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Mission & Social Concerns Ministry |
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Mission and Social Concerns Ministry Area
In doing this, the Missions and Social Concerns Team will provide opportunities for persons of every age, talent, and ability to be in appropriate mission and ministry
a study of the Social Principles, Social Creed, and Social The group will maintain an awareness of the United Methodist opportunities for accomplishing the above.
From: cheshireumc@sbcglobal.net Sent: Friday, June 27, 2008 3:21 PM
To: CUMC member and friends
Subject: From the Missions and Social Concerns team
linking to information and action
You are invited to link yourself to a source of
information and action that is easy and important
stewardship of your influence.
United Methodists have many sources but here are two that the Missions and Social Concerns Group thinks that all of us who have email might like to receive regular information from about the missions and advocacy opportunities through which we can make a difference in our world:
1. We suggest you visit: www.umc-gbcs.org<http://www.umc-gbcs.org/ which is the General Board of Church and Society. In the lower right is "UM Power" section with a place to click on "Take Action" or "Sign up for UM Power" These will contact you by email with suggested actions or with information. You can choose your level of desired information.
2. We suggest you visit:
http://new.gbgm-umc.org/connections/lists which is
the General Board of Global Ministries. This gives
you a choice of information you can receive regularly.
We suggest you might,at least, sign up for UMCOR
Hotline, which is United Methodist Committee on
Relief which responds to instant needs around the
world. You can choose the ones that interest you.
"To whom much has been given, of them much is required,"(Luke 12:48). Let us use all that we have including our information and influence "for the transformation of the world," as United Methodist goals state is our purpose."* * * * * * *
Native American Sunday Our Lord calls each of us to go out into the world and begin the work of reconciliation because of our reconciliation, we must accepted our rightful place in God’s kingdom through the power of the Holy Spirit. In 1994, God called me to go out and begin the work of reconciliation through the ministry of the ordained. Prior to this time, I had been a faithful layperson, and I used my gifts to increase the kingdom by teaching Sunday school, volunteering with youth, participating in mission endeavors, and the list goes on. In 1993, while working on a construction job one afternoon, I had an encounter with God that I had never experienced before. I had a vision of two Native American pastors whom I have great admiration for. They were communicating with one another and one turned and walked away. When the vision was over I pondered over its meaning. About three weeks later the pastor, who in my vision had walked away, called and explained to me that he was leaving the United Methodist Church and joining another denomination. At that time there were only two Native American Ordained Ministers serving the Native American United Methodist Churches in my home area and his leaving would leave a void spot in a place and people whom are struggling with many physical and social issues. I knew God was calling me to ordained ministry, but how would it ever be achieved? I had dropped out of High School and received my GED in 1980. Higher Education had never entered my mind. How can I do this; I do not have the ability to go to college, as well as, can I get beyond my spotted past, were questions that I attempted to use to justify my “no” answer to God. Then one Sunday morning God turned my attention to the flame from the altar candles, and I experienced the overwhelming presences of God in the flickering of the flame, and I knew my God, my Lord, was with me. I felt as if God had found me in my darkness, and the Lord was guiding me to the hope found in His Light. I understood the importance of Jesus being the Light of the world. On that day the Lord took hold of my hand and led me into the Light, and I was assured of not being alone. Interestingly enough, while in the presences of my Lord, I heard again my call (inward) to become a light in a dark and cruel world. Jesus Christ the Lord of my life, who claimed me in my baptism, was calling me to go out, in His name, and share the good news that had been revealed to me. I lifted up my hands to the Lord, and I said, “Yes send me; I will go”. I left my job and entered the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in August 1994 and went on Asbury Theology Seminary in 1999 which resulted in my moving my family 500 miles away from home. All of this was made possible because of a commitment from the United Methodist Church who said, “We will never leave you nor forsake you.” In 1999, when I left for Asbury in Kentucky to pursue my Master of Divinity, I had limited resources and family support, but my Lord provided for my family and me through the United Methodist Church. I received The Native American Seminary Award until completion of my degree. Had it not been for this financial support from the United Methodist congregations throughout the connectional Church, I would not have completed my Master of Divinity and become an Elder in the Church. Currently I am completing my Doctor of Divinity at Garrett Theological Seminary will serving a New Church Start in the North Carolina Annual Conference. In June, I have been asked by the Bishop and Cabinet to take over the pastorate at one of our larger and growing congregations in the conference. All this would not have been possible without the kindness and generosity of Congregations, such as you, celebrating this Special Sunday. The Lord who called me to “take up my cross and follow Him” in service as an ordained minister has used you to help me lift that Cross. I want to take this time to thank each and every one of you for all students who have benefited from this Special Sunday and to say that because of you the Message of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is being shared in communities that would otherwise be without. May God continue using each of us to be Kingdom Builders?
