The mission of the Outreach Ministry of the Diaconate is to equip the church to extend mercy and justice to our neighbors in Astoria and other parts of Queens. We do this by recruiting, training, and mobilizing volunteers to do acts of service in the community. We partner with local organizations, run our own weekly ministries of ESL and Bible Club, and organize church-wide volunteering events of service around Astoria. Our goal is to establish long-term relationships with people of all economic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds, and to be the love of Christ and share the saving message of Jesus with all of our neighbors.

The Scriptures teach us that God has a special place in his heart for the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the stranger. Micah 6:8 “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”

ACC statement on ministry partnerships

Since its founding, ACC has endeavored to be a visible, compassionate, and Christ-like presence in Astoria. In keeping with this mission to serve our neighbors, ACC ministries will often partner with other organizations that have a mutual aim that we agree is loving and helpful to those around us and is not in violation of any core principles we hold. While our motivations for ministry may often differ from those of our partners, our neighbors are served, and that is the central goal.

Such partnerships require prayer, wisdom, and discernment, which the Session and Diaconate seek to exercise with every partnership. We do not believe that mere association with those who differ from us in theological beliefs or other issues should keep us from ministry partnerships. On the contrary, we are told: “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

ESL

Time: Saturdays 10:00am-11:30 am, Sept - June AND Wednesdays from 6:30 - 8PM 
Place: Saturdays Zoom AND Wednesdays in Person
Summary: The English as a Second Language (ESL) ministry seeks to share the love of Jesus Christ as we teach English and help acculturate first generation immigrants in our neighborhood
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Bible Club (on hiatus for '23-'24 school year)

Time: Tuesdays from 7:00-7:45pm (October - June)
Place: Variety Boys and Girls Club
Summary: Bible Club is an evangelistic ministry that teaches children about Jesus through the stories of the Bible in a fun, engaging, holistic way.
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Group Homework Help (on hiatus for '23-'24 school year)

Time: Tuesdays from 5:00 (or whenever you can get there)-7:00pm
Place: Variety Boys and Girls Club
Summary: ACC partners with the Boys and Girls Club to offer after-school tutoring to kids in need of additional academic support.
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Hour Children Food Pantry

Time: Last Thursday of every month 1:30 - 4 pm
Place: 11th Street between 36th and 37th Avenues
Summary: Volunteers help distribute food to beneficiaries and help the staff and other volunteers clean up.
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Safe Families for Children

Time: varies, flexible
Place: Astoria and other neighborhoods in Queens
Summary: Safe Families for Children is a volunteer-driven ministry with the goal of keeping kids safe and families intact. They organize vetted and trained volunteers from local churches to offer individualized support for families in crisis with their aim to offer a broad community of support to those in our city who may be in need of assistance and/or have limited resources.
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Hillside Center for Education

Time: varies, weekdays and evenings
Place: Jamaica, Queens
Summary: Hillside Center for Education in Jamaica helps equip immigrant families through educational resources.  The families in the neighborhood are mainly from South Asia and most are Muslim.  The center provides after school tutoring for elementary school aged children, English language classes for adults, girls' and boys' clubs, outdoor kids' clubs in the summer and preparation for citizenship exams. These all provide ways to holistically support and encourage entire families.

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Church-wide Events

Regularly, the ACC Diaconate Outreach team plans volunteer events open to the entire congregation. One of our largest events in the past has been our annual Easter Egg Hunt. We organized an egg hunt for the community on the Saturday before Easter from 2003 to 2019. Since 2017, we have held a week long evening Vacation Bible Club in the summer. This is our largest Biblically based outreach. We have participated in the Broadway Street Fair on Memorial Day and the 30th Avenue Street Fair on Labor Day through a Prayer Tent outreach.  We have also done cleanups of parks and neighborhoods, volunteered at the Hour Children December Christmas party, held Christmas caroling and craft events at the New York Rehabilitation Center, and a reception and supply drive for women at My Mother's House (part of Hour Children). We welcome any suggestions for opportunities for the future. Let's bless Astoria through acts of service as a church.