Nursing Home Ministry

The Nursing Home Ministry consists primarily of a monthly worship service and visitation. This occurs at ProMedica Total Rehab. The worship service at Powerback is once monthly on Sunday afternoon. Visitation opportunities can occur after the worship service or during the week. 

If you have gifts that are useful in a worship service this may be a good place for you. You may also be able to encourage residents through prayer and scripture reading during visitation. Gifts and food can also be a source of encouragement. Perhaps God is leading you to this ministry.  

Refugee Outreach

Tenth’s Refugee Outreach ministry is currently supporting and caring for a refugee family from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The family fled that violent and war-torn country and spent 17 years in refugee camps in Tanzania and Malawi before being approved, by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, to resettle in this country.

Tenth volunteers have worked alongside this family for the past five years as they rebuild their lives and become increasingly independent. Relationships with the family have grown and deepened. When needs arise, team members provide resources, guidance, connection with community services, and other sources of support.

Immigrants Outreach

South Philadelphia Immigrant Outreach oversees an ESL program to the adults from this neighborhood’s Kirkbride School community. Our adults want to be a part of their children’s education, and learning English is one of the means to do so.  This program, named by its adult students, is called SPEAK (South Philadelphia English at Kirkbride).

We provide leveled, online ESL classes to our adults, during which we share a verse and can pray for them and their families. This seven-week semester is followed by a five-week online Bible story study. The curriculum, based on a children’s Bible storybook, consists of page spreads with illustrations and simplified texts.

Internationals Outreach

Internationals Outreach seeks to welcome undergraduate students, graduate students, and visiting scholars to multigenerational relationships with Philadelphia residents as well as other internationals.  Internationals can choose from a wide variety of services and activities that allow them to experience everyday life in America in the context of friendships for cultural exchange.  Activities could include any of the following: 

• Events–BBQ’s, beach trip, hiking, holiday celebrations
• ESL classes or 1:1 tutoring
• Visiting American homes
• Investigative Bible studies
• Worship services

Prison Ministry

I was in prison and you visited me…

Matthew 25:36

In 2000 the Bureau of Prisons opened the Federal Detention Center (FDC) located at 700 Arch Street. It is a 12-story building with 628 cells. The adults in custody in this building are there waiting to go to court for Federal crimes. There are over 1,030 adults in custody in the building. Those in custody are primarily men, with one area of women.

The FDC wanted to assist those in custody in using their time productively while waiting for adjudication of their cases and invited volunteers to come in through their churches or religious organizations to participate. As one of those churches and organizations, Tenth engages with Bible Study on Monday evenings.

If you would like to join Prison Ministry outreach, please contact mercy@tenth.org to learn more and schedule prison-mandated training.

Deaf Ministry

Tenth’s Deaf ministry is currently providing ASL translation during the afternoon service both in-person and on the livestream. We invite the Deaf community to Mercy ministry events to enhance fellowship and deepen relationships.