Biloxi Mission Moment - March 9,
2008 Today we celebrate One Great Hour of Sharing. There will be a collection later in this service to support the work of the United Methodist Committee on Relief. This group provides relief for victims of devastating events: tornadoes, tidal waves and hurricanes. As most of you know, in January, I went to Biloxi, MS as a Volunteer in Mission. While the Biloxi mission is supported by the NY Annual Conference of the UM church, the goal is similar to that of UMCOR. The Missions and Social Concerns team felt that the Biloxi story would be suitable for this special Sunday. Hurricane Katrina made a direct hit on Biloxi and the neighboring town of Gulfport. These photos show Biloxi before and after Katrina. You may be able to see the barge that was washed 1/2 mile inland, smashing everything in its wake. (slide 1) This house (slide 2) shows the height of the water in encountered - 17 feet! (Slide 3) Here is a memorial to the victims of Katrina. It includes items washed out of houses and other buildings. (Slide 4) Here is all that was salvaged from the home of one of our clients. For nearly 3 years, the NY Annual Conference has sent teams to Biloxi. Most of our team, #61, was from the Watertown UMC, but there were two people from Great Hill UMC in Seymour, two from a small UMC in upstate New York and one from Christ UMC on Park Avenue in Manhattan. Most had been to Biloxi before and for many this was their third trip. They had some really interesting stories. In fact, we visited some of the people whose homes they repaired on previous mission trips. Freddie invited all 17 of us into his rather small house and showed us around with pride. Our team members told us that Freddie, an older man, was really depressed after Katrina destroyed his home. Last year, he was a little better, but this year he is joyous. Someone said, "This is what we are trying to accomplish here, to bring back the hope and joy." This experience was truly a blessing to me and to all of our team. I have much to share with you about it. No, I won't do it all during this Mission Moment. However, I would love to answer any questions you have after worship today or anytime. I will be showing you a few photos from the trip, but there are more on a display board in Fellowship Hall. Home for our team in Biloxi was St. Paul's UMC. We cooked most of our own meals and kept the place clean. On Sunday, we experienced two worship services. One was at mount Pleasant UMC in Gulfport, a traditional gospel church with lots of participation by the congregation and an unbelievably powerful sermon. The second was at St. Paul's, a far more sedate service. Members of our group sang in the choirs in both churches and one member of our team, who has sung at the Metropolitan Opera House, shook the rafters with a solo of How Great Thou Art. We were warmly welcomed at both churches and thanked for coming to help Biloxi. We felt greatly blessed to participate in both of these services. One of the greatest blessings of our trip is that we had Paul Hibert with us. He is the pastor of the Watertown church and provided the spiritual focus for our work. We had grace before all means and devotions each night. I feel this greatly enhanced our experience. Initially, our team was assigned to work on two houses, but ultimately worked on four. (slide 5) This is the home of Renee LaRoche, the only one I worked on. We heard that the first team cleaned out the mud from the house last November, nearly 2.5 years after Katrina hit. You can imagine how it smelled! The second team had the task of tearing out the walls, pulling down the ceiling tiles and removing the floor. They then scraped the mud and mold off all the framing of the house. All the cleaned wood had to be treated with a fungicide and sealed. The third team installed Sheetrock walls and taped them and installed new ceilings. Electrical work was done by a professional electrician, but volunteers have done everything else. We were the fourth team to work on Renee's house, so we did all the painting, hung the doors and installed trim on all the doors and windows. I knew I wasn't a good painter, so tried to beg off, but one of the team members convinced me I could paint. Believe it or not, he was right. I did much of the painting and it looks just fine. (slide of Renee and Carol) This is Renee. We met her a couple of days into the week, then saw her every day. She shared her story with us. Renee manages the buffet at one of the Casinos, so works nights. As a result, Renee did not hear the warning to evacuate when Katrina was imminent. When water started coming into her house, Renee walked to her daughter's house. She and her daughter and Renee's three young grandchildren started our to find shelter. The oldest of the children was 8 at the time. There were no people around and the water was rising fast. Two Asian men, I think they were angels, appeared. They led the family to a Buddhist temple. The men broke a window, so they could enter the building. They put chairs on a table and told the family to sit on the chairs. The family did this until the chairs began to float. At this point, the men returned and let the family to the attic, were they spend 8 hours waiting for the water to recede. There had been 14 feet of water in the temple! To get out of the building, the family had to swim through the water to get to the broken window. Now, the water wasn't like Mixville or even Long Island Sound. It had everything you can imagine in it - gasoline, oil, sewage, garbage and other unpleasant things. Despite this, Renee and her family all survived the experience. Sadly, Renee's daughter and her children have moved to Phoenix, because they are terrified of another Katrina. Despite her experience, Renee is a woman of great faith and full of hope. She feels so blessed by the work done by the mission teams and is delighted with her house. By now, it has probably been completed and she had moved back in. I look forward to seeing her next year. (photo of Joe giving Renee cross) -Our team has a tradition of signing a wooden cross and giving it to the owners of homes it works on. We saw more than one of these crosses hung prominently in several Biloxi homes. We didn't just work. We slept on cots with mattresses, found we could all have daily showers even though there were just two for all 17 of us, shared in the preparation of delicious meals and even went to three parades. We found gratitude everywhere. (slide of man thanking us). This man spied the Volunteer in Mission shirts that some of us wore and thanked us from his place in the parade. I even saw four teen-aged boys raise their hands and thank us, even though no one of us had worked on their house. Even the Homeland Security people at the Gulfport airport thanked us, as we were leaving MS. You remember that there were forest fires in California last fall? Well, the people of Biloxi were so grateful for the help they have received that they sent a team out to help fight the fires. Several of these folks are still not back in their own homes, yet they wanted to help others. I am eager to return to Biloxi next year and hope several of you will join me. I've left a sign up sheet in front of my photo display in Fellowship Hall. Signing up just indicates interest. It's not a commitment. If we have enough people, we can have a CUMC team in Biloxi next year. (slide of You are our hope) This sign is in the Fellowship Hall of St. Paul's church. It is there for all who support the people of Biloxi in their recovery from Katrina. You have been wonderful in support of my trip to Biloxi. The Biloxi mission trip was truly a blessing in my life. Hopefully, next year you can receive the same blessing.
