Community Outreach
PUTTING OUR WORDS INTO ACTION
At Pilgrim, we believe that our spirituality is at the heart of what we do.
It is from our faith in God that we are called to help people in need.
In the 1890s Irma Jones, the daughter of the minister of Plymouth Congregational Church in downtown Lansing, realized that there was no church serving the community literally “across the tracks”. She first established a Sunday School across the tracks which grew into an independent congregation in 1893. Pilgrim has a long history of serving the community and reaching out to help those in need.
Small Children's Clothes Closet
Pilgrim has been providing for the clothing needs of small children from birth to 3T for decades. We work with an organization called Christian Services who each week provide us with a clients’ names and a list of clothing needs for their small children. We gather together the items and hand the clothing to the clients when they come to pick them up.
Little Free Library
Pilgrim also shares a ministry of a free library in front of our building. From the outdoor cabinet, people may take books for children and adults or put books in for others to take and read.
Thanksgiving and Christmas Baskets
Every year, we provide food baskets at Thanksgiving and Christmas time for a number of families who do not have the resources for a holiday meal.
Food Pantry
Pilgrim shares a ministry with another church in offering food items from an outdoor cabinet. Members of both churches stock the shelves for hungry people in the community to take free of charge.
Heifer Project International
Our Sunday School raises money for Heifer Project which provides farm animals to people of limited means around the world.
Pride Festival
For many years, Pilgrim has supported the Lansing Pride Festival by walking in the annual parade and having a booth.
Crop Walk
Pilgrim participates each year in the annual Crop Walk. Some members take pledges and walk symbolizing that many people have to walk far for the needs of food and water. The money is turned in and 25% of the income is given to local food banks.
Noon Program Education
Before Covid struck, Pilgrim hosted an hour long program on a wide variety of topics once a month which was open to the public for their education. Topics ranged from background on current social issues, leaders of other faiths, on-going ministries in other organizations, the energy and water provider in Lansing, the Lansing police, and much more. We hope to return to more programs in the near future.
Special Neighborhood Events
Pilgrim has joined with a neighborhood organization to offer a community Easter egg hunt, a Neighborhood Night-out, and Halloween party with a Trunk-or-Treat.
Personal Needs Collection
Christian Services is a clearing house agency for a network of churches in the Lansing area. Pilgrim has at least two personal needs collections every year — toothbrushes, toothpaste, hand soap, hand sanitizer, laundry soap, and more — which are then given to another church in the network to hand out.
Outreach to the Homebound
We also care for our own. We do not want to forget those who have participated in Pilgrim’s fellowship when they become homebound. Along with the pastor, we have a dedicated group of people who keep in contact with our homebound members and friends, so that they do not feel abandoned.
Blessing the Animals