Upper Room Outreach

An outreach that reaches way, way out

By Dom Ruggiero

I recently had the pleasure of talking to one of the most interesting people i have ever met. Her name is Mary Materniak, or Pastor Mary as she is known by her volunteers and the many people she helps.

A former missionary, Pastor Mary has been to more places than that fellow in black with a guitar who sings “I’ve been everywhere man, I’ve been everywhere.” India, Asia, Europe, South America, Africa; throw a dart at a world map and chances are Pastor Mary has been there.

During that time she saw many things…….poverty, famine, depression, oppression and sickness. But she always stayed focused on her mission to minister to the people.

“You can’t teach the message of the gospel and Jesus Christ to anyone if their stomach is empty and they are hungry,” she said. “Feed them, clothe them, help them, teach them and they will listen.”

One day about four years ago God came calling.

“He told me to go home’, she said. “I told him i didn’t want to. I liked the traveling and ministering to the world. He told me, there are plenty of people at home who need you too.”

So home she went.

Although she began her missionary journey many years ago, this “new” mission in Hammonton has been in existence for about two years. It goes by the name Upper Room Outreach Ministry. In a short time, the ministry has already outgrown its original upper room.

“We outgrew the first one pretty fast and we are pretty close to outgrowing this one too,“ she said. “By next year we will probably be in a bigger place.”

She said this as though it was definitely going to happen! The way the Lord has been moving this ministry forward it seems inevitable that they will move again.

“We had a concert here not too long ago and there were so many people from the community that the police had to block off the road,” she said. “People were coming from the surrounding neighborhood and were packed out onto the sidewalk.”

According to Pastor Mary, the town of Hammonton has been very supportive and understanding.

Want to know what they do there? Then I would suggest reading Matthew chapters 35-36. That’s Pastor Mary and the Upper Room Outreach Ministry. To her that passage is a directive and not a suggestion.

Day to day she does all that and then some. She adds to that directive by driving people to doctor appointments, buying diapers and formula for mothers in need, ministering to those in recovery, teaching the word, providing English as a second language class, free counseling and to top it off you can even learn to play the guitar there!

“What we do here is change lives,” she said. “People are really hurting out there and what we try to do is give them victory. If it is buying them diapers, food or a motel room for the night we do it. There are no requirements, no conditions and it is all free.”

Although Pastor Mary accomplishes most of this herself she does have a small support staff of volunteers. Volunteers interpret for some of the local residents, donate time for paperwork, work on the computer and other duties. One church “lends” a praise worship band for Sunday night services.

Pastor Mary devotes all of her time to the mission, sometimes eating on the run or routinely clocking in 12-hour days. A widow, mother and Bible college graduate, she also gets some help from her daughter and son-in-law. You can visit the mission anytime and she will likely be there. Although she is the pilot at the helm, she is well aware that God is in control.

Contact Information
Upper Room Outreach Ministry
4 South Second St.
Hammonton, NJ
609-567-2223
609-412-2318

Calender
Wednesday night Bible teaching 7-8:30 p.m.
Sunday night worship and teaching 7 p.m.

Upcoming events
*Women’s Breakfast…….”Foster children”
Saturday, March 6 @ 8:00 a.m.
$7 per person, includes breakfast and speaker