World Wide
Communion Sunday October 7, 2007 There were three from Burma – Mianmar - also studying to continue their teaching or pastoral work. One is a Bishop. As you have seen in the news recently, that is where there is so much violence going on right now in their 20-year struggle for human rights. Five were from Brazil. Others from African and Asian countries were present. One of the two main speakers of the day was Rev. Gi Dae Kim of Korea, who talked about the Dandelion Community in Korea. What a wonderful term for a Christian community! Any who have tried to have a green lawn know the tenacity of dandelions! Their roots go deep, they are hard to get rid of, their flowers are bright and cheerful, and their seeds are spread wide by the wind of the Spirit. The other speaker of the day was Dr. Peter Kuzmic. He was most inspiring as he talked with us about the need to put our faith into action, and keep our faith relevant to the world we live in. He is a professor of World Missions at Gordon Conwell Seminary - just north of Boston, and a frequent speaker on the Christian Response to Communism. He is also founder and director of the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Croatia, so he does a lot of traveling back and forth. It was an inspiration to meet with these people as we broke bread together at lunch. Today, as we celebrate World Communion Sunday, I’d like to share with you glimpses of some of the places where I have worshipped and shared communion, even if not the actual Eucharist with others. The first time I remember taking part in the World Day of Prayer, it was soon after Dan and I had arrived in India, about 1950. It was held at the Kashmiri Gate Anglican Church in Old Delhi. What a thrill it was to sit there as part of a congregation made up of people from many parts of India, people of many different denominations and languages, but all sharing English as we shared our faith in Christ and lifted our prayers to God. Since then, and for many years I have been active in Church Women United, and each year the service for World Day of Prayer is planned and prepared by the people of a different country. As we worship together we have a chance to learn more of the struggles and achievements of the peoples and churches in each country. Another very special service took place in China in 1989. I was there with a group of folks related to those who had served at the Wuhu General Hospital, in my case, my aunt, Dr. Hyla Watters who had been chief surgeon from 1924 to 1949. We had been invited by the hospital to represent these relatives to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the hospital. In addition to our wonderful 10 days at the hospital, we had 3 more weeks as tourists. I had been hoping for a chance to visit a church, as we had heard that after nearly 20 years of having to be “underground”, the church was once again allowed to be out in the open. Unfortunately, each of the Sundays had been scheduled for travel, until the last one, I learned, we were to be in the city of Hefei, just across the Yangtze River from Wuhu. I had learned that a doctor and his wife, who had been very close friends of my aunt, Dr. Hyla Watters, lived in Hefei. So I called them up to ask if some of us could meet them at the church. They were delighted, and told us when and where to come. The next thing was to work it out with our official Guide, (employed by the Chinese Government Dept. of Tourism) to see if he could get us there. Well, it turned out that all the others wanted to go and visit a silk mill which was scheduled for the day. But he said he could drop me off at the church and pick me up later in the day. To my amazement, the church grounds were filled with people, but there right near the gate were a young Chinese couple, waving to me and smiling. So I said goodbye to my fellow travelers. The young woman waiting to meet me was a teacher of English, and her husband was studying in the seminary, just beyond the church. They led me past all the people crowding around the open windows listening to the singing, then through the Sunday school rooms where people were seated on the floor, as close as they could get, and into the sanctuary, which again was packed tight – except for two places in the front row beside my two friends, all singing hymns as they waited for the time for service. The teacher of English sat next to me and translated for me – the prayers, the Bible readings, the Sermon. What an experience of Communion – to be adopted by these people who didn’t know me, to feel at one with them as we sang in different languages, to read familiar passages about Jesus and His love… When I heard about the Dandelion Community, I thought of the Church in China. For all those years it had been in secret, but continuing to worship, to pray, to sing, to observe Holy Communion. The roots grow deep, the seeds spread wide, and God continues to show his love for all of us. And now once again the flowers can bloom brightly in the open. But that is simplifying it too much, and they still need our prayers. The third place I’d like to share with you this morning is Nicaragua. In 2002 I went with a group from the Rockville United Methodist Church to visit Nicaragua for 10 days. The people had told us they didn’t want us to come as a work party – Most of them are out of work and could do the work themselves if the funds and material could be supplied. They wanted us to come as friends, to get to know them, and to worship with them. During our 10 days there we visited one or two different churches each day and made many friends. Some of the churches didn’t have any hymn books, but the people knew all the verses of all the hymns and sang them joyfully. The services usually lasted about two hours, and then the people wanted to stay around and visit. That was in February after a big hurricane had caused terrible devastation the previous summer. One of the churches was a short distance from Lake Managua which had flooded right up to the wall around the church yard. It was built on a slight rise above the city of tin shacks around it, and during most of the flood period that church yard and the school were filled with refugees from the town. Being near the lake, many of them were fishermen and had boats, so they used these boats to bring their families and neighbors to the refuge, the church. As people were gathering before the service, the song leader began playing on his keyboard, “Lord, You Have Come To The Lake Shore.” Ever since then, this hymn has had special meaning for me. Wherever we went, the people were among the poorest I had known, and yet they were happy. Again, it was a kind of communion with people who know that God loves us and cares for us – even in the flood. He comes even to the flooded lake shore to meet us in our need. As we take part
in this World Wide Communion, there will be others whom you will think of and
remember in near or far distant places. The worldwide Church is the body of
Christ, the New Covenant is to Love One Another. Mission Moment by Renee to Good morning. I’ve been a member of CUMC for less than a year. When I joined the church, one of the things I was interested in learning about was our approach to missions and the kinds of activities we supported. To learn more about this, I started attending Missions Committee meetings on an ad hoc basis. I happily agreed when the Committee asked me to do the Missions Moment for September because I think it is SO important for all of us to be aware of the range and scope of our missions work. For those who are new to the church, I hope it will be interesting to learn more about our missions activities. For those who have been members for awhile, look at this as a sort of “refresher course” and as a reminder. We certainly have a wide range of possibilities for anyone interested in becoming more involved and we encourage you to do so.
