Christ taught that Christians should engage with their community.  This is firmly embedded in the DNA of Maple Grove United Methodist Church, which has a long history of strongly supporting a variety of local, national, and international missions as well as supporting missionaries in the field.  An example of local outreach is the coordination and provision, by the United Women in Faith, of hygiene kits for distribution by UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief.  The United Methodist Men have provided a 365 page daily devotional book for first responders in Haywood County and active duty military personnel.  Our Missions team is involved in the provision of “Little Libraries”, which are mini locations where free reading material is available, especially for children.  Each first Sunday of the month is food collection day.  Food staples are collected before the service for donation to the food pantry at Haywood Christian Ministry, which distributes them to families in need.  Maple Grove also provides general support to UMCOR, which provides relief to problem areas throughout the world.  The outreach of Maple Grove has been acknowledged in testimonials such as:

From Haywood Christian Ministry:

Thank you for your gift for our General Fund.  Your generosity allows us to compassionately serve the residents of Haywood County.  One example of this ministry is a local family whose home burned down.  They were shopping in our Thrift Store trying to replace some of the things they had lost when our store lead, Rita, connected with them.  When she learned of what had happened, she put them in touch with our offices so we could help them on an even deeper level.  Thank you for your part in making such ministry possible.

From Habitat for Humanity:

Thank you for your gift.  We are especially grateful for your support at a time when the need for affordable housing, is greater than ever.  You are making it possible for Haywood County people in need to overcome their most challenging obstacles.  You are making it possible for them to imagine a better future.  Imagine the impact your gift is making in the life of the young mother who told us, “There is a deep shame in not being able to provide your child with a decent place to live.  Your generosity means the world to her and so many others like her.  Thank you for making life-changing things happen in our community, and for giving people hope in a time of tremendous unpredictability.

In addition to monetary gifts, Maple Grove supports the local community with ongoing efforts such as the B.E.A.R Closet.  B.E.A.R. stands for Baby Equipment and Resource, a ministry in conjunction with three other Haywood County churches.  The B.E.A.R Closet’s goal is to help struggling families by providing some of the basic supplies needed to care for their newborns and small children.  Items provided are, but not limited to, diapers, various baby equipment and necessities, newborn baby kits, hygiene items, and clothing.

For those locally in need of direct spiritual support, our pastor tends to those members of our congregation who are hospitalized, in recovery or rehabilitation, ill, bereaved, housebound, or in need of personal or spiritual counseling and/or training.  If you require the services of our pastor, please do not hesitate to ask for the support of a true professional and minister of the Word!

The granddaughter, Ms. Flora (Turpin) Webb, of the founder of Maple Grove entrusted the church with an endowment.  Ms. Webb’s intention in her will was that her bequest go to the maintenance of the church grounds and the cemetery where she and her family are buried.  Her will explains, however, that she also wanted her gift to be used to support the local charities she loved.  Through the years, with diligent oversight, Maple Grove has shepherded and grown the endowment.  When the trust became more than sufficient to achieve its stated intent, the courts of North Carolina were petitioned to allow the trust to be used more generally for the community.  In 2023, our Trustee chairperson signed a Final Consent Judgement from the NC State Attorney General’s office to go beyond the express provisions of the will and use funds to benefit the community at large.  A church administrative team evaluates requests from the local community and provides grants where they will provide the most benefit.

Maple Grove supports general academics by awarding college scholarship(s) in the amount of $1500/year to applicant(s) selected by a Scholarship Committee.  To submit an application for consideration, complete the scholarship form.