First United Methodist Church is getting out in the community and showing area residents that it’s here to serve and meet the needs of the community this weekend through an unorthodox Sunday event.

Sunday, FUMC missions team will send members of the congregation out into the community for its “Church Has Left the Building” initiative, where several teams will conduct community outreach projects, said Larry Lang, FUMC Missions chairperson.

The idea came from church member Tom Jacobs, a former pastor from Pennsylvania. Jacobs’ church held the event at his former church and headed several outreach projects, much like FUMC will be doing this weekend, Lang said.

“It’s definitely unique to do this,” Lang said. “If we’re following Jesus and doing what he wants us to do, this is where we should be.”

Jacobs said beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, the time of the church’s morning worship service, it will commission teams to go out and aid area organizations and residents. Among some of the projects members will conduct are: painting the game room at the Boys & Girls Club of Washington; the Caring Christian Carpenters group will be constructing a handicapped ramp for a local resident; one crew will be doing some cleaning at Ruth’s House Antiques & More; another group will do some yard work for some in Washington Park, who is unable to do so; and a crew will be going out to John Cotton Tayloe to build some planters at the school, according to Jacobs.

“It’s intended to just remind the church that we’re here to serve and meet the needs of the community,” Jacobs said. “It’s a little dramatic to leave the church on a Sunday morning to do that rather than have services. But I think our focus is really on the passage in Matthew, chapter 5, when Jesus says, ‘You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden….In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.’ That’s our main focus, and I think that’s what we’re about — a light in the middle of whatever darkness there is.”

The church had T-shirts made that are meant to give volunteer members a visible identity while out serving the community Sunday, Lang said. Lang took over as chairman of the missions team this year, succeeding Deb Ryals, who assumed that role for about four years, he said.

“We just decided in our missions group that we wanted to be recognizable outside of the church in not only doing this project, but also other projects,” Lang said. “It’s just a way our members can recognize each other and maybe other folks will associate us with it when we’re out doing work in the community. Under Deb’s leadership, the group really flourished, and we’ve been keeping that going. We feel like we’ve accomplished a lot of great things through the members’ willingness to get out and help. If it goes well, we’d love to continue this as a tradition and get our members more involved.”

First United Methodist Church is located at 304 W. Second St. in Washington.