1) Paid in full the connectional apportioned funds in 2006 2) Supported many local missions: fuel bank, food bank, fire dept. Relay for Life for cancer research, energy alternatives project, etc. 3) Participated in and received all the Special Sundays offerings 4) Two members participated in the School of Missions 5) Two members attended event on eliminating the Death Penalty
6) Held the study open to all members on The Church Studies 7) Three members participated in the Dialogue event on the Church Studies Homosexuality
8) Have a web page for mission and social justice advocacy on church web
9) Encouraged alternative giving to missional causes instead of Christmas, birthday, and other special occasions gifts for persons for whom that is an appropriate honor, especially Advance Specials 10) Participated in Church World Service blanket Drive (new ministry) 11) Have Mission Moment speakers one or more times per month
12) Celebrate the mission and social justice actions of church members
13) Support disaster relief with offerings 14) Participate in Bread for the World and UM Power advocacy actions to legislators and others and regularly publicize them 15) Had 2 month study of two of the School of Mission topics: India Pakistan and Shalom, Salaam, Peace in adult study groups 16) The Christmas season Road to Bethlehem drive-through nativity scenes at which people contribute to food and fuel bank 17) Agape House ministry to people needing meals, clothing, household goods, housing, and fellowship in New Haven; financial and in-kind contributions through the church 18) Children participate in Trick or Treat for UNICEF and dedicate their contributions and Vacation Bible School contributes to missional causes such as Heifer International 19) Support for Unity House in South Meriden and the settlement of refugees 20) Youth and adult participants in United Methodist Action Reach-Out Mission by Youth (UM ARMY)
21) Participate in Cheshire Interfaith Housing- a Habitat for
Humanity-type 22) Celebrated the personal missional involvements of many members through posters, talks, celebratory prayers. An interfaith trip by one member living with a family in Turkey; Leadership by one member in national movement for appropriate energy use and advocacy work helping faith communities become better stewards of the earth, Medical and reconstruction missions to LA and MS after Hurricane Katrina and Outreach to prisoners in a local state prison are just a sample of the missional efforts of our members. If you have any questions, you can talk to any of the members of our Committee: Carol Wilson, Chair; Claire Strand, Carolyn Hardin Engelhardt, Ellen Turner, Jessy Thomas, Barbara Johnson, Betty Allen, Len Mecca, Karen Brown, Justin Cody, Syd Parker or me. Thanks for listening.
Mission Moment to In celebration of peace with justice Sunday, I wanted to share a personal mission moment from my life. It has been a longtime routine of mine to encounter people online. Usually, I send a simple note…"Would you please share something about your spiritual journey?" Responses are generally gracious and because I write to people of many faith traditions, I get to learn and understand God from a variety of religious viewpoints. On occasion, I make new friends. When I returned from the Parliament for World Religions in Barcelona 2 summers ago, I brought home a copy of the Koran to better understand my Muslim brothers and sisters. After reading it, I made a concerted effort to make contact with people in Islamic cultures. I was able to make friends with a few families in Turkey and eventually, they insisted I visit. I went to Turkey and shared in their culture…I also shared my interfaith message. It consists of ideas I learned from teaching Sunday school in this church. Over the years, the youth have given me "Questions to God"….i have collected them and studied them and organized them….many of the questions concerning the nature of God and His relationship to us helped me form some of my interfaith ideas. I want to share a few points of my interfaith message: 1. We may have different names for God….but by ALL those names, He is still the source of the amazing life we live on this planet. Like fingerprints and snowflakes, our relationship with God is unique but so, so similar, often fostered by the place and culture in which we are raised. This variety can be celebrated. At its core…we hope that God has more for us….after this short life. 2. I believe there is a God…….the rest, however, is open to speculation 3. Dogma and rituals do not save….faith in God does! 4. Life is richer if we seek unity in the Spirit and not uniformity in beliefs. 5. It is better that we celebrate the best of our neighbors religion as opposed to putting down the worst (all religious groups have issues) 6. The real and essential "Good news" of Christianity and Jesus is that we are Children of a loving God; that we are deeply loved by Him and that faith fact means… everyone we meet in life is really a brother or a sister. 7. Most of us have experienced the power of LOVE, and to some degree we believe that LOVE has a divine source...God. I believe the more we know and understand our neighbors…sense their motivations…the more we can love them, As the Master said, there are only two commandments…love God first and your neighbor as yourself. In Turkey…I had one touching evening where I spoke to a mother about Allah and God. I used an old interfaith analogy that life is like a mountain…on the mountain, there are many spiritual paths but the paths all lead up the mountain to the same destination…to God…to Allah. She was moved to understand Jesus better and relieved that I had not come to sell my religion to her…that I had not asserted my religion as superior and that I was interested in understanding what she believed. The next morning, her 22 year old daughter saw my Bible and began to argue with her mother…..i knew it was about me and religion …but the heated conversation was in Turkish...i really had no clue but it looked bad! Then, I see the mother making gestures in the air…round and round….ahhhh, she was explaining the mountain and many spiritual paths…the daughters face light up…after, she came over to me and gave me a kiss. The family asked if I would make a traditional American breakfast….now that was funny. I asked if they were prepared to eat pork. No No they said…we follow the Koran and the laws of Moses, so this is forbidden…..Jokingly, I asked if they followed all the laws of Moses…and they assured me they did. I asked the teenage son to go get some shirts in his closet…..after we inspected the materials used to make the shirts; we found some were blends of different material. I asked if they were aware that the laws of Moses forbid the mixing or blending of materials for garments. The children started to laugh and said to their parents….well, maybe we could have some bacon tomorrow…soon everyone laughed. We had to visit an international market to find some bacon…..but we did! I share all of this…because life is indeed short and precious….it is important on our journey, to be in mission and share the good news as YOU understand it! To share truth, beauty and goodness with your neighbors near and far is a transforming experience...for you and them…and a transformed world only takes place because of transformed individuals. May we all continue to share the light. Thank you!
