children and the Shepherd's Clinic, a primary health care center for those who have no health insurance, initially started by Seventh Baptist and located just across the street from their church building. Members of our congregation are active volunteers in both ministries and our support of Woodberry will enable children from several other ministries we support to take advantage of their program. Please keep these organizations in your prayers. We welcome your participation in the work of the Social Action Committee and are anxious to help you find volunteer opportunities with our partner ministries.