Missions and Outreach
“Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.”
Service to others and our community is deeply woven within our Wesleyan heritage.
As a congregation, we seek to come alongside our community partners to leverage our resources, gifts, and position so that we may rise together in pursuit of a more just and equitable world, and to actualize our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
See below for more information on each of our missions lay teams and the work being done for our community, by our community:
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Join Career Transitions each week for networking opportunities and career success advice from professionals across Greater Nashville.
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We are a group of Christians at Brentwood United Methodist Church who believe that all creation is sacred and that as Christians we are called to be stewards of and to take actions to restore God’s creation.
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The Middle East North Africa Initiative works to provide training and financial/relational support of pastors and local churches in the MENA region so that they are empowered to share the strength and support of faith through their local churches with their neighbors in word and deed.
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The Race & Faith Team pursues racial justice, peace, and reconciliation within our church and greater community through education, relationships, advocacy, partnering, and action.
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The Refugee & Migrant Ministry's mission is to develop a structure and process for BUMC members to promote compassionate care for immigrants.
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The Repair & Restore Ministry is a group of women and men volunteering to help people in our church community in need of home repairs or maintenance.
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Room in the Inn provides programs that emphasize human development and recovery through education, self-help and work, centered in community and long term support for those who call the streets of Nashville home
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Our South Africa Outreach program supports our three partner schools in pursuit of education, healthcare, nutrition, and safety for children in the Howick, South Africa area.
Strategic Partners
Strategic Partners are nonprofit organizations that were formed out of BUMC and now operate independently with ongoing support from our congregation. Many of these partnerships were formed 20+ years ago and continue to be a church-wide priority.
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Harvest Hands is a catalyst for Christ-centered, holistic community development working alongside our neighbors to further education, healthy living, spiritual formation, and economic development in South Nashville.
Harvest Hands began as a vision of the late Dr. Howard Olds—former pastor of Brentwood United Methodist Church—to partner with an under-resourced neighborhood in Nashville for positive change. The idea centered on sharing resources, experiences, and expertise of the church in relationship with neighbors in South Nashville. In 2007, Brentwood United Methodist Church hired Rev. Brian Hicks to lead the effort in making this vision a reality.
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Healing Housing is Williamson County's first transitional living program with a mission to shelter and love women healing from addiction. Opened in early 2017, Healing Housing’s two homes provide a safe, supportive environment where women who have completed drug treatment can continue to grow in their sobriety.
The faith-based program offers life-changing opportunities for women in need, including access to counseling, life skills training, savings programs, individualized healing plans, required outside employment, money management & budgeting courses, mandatory guided 12-step work, opportunities for weekly Bible study, community involvement, and mentorship.
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The Ministry Leadership Center (formerly The Center for Youth Ministry Training - CYMT) equips leaders and faith communities for transformational ministry so future generations may embody Christ’s love in the world. MLC offers specialized education and practical training in children’s, youth, college, and community ministry through their graduate and certificate programs. MLC’s Ministry Transformation Lab helps congregrations reimagine ministry for their community.
In 2005, a task force was created with members from Brentwood United Methodist Church and First Presbyterian Church (Nashville) with the intention of exploring the possibilities of starting a youth ministry training program. In 2006, with the approval of both the First Presbyterian Session and the Brentwood United Methodist Church Council, the Center for Youth Ministry Training was born. In 2025, CYMT broadened its mission and became the Ministry Leadership Center (MLC) to equip leaders in all kinds of ministry roles, across diverse contexts, and empower them to transform their communities.
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Separate from our South Africa Outreach Lay Team, South Africa Outreach is also the umbrella ministry that we use to refer to our three partner schools in South Africa — Brentwood Preschool, Angels' Care Centre, and Thembelihle Primary School. Each of these schools run independently from BUMC, but are supported annually through sponsorship and aid funding, the fundraising for which is the primary focus for our South Africa Lay Team.