Nothing But
Nets can STOP malaria
For
additional information about
"Nothing But Nets" Campaign Underway: Signed on by The United
Methodist Church as one of the sponsors of the campaign, the Education Committee
is running the collection to help raise monies for mosquito nets for homes in
Africa. For the next several weeks change, dollars and checks will be collected
from Sunday School students to buy as many nets as they can. $10 buys one bed
net. For more information contact Mara Weed, Education Chair (250-9830)
BLANKETS FOR THE NEEDY ON
MOTHER’S DAY
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* Unfortunately, there’s very little Peace with Justice in the World we live in. That is why Peace with Justice Sunday is authorized by the General Conference as an annual emphasis on God’s peace. The focus of the observance is on a witness to God’s demand for a faithful, just, disarmed and secure world. Ironically, when the words Peace with Justice are said, one of the first things you think about is War. How can we help it? Turn on the TV at any time of day and you will find a channel discussing it. Pick up a newspaper any day of the week and there will be a story about it on the front page. What Peace? And when you leave the media behind, and come to Church, you open your bulletin on this Peace with Justice Sunday morning to find an envelope with a picture of a young boy holding a weapon, and ready to kill. What Justice? This boy, and others like him, would be no different than our own children, had they been born here. Their way of life is not to enjoy the summer months with their friends anxiously awaiting another school year. Instead, these boys are carrying guns and killing invaders to their villages. These boys, if they survive, often have no homes, no families, and horrible memories of what their youthful lives already have experienced. We are talking about 8-12 year old boys with stresses that no person, young or old, should ever have to face. Again, what Peace, what Justice? Our United Methodist denomination annually stresses the need for Peace and Justice. One of the major focuses this year is on the former child soldiers in Liberia, West Africa, a country fraught with unrest. Our goal is to help find a place for these youth to live, provide activities to address war trauma, and basic necessities such as fresh drinking water and medical treatment. Our General Conference has stated: "We are called to care for every one of God’s children, especially those who have never known peace. This Peace with Justice Special Offering helps God’s people everywhere to learn to live lovingly and peacefully." In the past, this Special Offering has done a world of good in other areas besides war-related issues. For instance, women in the Philippines have been able to continue their commitment and advocacy to provide educational opportunities to address specific issues challenging the Christian faith. This offering has assisted the North Dakota farmers in their campaign to keep genetically modified wheat outside the state of North Dakota. In addition, this offering has helped the Hispanic Religious Partnership for Community Health develop and implement wellness strategies within their community. And finally, thanks to this contribution, the Methodists United for Peace with Justice has been able to develop their website containing information of use to all United Methodists and the larger religious community. For those of you interested, the website is www.MWPWJ.ORG . Most recently, highlights of the New York Annual Conference Legislative Session included petitions encouraging open membership for all individuals, the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, and they requested greater attention be paid to Global Warming and ways to reduce energy consumption are sought. The pursuit for Peace with Justice seems endless. One of the four goals of Global Ministries is to "seek Justice, Freedom, and Peace". To meet this goal, they participate with people oppressed by unjust economic, political and social systems in programs that seek to build just, free, and peaceful societies. This goal ties in with the vision statement adopted at the Conference shared with all of us a few weeks ago by Pastor Steve. Today this vision statement bears repeating: "The New York Annual Conference through the grace of God embodies a beloved community of hope, building up a healthy body of Christ, with heart-warmed United Methodists in mission for the transformation of the world." Let this transformation of the world begin this morning with the special offering, and maybe someday we can truly achieve Peace with Justice. Thank you.
Mission Moment by Carol
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April 23, 2006 There is a specific thing that everyone here can do to respond to this call. You can switch to electricity from clean sources - clean power. If you purchase your electricity from conventional sources, you need to know that in CT these are nearly 50% nuclear energy, 18.5% oil, 12% natural gas and 12% coal. Nuclear power produces radioactive wastes that will be of danger for thousands of years. The fossil fuels, coal, oil and natural gas, produces carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming and sulfur dioxide which causes acid rain. Coal and nuclear power plants also produce mercury, which pollutes water and becomes part of the food chain. In addition, these fuels are nonrenewable and likely to be gone in a frighteningly short period of time. Clean power comes from renewable sources that are environmentally friendly. These sources are solar, wind, wave, ocean thermal, tides, hydrogen powered fuel cells, landfill gas and other biomass from plant and animal waste. Electricity consumers in CT have two options for clean power. Sterling Planet provides electricity generated by wind, hydro of landfill gas. Community Energy provides electricity from wind and landfill gas. Purchasing power from either of these companies will cost you a bit more, around 1 cent per kilowatt hour. I have a few forms for anyone who wants them today and will have more at the Missions and Social Concerns table next week after worship. A few months ago, CUMC became the first church in Cheshire to sign up for clean power. We chose Community Energy, because there is a rebate that will offset the extra cost for power. The Town of Cheshire has joined the 20% by 2010 campaign. This commits the town to purchasing 20% of its electricity from clean sources by 2010. The Town Hall is our first building to be switched to clean power, as we ramp up to our 20% goal. For every 100 customers who live in Cheshire and sign up for clean power, the Town will receive a 2kw photovoltaic array. This will probably be placed on a school, where it will provide free electricity from the sun. The environmental benefits of clean power ____ there is no carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide or nuclear waste produced. Other benefits are that this fosters the development of a new industry that will eventually lead to a reduction in the price of electricity. We will have cleaner, healthier communities and we will have greater energy diversity. If you switch to clean power, you can provide many benefits. You can help the Town, you can help the church, you can help the future. Your action as a good steward of the earth can do a great deal of good. Please join us in this effort. Thank you.
