Local Outreach
We are called to be the hands and feet of Christ. At Buncombe Street Methodist Church we desire to impact lives by empowering the most vulnerable through love, service, and discipleship. Daily our members and groups reach out sharing God’s unconditional love. Please help us provide hope and encouragement right here in Greenville by volunteering.
Circles Upstate SC was launched by Buncombe Street Methodist Church and SHARE in September 2015. It’s a nationally recognized, proven model to help families emerge from poverty. Circles promotes intentional relationships across income lines. While middle-income and high-income families enjoy networks of support through their jobs, schools, and neighborhoods, families living in poverty rarely develop such contacts. Many who live in poverty are hardworking and motivated, so when a circle of support forms around them, advice is offered, contacts are shared, and the fears that keep people in poverty start to disappear.
Circles is also a two-generational approach. While parents are in their weekly meeting, their children are in age appropriate classes. The older youth learn about finances, how to write a resume, do mock job interviews and receive assistance researching and applying to college.
Emmanuel’s Hammer is a hands-on ministry that rebuilds or remodels homes for families who have had their home damaged or destroyed by disaster or who are otherwise living in substandard conditions in the Greenville, Anderson, Pickens and Oconee counties of the Upstate. They work with community service organizations, churches, and government agencies to identify homeowners who are facing a critical situation that affects the safety, sanitation, or security of their home. We then lock arms with that family to conduct the needs assessment, fund raising, mission team recruitment, materials procurement and project management of their rebuild.
GirlUp GVL enriches young women with positive formative experiences that replace obstacles with opportunities. Their goal is to initiate early, life-changing success by empowering our girls to reach their highest potential. Our programs are geared towards creating experiences for our students to lead to greater enrichment and empowerment.
Soteria builds community and provides hope for those impacted by incarceration. Soteria is a testament to the fact that people closest to the problem are also closest to the solution. Their founder wrote the vision for Soteria from his prison cell over 25 years ago. Since he was released and opened our doors in 1999, Soteria has acquired (2) 16 bed transitional homes, 18 affordable rentals, opened a social enterprise, and is debt free.
Over the past 4 years, for those who completed the full 12 month program, 0% recidivated. Soteria understands reentry. As an impact-led organization with 57% of our staff being previously incarcerated, we are where hope for the future begins.
Homes of Hope is an organization that focuses on rebuilding communities and individual lives through housing, economic and workforce development. They build affordable energy-efficient houses for low-to-moderate income families and/or individuals, who lack a safe place to call home. They have built over 675 affordable homes to date. Homes of Hope also provides a Men’s Workforce Development Program in which they have graduated over 400 men. This is a voluntary one-year residential job training and mentoring program for men overcoming drug and alcohol addictions. Through biblical based discipleship, life skills training, and construction-job training, men receive the ingredients necessary to start a new life.
Kairos is a lay-led, interdenominational Christian ministry in which men and women volunteers bring Christ’s love and forgiveness to prisoners and their families. The programs involve a structured model that includes a weekend “Walk to Emmaus” like experience, followed by guests or participants gathering regularly for accountability, support, and prayer. The Kairos method is to tell the story of God’s unconditional love and forgiveness to the prison residents, most of who have not heard of this love, or at least have not experienced it firsthand. Through this ministry, lives are transformed and new purpose is awakened in many.
Each spring and fall, members of BSMC participate in the weekends to Perry Correctional Institution, a men’s facility, and Leath Correctional Institution, a women’s facility.
PMAC was launched in June 2018 with 35 children attending summer camp. Our after-school program runs every weekday in concurrence with the Greenville County School District’s schedule. Most children come straight from school to our building, where they engage in academic, fitness, and character building activities throughout the afternoon. We also provide an after-school snack and supper at the end of the day. PMAC provides an environment for children to Delight in their childhood, Discover their gifts and talents, and Develop into creative, contributing members of their communities. PMAC recently moved to a building in the Poe Mill community near downtown at 1215 Buncombe Rd.
World Relief Upstate is a global Christian humanitarian organization whose mission is to boldly engage the world’s greatest crises in partnership with the church. We envision thriving, welcoming communities where families flourish, and people experience restorative relationships with God, their neighbors, themselves, and all creation. World Relief’s work in the United States, specifically, focuses on helping refugees and other immigrants in vulnerable situations rebuild their lives in a new country.
Since 2015, World Relief Upstate SC has been holistically engaging with local partners and newly arrived immigrants and refugees, building a community of mutual support and collaboration. Our goal is to share the love of Christ by empowering local churches and other community partners to provide vital services and create a just and welcoming community for all to flourish.
Scouting at BSUMC – DOWNTOWN CAMPUS
Cub Scouts (Grades K5 to 5th grade) meet on Sunday’s at 4:30pm in the scout hut. The Cub Master is Thad Roland.
Troop 9 (Male) (11-18 years old) meet on Wednesday night at 6:30-8:00pm in the scout hut. The Scoutmaster is Dave Lockhart.
Troop 9 (Female) (11-18 years old) meet on Wednesday night at 6:30-8:00pm in the 3rd floor of the church downtown campus Scoutmaster is Tricia Ravenhorst.
Crew 9 (14-21 years old) is our coed program and they will start meeting this fall. Crew Advisor is Joe Edge.
Girl Scouts of America Troop 9, (Grades k5 to 5th grade) meet every other Wednesday night in the scout hut. The Girl Scout leader is Autumn Bible.
Triune Mercy Center is a non-denominational mission church ministering with and alongside the homeless through the support and involvement of over 60 partner churches. Located near downtown Greenville, SC, Triune is a welcoming congregation that reflects the diversity of God’s kingdom. In addition to being a worship community, Triune offers support groups, employment assistance, medical resources, drug rehabilitation placement and recovery meetings, art and music programs, social work and counseling, and food assistance.
United Ministries United Ministries is a direct services organization that serves individuals and families experiencing scarcity by providing basic needs for stability and supportive services to achieve self-sufficiency. They offer programs and services focused on Housing Stability, Economic Mobility, and Homeless Services. Throughout the years they have proudly served tens of thousands of Greenville residents and neighbors experiencing scarcity. Each year, we support over 3,000 participants and family members throughout our programs.