COS volunteers join those from 18 local churches to deliver emergency food supplies to hundreds of hungry neighbors each week. The basement of our Shalom House holds FISH Program’s pantry; we work with other churches to keep it clean and stocked. 

The Knoxville Area Welcoming Immigrants Network was born out of a community meeting held at COS. We seek ways to support documented and undocumented immigrants, especially those facing deportation while dealing with complex family, legal and health issues. 

A growing number of Knoxville families face homelessness. While larger churches can provide temporary shelters, COS volunteers support the Family Promise program with food, staffing and hospitality, helping to address family homelessness without creating costly shelters. 

We have worked with Justice Knox since its inception, joining other congregations to present elected officials with research-based action items in support of underserved Knoxville communities. We’re a small church, but typically field one of the largest Justice Knox teams. 

The team advocates mindful, Earth-friendly choices through monthly Fair Trade sales, annual Shop the World events, and special projects like the Carbon Conscious Campaign. 

We have a long history of active, public support of the LGBT community. Team members work with Pastor John Gill to address issues and concerns, grow our presence at the Pride Parade, and address concerns of same sex families, transgendered people, and homeless LGBTQ youth.