• Meals for the Hospital Hospitality House - MCV -  3 Chopt began serving about 9-10 years ago. The idea came from a member that was in medical school at MCV.
  Once a month a group goes down on a Saturday night to prepare & serve a meal to the guests that remained there throughout the weekend and/or are in the midst of an extended stay.
  The menu consists of a simple, home-like meal. The goal is to minister to the attendees and not to spend the evening in the kitchen. This ministry allows us to serve person to person, nourishing both body and spirit.

 

 

• CrossOver Ministry - The name “CrossOver” refers to physicians crossing over from their standard practices and clientele, however, the majority are still working a full-time practice/job.
  Mission statement: “To provide health care, promote wellness and connect the talents and resources of the community with those in need- in the name of Jesus Christ.” Serves a vulnerable population: children, elderly, low-income families, the working poor, people in crisis, many who are one illness away from financial ruin- if not already there. Serves as a comprehensive medical home (including dental, vision, medications & pre-natal care) for a large percentage of the clientele.3 Chopt was the first church to do a “mini-medical mission” on the Great Day of Service in 2007. Currently 11 churches in the Richmond area serve this ministry. Very soon they will be open every Saturday so that an extra 1,000 patients can be seen each year.

• Tuesday Ladies Bible Study - Held from September through April     Fellowship begins at 9:30    Study/Lesson 10:00  Studies are taught by various teachers covering books of the Bible and doing topical studies. Child care is provided from 9:30 until11:00. Contact Persons:  Barbara Ellis and Shirley Herod

• CARITAS -"Churches Around Richmond Involved To Assure Shelter"-In the mid 80's, a few shelters were being closed and some low-rent hotels were being demolished in downtown Richmond, leaving a growing number of people homeless. Noticing this trend, some downtown congregations joined together in an attempt to help. After seeking guidance, they decided to start a program to provide shelter during the cold weather months. Each congregation agreed to open their doors and take in 30 people each night for one or two weeks, and to move cots between the participating congregations. This program came to be known as "Winter Cots". The initial hope was that this would only have to be done for a year or two. But the number of homeless kept increasing and so CARITAS was established in 1986 to organize and administrate these efforts. Since that time, the need of the homeless and the interest of the people of faith has caused our program to expand from the initial 20 congregations to over 150 congregations throughout Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, Hanover and Goochland.CARITAS mobilizes Greater Richmond through its congregations to protect individuals and families in crisis and empowers those who strive for housing independence. CARITAS is the largest community shelter program in the Richmond area. Our year-round Single Adult Program provides more than 27,000 nights of shelter to about 1000 different single men and women. On average, CARITAS guests spend less than a month in our program. CARITAS serves people with the greatest needs in our community. Over 95% of our guests have incomes under 30% of the median income in our area. Despite this poverty, 65% of our guests report receiving no government benefits - not even food stamps. The 3 Chopt church is the host church either during Thanksgiving or Christmas week yearly.

• MICAH Initiative -The Micah Initiative is a partnership program between churches, synagogues, mosques and other communities of faith in metropolitan Richmond and the Richmond Public Schools for the purpose of supporting the education and the nurture of the children of Richmond. Why the Richmond Public Schools? The Richmond Public Schools serve the most distressed portion of the metropolitan city’s school age population.  Children come from families which have the lowest income, the lowest literacy level, and the highest degree of emotional and situational stress.  All of these situations are remediable with sufficient resources, but the Richmond Public Schools have no more resources available than schools serving and easier population in the surrounding counties, and very few capital resources to replace antiquated facilities.  The children of central Richmond, and those who support them, need the steady and concerted support of the entire community for their courageous and difficult journey.  3 Chopt has “adopted” Blackwell Elementary School. There are 30 elementary schools in Richmond City and all of them have been adopted through the Micah Initiative! How can you help with this work?
  • One-to-one tutor for a student
    
  • Classroom aide (making copies, bulletin boards, keeping students on task esp. with Voyager reading program which has a lot of independent work stations, etc.)
    
  • Voyager reading assistant
    
  • Reading buddy
    
  • Math buddy
    
  • Lunch buddy
    
  • Read to a class or small group of children
    
  • End-of-the-Year Carnival
    
  • Prayer Warrior for this ministry
    
  • Gardener, weeder or landscape helper
    
  • Beautification of interior (artwork, painting, maintenance, etc.)
    
  • Office assistant (clerical work)
    
  • Library assistant re-shelve books – only one librarian and so many books!
    
  • PAWS store aide (kids get to redeem paws for items in store as reward for good behavior)
    
  • Host and server at special events for teachers and staff (Teacher Appreciation Week, Teacher Breakfasts/Luncheons, etc.)
    
  • Provide a book for a child
    
  • Provide books for the library from the Librarian’s Wish List
    
  • Provide toiletries for the school nurse to distribute 

Micah Initiative Contact Information- The Micah Initiative Mieko Manuel-Timmons, mieko@micahinitiative.org ,Wendy Seitz, 3 Chopt Rd. Church of Christ, wendybseitz@yahoo.com.

• Operation Zaccheus- Jesus told Zaccheus in Luke 19 that the Son of man came to seek & save the lost. Just as Zaccheus was seeking Jesus we want to show people that Jesus is the answer they are looking for. Bibles are collected , “refreshed” and refurbished, then labels are placed inside. They are then sent to places in need. Rainbow Children’s Home, Northern Virginia
  Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch, NY ,Camp WAMAVA, Warrenton, VA, Bibles to Zimbabwe, a ministry headed by the Kingswood Church in Damascus, OR ,MCV (Medical College of VA) ,Hospitality House, Richmond Battered Women’s Shelter. *Contact Carol Shepherd. 

• Linwood Holton Elementary School- For nearly 3 years while our current building was being built we met at Linwood Holton. In a show of appreciation we furnish the school with 50 backpacks full of the required supplies needed for back to school each Fall. The staff partners with us to provide backpacks to the most needy children in various grades. 3 Chopt families grab a backpack in the foyer and return it with the required items inside.  

• Community Prayer Wall- Upon entering the parking lot of our church there is a Community Prayer Wall located just to the right side of the drive.  Here members of the church and members of the community can leave their prayer requests written on the wall with magic marker.  Members regularly review the prayer requests and ask God for help. Those leaving prayer requests are reminded that others are supporting them in prayer and also that they are not alone in their struggles in life. Very personal and private requests may be left in a locked box located on the prayer wall. 

• Angel Giving Tree - Share Christmas gifts with those in need. 

• Piecemakers - Quilt baby quilts to be donated to MCV & a Women's Shelter.

If you have questions about any of the above opportunities or would like to get involved please contact us at church@3chopt.org.

 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:9, 10