Ways
We Can Oppose Last June at Annual Conference, The Rev. Walter Everett
told us the
"Guazapa" This summer, my friend from Choate, Chris, invited me to go down to El Salvador and help the "Guazapa" community service project run by two college students Emily McGrath and Peter von Bucher. The goal of this mission was to start an ecotourism enterprise, which circulated around the idea of building a hotel that would eventually be run by the community of La Mora. While we waited for the land to be purchased for building the hotel, Chris and I gained the trust of the community by helping out in several ways. First, we weeded the rice patty fields of one farmer named Conejo and taught English to the local children, who were eager to learn. As many of you know, I invited my dad down to El Salvador for a week to work as a dentist for the people in La Mora and an orphanage in San Salvador. We also cleared trails up the mountain Guazapa for tourists to hike up: these paths led up to where the current inhabitants of La Mora used to live as guerilla soldiers during the harsh decade of the El Salvadoran civil war, a bloody event nearly forgotten by the world today. The best thing I witnessed in El Salvador was that we had helped them help themselves. This was evident when Chris and I renovated the roof of La Mora’s only medical clinic, which had deteriorated over the years. At first, the people would stop by and watch passively as we took off the "tejas", red clay tiles, from the roof and placed new metal laminate sheets underneath. As the repairs progressed, the children were the first to ask if they could help out. The process quickened, as Chris and I were able to take off the tiles and put them in a bucket, which would be transported down by the children with a pulley system. A week went by and eventually we had a handful of teenagers and adults putting aside their precious time to help us fix the roof. Although Chris and I had to depart back for the States before the roof renovation could be finished, Emily and Peter later reported that the people of La Mora managed to complete the task themselves. The people were perfectly capable of doing the work themselves; however, they were simply preoccupied trying to make end’s meet to put food on the table. All we had to do was show that something could be done to enhance their poor living conditions if they culminated their efforts together. God sent down Jesus to serve, teach, and heal others, and I believe that my experience in El Salvador carries on certain elements of His central mission. I decided to give my time and effort to help those much less fortunate, expecting nothing in return; however, I did come back home with something: strong relationships with pure-hearted people and a more objective perspective of the world. The people of La Mora are no different from any of us; it is only the economic disparity that separates our two cultures. From this experience, I realized how sheltered I was at home by the affluence surrounding me. Jesus emphasized to love your neighbor. As followers of Christ, how can we uphold this message true when one is indulging in his riches while someone else on the other side of the world is starving? We need to make a positive difference in the world, near or far. In fact, there are people right here in Cheshire who need our help, and CUMC is doing a terrific job in helping our neighbors by donating clothes, food, or money to a the needy. I would like to give my sincerest gratitude to those who gave such items to my dad to bring down for the Guazapa project, I appreciate being a member of the CUMC community that is fully willing to reach out and help others. Leonel Gomez, a special man who has been assisting Emily and Peter with the project for a while, gave me and Chris each a coin that said "1/2 tarea", which means half work. On Leonel’s grandfather’s farm, the workers used to get two of these coins for a full day’s worth of work. This coin signifies that this kind of work is unfinished: there are and will always be someone else in need of help. That said, I am encouraged by God’s words in constantly trying to achieve that other half tarea. Thank you very much.
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Alternative Giving
Two years ago as I was on the way to North Carolina for Kaitlin’s Parents’ Weekend, I picked up the book The Secret Life of Bees to read while I was gone. I had heard a review of this book on National Public Radio and thought it sounded like something I might enjoy. I LOVED it. I thought about it and knew that my mother would enjoy the book, too. After getting back from North Carolina, I heard a Mission Moment endorsing Advance Giving and the Heifer Project as meaningful ways to give. Then an "aha" moment occurred. Why not give The Secret Life of Bees along with some bees from the Heifer Project to my mom for Christmas. You see, my parents are at a point where they don’t really need anything, and the things they may want are out of my range. I was truly excited about this gift – something she could enjoy and a way to honor my mom even as we help others! In talking to a friend, she said, "Oh, that will be your ‘gift of the year’!" Now, I was stuck with what to do for my Dad. In August, Dad led his second group of United Methodist ministers and members of the Rural Chaplains Association to Russia. Stories that came back were of poor people struggling to establish United Methodist congregations in the country. I searched the Advance Catalog for an organization to help in Russia. Of course, there was one that fit the bill. I also found Rural Chaplains Association as a designated recipient in the catalog. At that point I decided to donate in my father’s honor to RCA through the Advance opportunity for giving. The events of the past year offer many opportunities to help the ones we may feel need it the most. We have had special offerings for tsunami victims and this fall the many hurricanes give opportunities for designated giving. In fact, at this time my brother is still without water and electricity in Ft. Lauderdale. Our CUMC children will help with their UNICEF contributions. If you look through the catalog, I feel confident that you will find a "cause" that is special to you. The Missions Committee asks that contributions be made in one of two ways: write a check to CUMC and in the note line put the Advance Special name and number. OR give on the internet to Heifer, UNICEF, or Advance Special and print out the receipt which can be put in the offering plate to dedicate. The Missions/Social Concerns Team will keep up with the variety of gifts. Whether we give of our time, gifts or money, remember that God loves a cheerful giver – give it all you’ve got! * * * * * * * * * * * *
