 
The mission of The Light is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
The vision of The Light is to reach the lost with the Good News and fulfill the Great Commission of making disciples of Jesus Christ while ministering, through relationships, to the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of the community.
The Light is a ministry of St. James UMC and Timothy Baptist is a sister church who comes alongside us in the ministry to this urban community. Our main area of outreach is composed of a four street area from Alps Rd. to Milledge Ave., and Baxter St. to Broad St. It is our desire to be vessels of God's Light and Life. Below are listed some ministries of The Light and an explanation of some of the happenings in the community. If you would like to become involved in this ministry, please see our Opportunities for Ministry page. For more information about The Light, please call (706) 208-8066, email thelight@sjumc.org , or Jeff Larkins, (706) 543-9871, larkins@bellsouth.net .
All of our events take place at The Light (174 Henderson Ext.) unless otherwise noted.
Ministries
Food Ministry
Mondays 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM (Coffee, doughnuts, and fellowship begins at 9:00 AM)
Food and other surplus items are distributed by volunteers every Monday from 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM. The food items are provided by the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, Inc. Earlier in the morning we have Coffee and Fellowship from 9 AM-12:30 PM, Devotion and Prayer from 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM.
Beginning at 9 AM, residents from Rocksprings start signing up for food. People are greeting each other and talking about the happenings in their lives, community, and country. There is a growing sense of togetherness among them as they share with each other life. During our devotion and prayer time, we have see the Lord pour out His love for the people in this community. We are blessed by the relationships we have been able to build and encouraged by the hope that has been given to many by our Father God, who is the God of all hope.
Ministers of Help
Many times we have members from the community who have various needs. Ministers of Help are people who walk with these individuals through times of need and use resources to get them the help they need. In the process, they are loved with the love of Jesus and shown that love in very practical ways.
Soup and Prayer
Thursdays from 12 Noon - 3 PM
Join us for a bowl of hearty soup and then stay and pray blessings over our neighbors in this community. As we pray, we become co-laborers with our Father and get to see His plans and purposes revealed and released through the power of His Holy Spirit. We are continuing to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into His harvest field. We invite you to join us in this exciting work as you are lead and guided by His Spirit.
Free GED Course
Location: Alps Road Elementary School
Day & Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 - 8 PM
Classes follow a quarterly schedule - no summer quarter. Students may register and join the class at any point in the quarter. We operate through Athens Technical College and serve as their downtown location. Course teachers are Paul Thiel and Mark Varnell.
Community Gardening
Come and be a part of our summer and winter garden. We enjoyed a great harvest this year and will begin planting our summer garden in April and our fall garden in September. The harvest is given to all those in the community who helped to plant and tend the garden.
Free Blood Pressure Checkups
Every 3rd Monday from 11 AM-12 Noon
Athens Regional Medical Center comes to provide Free Blood Pressure Checkups.
Crosstown Kids
Mondays 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
College students from the Wesley Foundation, a Methodist ministry on the University of Georgia campus, reach out to children 12 years and younger from the communities of Rocksprings, Parkview, and Broad Acres. They meet weekly and share bible lessons, play games, and make crafts. We thank the Lord for the ministry of the Wesley students to the children in these neighborhoods.
Youth for a Clean and Safe Community/Work Project
Monthly on a Saturday from 8 AM - 12 Noon
15 youth (boys and girls) ages 12-15 years from the local community are hired to clean the area of Rocksprings, Broad Acres, and Henderson Extension once a month. This project was developed as a way to maintain the physical appearance of the community and to prepare youth for the work force.
Homework Club
Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:00 - 6:00PM
Education is a vital component in the lives of every child and youth. In order for youth to have quality of life and opportunites for success, education must be a priority. During our meeting times, we offer an atmosphere of learning where youth are encouraged and challenged to excell academically. After the youth finish studying and being tutored in various subjects, a hot meal is served.
Community Covered Dish Dinners
Each year we celebrate several holidays by sharing a meal together. They are Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The dinners normally take place the Mondays before the holidays at 6 PM. We continue to see these times bringing a greater sense of community and togetherness to all those who are present. We usually have a certain theme and have our cameras ready to capture the moments shared between neighbors. Everyone is encouraged to bring something, whether great or small. We always have more than enough. For the Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinners we ask those from St. James, and other churches to bring or donate a meat of some sort and a side dish. We invite you to come and get to know your neighbor through the breaking of bread.
Sunday Worship Service
Every Sunday 6:00 PM
Join us each Sunday as we worship the Lord and fellowship with one another.
Pancake Breakfast
Saturdays (usually once a month, check calendar for upcoming dates)
9:00 - 11:00 AM
Join us for a great time of fellowship as we enjoy a delicious breakfast with our neighbors at The Light. Volunteers arrive at 8:00 AM to begin preparing a breakfast with all the fixins. We usually serve eggs, grits, bacon, sausage, pancakes, and juice. We hope to see you there!
Day of Celebration
End of July
The purpose of the Day of Celebration is to celebrate the upcoming school year and bring the congregation of St. James and the community of Rocksprings together for a time of fun and fellowship. The Day of Celebration is comprised of three components; Back to School Sharing (BTSS), Back to School Celebration 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament (BTSC), and Festival events. The BTSS and BTSC are listed and described below. The Festival events include live musical entertainment, face painting, balloons, moonwalks, field activities, prayer tent, community agency booths, and food. All activites and food are free to all participants.
Back to School Sharing
June - July
It gives us great joy to be able to share with others what we have received from Him. For the past three years we have been able to come alongside families in their back to school needs. The families are given forms to fill out and list the needs of their children for school supplies, clothing, and every day household items for the needs of the family. The children's forms are then available to various people in the congregation of St. James, as well as other area churches who would like to take part in this show of generosity to our neighbors of this community. The forms become available in June and are due by the end of July. The gifts are distributed on the last Saturday in July and each person is invited to take part in this time to meet the parents and child for whom the gifts were bought. You are also encouraged to take your child and parent shopping or deliver the gifts yourself. We still would like for you, the child for whom you shopped, and parent to come to the gathering on Saturday for fellowship.
Back to School Celebration 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
End of July
An annual basketball tournament is held to kick off the new school year. It is our desire to encourage the youth to continue with their education by staying in school. Youth from primarily Rocksprings Homes and the surrounding neighborhood, ages 8 - 16 years, are part of the tournament. The day is filled with lots of fun, fellowship, food, and games for the younger children. The event is held on Henderson Ext. at the Rocksprings Recreation Center basketball courts.
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