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UNITED METHODIST VOLUNTEERS IN MISSION (UMVIM)

Mission News

August 8, 2019
MISSION JOURNEY REPORT

The Ashland Faith UMC youth group recently returned from a mission trip to Monson, MA. We took seven youth and two adult chaperones. The trip was organized by Group’s Lifetree Adventures. We spent the week of June 30-July 6, 2019 serving the town of Monson with construction, painting, and relational ministry projects, and we even got to be the grand marshals in the town’s 4th of July parade. We participated in daily service, afternoon “mystery adventures”, and enjoyed morning and evening programs focused on spiritual growth and becoming “Friends of God”.

If you recently participated in mission trip with your church, please contact the EOC UMVIM Coordinator, Kathy Dickriede via E-mail. We’d love to share what our churches are doing locally and around the world!

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Puerto Rico UMVIM Teams needed!

The MCPR (Methodist Church of Puerto Rico) & Rehace, Inc., (the social holiness arm of the Methodist Church) has provided the following updates to the repair/rebuild efforts that are on-going due to Hurricane Maria's devastation to Puerto Rico. The Early Response and UMVIM teams started assisting with disaster response in Feb. 2018. At the end of Dec. 2018, we had 108 teams and a total of 1,151 volunteers serve!!

Currently, there are 35,000 houses still with blue tarps. To help meet the continuing disaster recovery efforts, the MCPR would like to have 8 teams/week serve with a team size of no more than 12 people/team for a monthly goal of (32 teams, 384 volunteers) each month starting in June. For teams who want to serve and have more than 12 members, please separate out the additional team members and have them create another team of 12 or less with another team leader designated. The MCPR/Rehace 2019, construction completion goal is to close 36 projects per month. During the first three months of 2019 (Jan. - Mar.), 108 houses have been repaired by UMVIM teams (62 teams, 712 volunteers) and others. The year-end goal is to repair 432 houses by Dec. 21, 2019. 

We would like your help to spread the word of the on-going efforts, and hopefully recruit new teams so we can get residents back into structurally sound housing. With the goal of having 32 teams serve per month, there is plenty of room for additional teams to serve June - Dec. 2019. We are also scheduling teams for 2020.

For more information contact Kathy Dickriede, East Ohio UMVIM coordinator, via E-mail.

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Overnight Mission Opportunities in East Ohio

The East Ohio Conference Board of Mission and United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) are excited to share news with you about ministries in our area that will help to make and mature disciples, bring transformation to people and communities, renew your spirit, and partner with people in economic poverty. We have overnight mission experiences in urban and rural settings. A partnership with these mission sites means a commitment to The United Methodist Church and our call to care for some of our society’s most vulnerable people. We commit to live out the UMC Social Principles and the call on our lives as followers of Christ to serve others in sacrifice and love.

Epworth Mission Center extends the love and grace of Jesus Christ – in meeting physical, emotional, and spiritual needs in the Appalachian area around Bethesda, Ohio. We provide home repairs, community needs, spiritual formation, and a choice food pantry. Your work mission experience helps to bring awareness and advocacy to poverty. The wooded setting provides an environment perfect for spiritual retreat and renewal. First Steps is for younger, first time missionaries with an opportunity to serve 3 or 4 days instead of a full week.

The Nehemiah Mission of Cleveland is a ministry of the North Coast District of the United Methodist Church, located in an urban area on the near west side of Cleveland. Your service could be with a homeless ministry distributing food and clothing, working with children at a homeless women and children center, repairing residential homes, gardening, constructing wheelchair ramps, distributing clothing to the needy, preparing medical supplies for shipment to third world hospitals, or preparing and serving a community meal.

Urban Mission Ministries, Inc. offers an urban setting in Steubenville, just 40 minutes from Pittsburgh, PA. One of their programs is the J.O.S.H.U.A. Work Mission program. This ministry provides worship, home repair, food pantry, soup kitchen and thrift store ministry, community gardens and homeless shelters. Groups and individuals can come and participate in any or all of these ministries. 

Lodging, meals and all supplies can be included at all of the mission sites. Overnight guests sleep in real beds in air conditioned dormitories, houses, or cabins. Each mission is prepared to welcome guests year round, including mission teams, confirmation classes, workshops, times for team building and spiritual retreats. More than anything, all three mission sites seek to provide a well-rounded, Christ-centered experience with opportunities for transformation, discipleship, service, learning, relationship building, and worship.

Leaders from these ministries are also available to go to churches to provide Bridges Out of Poverty trainings, poverty simulations, worship and advocacy.

Churches and groups are invited to come and see how their support through prayers, participation and funding is changing lives! Bring your youth or adult group for a week during the summer in 2019, REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

Contact Rev. Kathy Dickriede, Coordinator of Missions & Community Engagement, for more details.
E-mail | Mission Sites | (216) 905-8738