Peace with Justice Sunday Today we observe Peace with Justice Sunday at Cheshire United Methodist Church. Daily stories of violence in the Middle East and especially Iraq, remind us that the United Methodist Church should continue to work for peace throughout the world. But Peace with Justice means much more than opposition to unjust wars. Human injustice, violence, and fear exists within communities within our borders – our efforts must extend beyond war to social, economic, racial and ecological justice and peace within our own state and communities. I work for a lovely outdoor nature center located in an affluent community along the Pomperaug River, nestled within the meadows and forests of Connecticut’s western uplands. We are fortunate to have a small grant from a local family foundation that allows us to bring students from one of Connecticut’s poorest and most violent coastal cities for a day of nature studies at our site. Two weeks ago I visited the students at their school, and I was stunned at what I saw. Tall iron fences surrounded the crumbling old school building where children played on a playground devoid of grass. I maneuvered my equipment past a man passed out on the sidewalk and worked my way through the security system that is necessary to protect this school. The classroom was literally crammed with the 28 students, their teacher, and the 3 aides necessary for the large number of special education students in the class. At least 10 of those students had special needs – some profound. The contrast between that school and those in my local district is stunning – and when the students visited our center, the gulf between the two communities was even more obvious. The inner-city students were amazed to see the clean river – "Look, you can see through the water!" It was intensely rewarding but also frustrating to give these needy children one day in a truly safe environment – they want, they need and they deserve so much more! At Cheshire United Methodist Church, we are well aware of the social injustice that exists within our state, and a number of our members are hard at work to do what they can to bring peace with justice to our communities. But ending homelessness, cooling youth violence, giving children a good start, creating more equitable institutions, and preventing environmental pollution all require a commitment beyond what most of us can manage. Wrapped up in our busy lives, we can’t find the energy to reach out to others. It’s all too easy to burn out or become pessimistic. How do we as Christians address the violence and injustice so prevalent in our world? The prophetic tradition of biblical social justice makes clear "the dignity of every person as a child of God." Clearly, religious institutions have a duty to change society on behalf of justice – unfortunately, the history of religion’s impact has often been oppressive and divisive – religion gone bad! So if the churches can’t fix our problems, what are we to think? In Hebrews we are told: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Simply put, faith makes hope possible. And hope is the single most important ingredient for changing the world. Any social movement has to have hope, even if the odds seem impossible. Nobody on the outside gave the Civil Rights Movement much of a chance, but I lived in the South throughout that time of incredible change in this country. I recently had the chance to visit the Smithsonian’s special exhibit, "Brown vs. the Board of Education," – and realized for the first time the extent to which the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement sustained hope despite the overwhelming odds against their success. Jim Wallis, author of Faith Works: Lessons from the Life of an Activist Preacher gives me hope with his words: Today I see a new kind of activist emerging. Not one who is angry or burned out, but one whose belief that things can be different goes deeper than a passing optimism and is rooted in spirituality. The only way to change the world is to start where we live, helping our families, neighborhoods, schools, congregations, and workplaces to become "more fair, more safe, more honest, and more just." Wallis’ gives this advice to those who hope to bring about peace with justice:
The issues of poverty, peace and justice are essential to our families. We must connect our moral beliefs to our actions. We can achieve self-fulfillment through challenging what is not right. The test of any authentic faith is action – and the path of commitment is essential to lives worth living.
Thanks to Jim Wallis for his wonderful book, Faith Works: Lessons from the Life of an Activist Preacher, and to Shawn Morgan for permission to use material from his review of Wallis’ book, The Path of Commitment.
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Barbara asked if I would talk to you today giving a mission moment about Relay for Life. I was not able to be with you next Sunday morning as we will be in New Hampshire with Pam attending her college graduation. In your prayers for next Sunday, we lift up and celebrate our youngest child’s accomplishments. ………….. We also celebrate the end of tuition bills, we think. What is mission? To me, it is outreach … from your church, your community, yourself … to meet a need. This could be around the world or around the corner. In 1997, the community of Cheshire planned and hosted its first Relay for Life. What is "The Relay"? Sponsored by the American Cancer Society, it is 24 continuous hours of celebrating, remembering, learning, helping, fun, crying, sharing, caring … that is, mission to others … selfless and unconditional. Teams are formed and registered. These teams come from civic and religious organizations, places of employment, neighborhoods, family and friends. Each walker on a team is asked to set a goal of raising $100. After the opening ceremonies, the teams hit the track at Cheshire High School, keeping at least 1 team member walking at all times for the next 24 hours. This is not a competition to see who can raise the most money. This is striving for a cure. Working together to make a difference in someone’s life. They also have a "Survivor’s Tent" and a "Survivor’s Lap". More on that shortly. Back in 1997, CUMC was forming its first Relay Team. I don’t know if we called ourselves the Circuit Riders, but that is a great name. Part of our history reaching forward to us … reminding us of mission and outreach. I had been a member of CUMC for less than 5 years. Cancer had already touched a number of people in our congregation. Polly Wallian was in the thick of her battle with cancer but she witnessed to us weekly. In April, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I found comfort and support from family, neighbors, and my church family as I struggled through tests and multiple surgeries. I had a mastectomy that first week in June. After 2 days, Rick brought me home form the hospital and we stopped at The Relay. He was allowed to drive me down to the track where I was greeted with cheers and well wishes from "our team" and offered a chair. That was a very powerful moment for me … all those people walking in the hot sun … for me. From that day, my support for this mission has been unwavering. Polly Wallian spent hours by my side even as she grew weaker from her own battle with cancer. She and Stephen Sweetland taught me what cancer CANNOT DO. Cancer CANNOT cripple love, shatter hope, corrode faith, destroy peace, kill friendship, suppress memories, silence courage, invade the soul, steal eternal life, or conquer the spirit. Polly lost her fight in the fall of 1997 while I won mine. But, right up until the end, she reached out to others with her caring. In 1998, I joined the Circuit