 |
 Wholeness for our Clergy, Congregations, and Communities |
|
|
|
| Connecting Points | Outreach Newsletter
November 2010 |
|
|
 |
Dear Michelle,
As many of you know, I served as a missionary in Bulgaria back the 1990s. After 45 years of living in a police state and under a communist government, people were worn down by fear and persecution. Many people were angry with God, if they even believed anymore. I remember one conversation when several young adults told me they didn't want to talk about Jesus on the cross. They saw Him in that image as "a loser". They knew what it meant to suffer and sacrifice. They didn't want anymore of that life. A psychologist came to do some training for the Campus Crusade staff and I was invited to attend. His diagnosis was that the entire country was clinically depressed. There were estimates that 50-60% of the population were alcoholic. People did not trust each other, did not trust the religious institutions and certainly did not trust the government. As missionaries, of course, we wanted to talk about Jesus but it often seemed like we were hitting a brick wall. We asked, "If people don't want to talk about Jesus and his sacrifice for us, how do we share our faith?" The answer was, "You start by talking about the baby - everyone loves a baby." The starting point needed to be God's gentle, persistent and amazing love for us seen in the gift of a child.  Each year in Advent I am reminded how this simple story of a child being born helps us believe, renews our hope and brings us comfort. May those be God's gifts to you this holiday season.
Grace and peace,
Marilyn
|
 |
|
|
Disaster Response Ministries
|
|
Rebuilding Team for Haiti Returns
Mission Team from the EC District to Haiti October 26 - November 3
Team Leader: Kent Powers from Sanlando UMC and team members from 7 different churches.
 The District Mission Team is back from Haiti and they were all very touched by their experience. They worked on a church and school in Mellier and did demolition, built a security wall, a storage building and worked on the rebuilding of the church/school. Temporary buildings had been set up to continue the school and the team was able to worship with the congregation. Kent Powers, the team leader, said the rebuilding effort is very slow and will take 10-15 years. Working with UMCOR/UMVIM went well with good coordination. Special care was taken with the food and water and they bathed in water that had been treated with iodine as a precaution against cholera. They shared the work with Haitian men as the women provided support. Several team members have committed to leading teams back to Haiti in the next 2 -3 years. The Conference also has a team going in January that will be training future team leaders. To get current information on workteams for Haiti, you can go to http://new.gbgm-umc.org/about/us/mv/haiti/ or www.flumc.org to Disaster Recovery Ministry. There are also efforts to look within the Conference at needs for our Haitian congregations and persons effected by the earthquake living here in Florida. Watch for ministry options in the near future. Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti. |
|
|
Upcoming Disaster Trainings
February 26: UMVIM Team Leader Training, First UMC, Lake City April 8-9: Early Response Team Training, Warren Willis Camp, Fruitland Park To get more information or to register for training go to: http://www.flumc2.org/page.asp?PKValue=1362. |
|
Ministries for the Holidays
Thanksgiving and Christmas are on the way! More than ever, community groups need help to meet the needs of individuals and families. Here are a few ideas for your gifts and volunteer efforts:
Food Pantry, First UMC Bunnell provides a dinner the Wednesday before Thanksgiving for the homeless and for their food pantry clients. They need volunteers to help cook and serve and food donations. Contact Carla at Ctraister@cfl.rr.com.
Community Of Faith UMC in Davenport is working with the East Coast Migrant Center to provide Christmas gifts for children. They need stocking stuffers that do not require batteries. They also work with the West Side K-8 Family in Transition Program and need toys and food items. Contact Beth Berner at 863-424-6062.
Seniors First in Orlando will be leading a shoe box gift drive. They ask people to provide a small lap throw and a $10 gift card (for Publix, Walgreens,etc), wrap them in a shoebox and designate male or female. Contact at Michelle at 407-615-8962 or mlowe@seniorsfirstinc.org. |
|
|
Here are a few more ideas for your gifts or presence in ministry this Christmas season:
The Florida United Methodist Children's Home Foster Care ProgramReeves UMC in Orlando is sponsoring a Santa's Workshop on Friday, December 3 from 6:30 -8:30 pm for foster families. They still need more ideas for crafts and games for the children and craft ideas for the parents. Volunteers to help are also needed. For more information contact Linda Tice at 407-896-2734, Pastorlinda@bellsouth.net. Help Now of OsceolaHelp Now is a domestic violence counseling center and shelter. They need churches to sponsor an Angel tree, food baskets, volunteers for a Christmas party, basic gifts to the shelter like sheets, pillows, bus passes, cleaning supplies. Contact Shelley Gordon at Shelleyg@helpnowshelter.org. Safe House SeminoleAnother domestic violence shelter, they need food donations and volunteers for holiday meals, toys and gift cards (the gift cards will allow the Mother to purchase clothes or toys for her own children) contact Melissa Winstead at mwinstead@safehouseofseminole.org. National Farmworker MinistryHelp us get donations of books in Spanish (for immigrants in detention centers) and Christmas presents (for farm worker families). We count on your support! Contact me if you have any questions! Lariza Garzon, 386- 801 1232, lgarzon@nfwm.org , www.nfwm.org.
Halifax Urban MinistryHUM provides 800 Christmas meals to families. They need food for the baskets and they are collecting blankets to be given out as the weather gets colder. For information contact Troy Ray at 386-252-0156, 215 Bay St Daytona Beach 32114, peoplematter2god@earthlink.net. |
|
|
Gifts with a Purpose
The following ministries offer gift cards so that a donation can be made in honor or memory of those you love.
United Methodist Committee on Relief - Christmas Wish ListGifts range from $15.00 to supplement the diets of institutionalized children and adults in Armenia to $20.00 to help ship blankets, medical supplies, hygiene articles, where they are needed most, to $500.00 to dig a village well in Afghanistan giving 80-160 people clean drinking water. Donations: http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/print/pdfs/Christmas%20List%201.pdf Justice For Our NeighborsJFON helps integrate immigrants into our communities. $25 will sponsor a consultation with an immigration attorney, $75 will support a monthly immigration clinic, $500 will provide direct assistance to clients in crisis. Contact Marilyn Beecher, 407-896-2230 x105, mbeecher@flumc.org. Heiffer InternationalHelp children and families around the world receive training and animal gifts that help them become self-reliant. Gifts begin at $10 and include a flock of ducks ($20), 3 rabbits ($60), a llama ($150) and more. Society of Saint AndrewEach $12 gift donation to the Society of St. Andrew provides about 600 servings of fresh, nutritious food to America's hungry families. http://www.endhunger.org/card/default.htm. Ten Thousand VillagesFind unique handmade gifts, jewelry, personal accessories, home decor, art & sculpture plus beautiful nativity scenes from around the world at the Ten Thousand Villages store in Winter Park. Your gift purchases help pay for food, education, healthcare and housing for artisans who would otherwise be unemployed or underemployed. Your support helps sustain our longstanding trading relationships-relationships that empower artisans, support thriving businesses and strengthen communities. http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/php/stores.festivals/find.a.store.php. 346 Park Avenue North, Winter Park, FL 32789 || phone: 407-644-8464 email: manager.winterpark@tenthousandvillages.com. |
|
Other Ministry Opportunities
| |
Help feed Central Florida's Hungry with the Citrus Grown in Local Backyards!
Citrus Harvest for the Hungry
Orlando Area - January 22, 2011 from 8:00-1:00 p.m.
Volusia County Citrus Drive - February 5
3 ways to participate: - Pick Your Fruit to Bring to a Drop Site
- Orlando - College Park Presbyterian Church; 118 East Par Street
- Windermere - St. Luke's United Methodist Church; 4851 Apopka Vineland Rd
- Zellwood - Zellwood United Methodist Church; 5538 Jones Avenue
- Oviedo - First United Methodist Church; 263 King Street
- Longwood - Northland, A Church Distributed; 530 Dog Track Road
- Volunteer to Pick Area Trees
- Donate Your Citrus for Someone to Pick
|
|
|
It's Kickoff Time!
Super Bowl XLV is not far away. We're kicking off our new season too, with a re-designed website and a challenge to collect $11 million for local hunger-relief charities in 2011.
Help us reach our goal! Register today and become part of the national team that is transforming the time around the Super Bowl into the nation's largest celebration of giving and serving.
Super Bowl Sunday: February 6, 2011Souper Bowl of Caring: January 17 - February 6, 2011 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
| Calendar
|
Super Bowl Sunday on February 6, 2011
Souper Bowl of Caring: January 17 - February 6, 2011
UMVIM Team Leader Training
February 26 - First UMC, Lake City
Early Response Team Training
April 8-9 - Warren Willis Camp, Fruitland Park
| |
|
|
|