Riders. I was "the night shift supervisor" with Sue Dougherty that year and for the next 2 – 3 years. Our high school youth held our team strong through the later night hours with people like Sergio and Joe arriving in the early morning to run. (Yes, they actually ran as the sun rose over the horizon.) We had strong teams with many walkers to fill the night and the following day. My first survivor’s lap that year was very difficult. We all were on the track listening to the speakers. Then, it was time. Only survivors to walk. We were in front of the stage with it lit up like noon time with all the spot lights. The luminaria in honor and in memory of those with cancer had been lit but didn’t quite make it around the inside of the track that second year. As special music was sung, the spot lights were doused and we, the survivors, began to walk. People lined the sides of the track and cheered. But eerily enough, we walked out of the light and into the darkness. The crowd seemed to thin on the curve. There were few luminaria and I felt very alone. Then I rounded the corner, walked back into the light, more people cheering, and family joined me for the next lap. And the story continues. I walked back into the light. Hope was restored. My support was back. The next year, Pam Currie, Carolyn Kelly and I walked that lap together. We were each other’s strength but, the light did not falter on the curve. The cheers have grown louder. The light shines brighter with more luminaria, some spelling out the word "HOPE" on the bleachers. But we are still searching for the cure. Great strides in early diagnosis and treatment have been made for many cancers. But much is still not known. I still have my dark moments. Cancer has touched a number of people in my family. I lost my father, my only aunt, and my mother-in-law to cancer. I am sure cancer has touched each one of you. Remember, we started with MISSION? Our Circuit Riders have been quiet for the past 2 years. Our mission focus has been in other areas, also important. But, even though we didn’t have a team, my son carried on the mission, helping to organize a Relay at Bryant College. And I supported him ….. and the MISSION. But, we’re back. Bryan has already walked as an alumnus in his Relay back in April. Now it is our turn. The Circuit Riders are back and need our support. As I said before, we all have been touched somehow by cancer. Just think of those in this congregation as well as your own families. There are many worthy causes to fight for out there. This is but just one. BUT, HOPE will shine brightly. Our lord does walk with us. Remember Don Quixote from Man of LaMancha and "His Quest" – "To dream the impossible dream, to fight the unbeatable foe, to bear with unbearable sorrow, to run where the brave dare not go … to reach the unreachable star. This is my quest. My mission. Will you join me and include it in your mission giving? Will you please join the Circuit Riders with your love, prayers and your support and pledges. Thank you  Next Friday,
April 22, 2005 we will be celebrating Earth Day, which reminds us of God's
message to be good stewards of the earth. We in Connecticut have a new
opportunity to do this, because we now have some choices on how our electricity
is produced. Conventional sources of electricity use non-renewable and often
dirty sources of energy. They will be virtually used up within the lifetimes of
all of here today. In addition, they damage the environment in many ways. They
upset the ecological balance and pollute streams, put several damaging
pollutants into the air and are a major cause acid rain.
The new opportunity is to purchase electricity that comes from renewable and clean energy sources: wind, hydro and landfill gases. Customers of CL&P and UI now have the option to purchase either 100% or 50% of their power from these sources. The bill stuffer in your April electric bill describes these options in detail and the Mission Team will have printed information for you after worship today. It's easy to make the switch and will not affect the delivery of electricity to your home. CL&P or UI will still provide your power and bill you for it. The only way you will know it is different is that a clean energy supplier will be listed on your bill under "generation" and there will be a small increase in your electric bill. There is a surcharge for the clean energy option. If you choose to receive 100% clean energy, it will be 1.15 cents to 1.35 cents per kWh. That would come to $5.75 to $6.75 per month for a family that uses 500 kWh a month. The good news is that the clean energy sources will be available forever. They will never run out. In addition, and more importantly, these are clean energy sources. They do not add anything harmful to the air we breathe or the water we drink. They do not contribute to acid rain that kills frogs. They do not kill our maple trees. They are clean. In addition, for each 100 customers who sign up for clean energy, Cheshire will receive a 1kW photovoltaic array. These arrays use energy from the sun to produce electricity. The arrays that Cheshire receives will probably be installed on schools to reduce the tax dollars that need to be used to pay for electricity. Finally, by making a choice for clean energy, you are supporting the development of a developing industry, which will eventually bring the price down to the same level as that of conventional fuels. Think of it as an investment in the future, your future and your children's future. We believe that making a choice for clean energy is a way of obeying God's command to care for the earth. Please remember to get the printed information on how to make this choice
from the Mission Team after worship today. www.umc-gbcs.org The website for the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society. See Social, Economic and Political concerns you may have an interest in. www.bread.org is the Bread for the World website
"ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING" MARCH 6, 2005 The United Methodist Committee on Relief is the not-for-profit humanitarian agency of the United Methodist Church. Since 1940 their mission has been to provide relief in disaster areas, aid refugees, and confront the challenge of world hunger and poverty. The efforts of UMCOR have blessed over 100 countries around the world. UMCOR reaches out to people in need, of all faiths and cultures, in all regions of the world, providing emergency aid and transitional development. Local community involvement, leadership, and education for self-sufficiency are integral aspects of all UMCOR projects. The following information was taken from UMCOR’s 2003 Annual Report. The organization provided over $12 Million in Emergency Response missions throughout the world. Over $1 Million was offered to assist Hunger and Poverty initiatives, and over $1 Million was also provided to help the Children of Africa. In addition, $33 Million was spent to help aid Relief Agency Projects around the globe. In total, UMCOR shared disbursements just shy of $55 Million in 2003. What have they done lately? Let’s start with the horrible situation that occurred in Southeast Asia with the Tsunami in December. Thus far, donations of over $15 Million have been donated to UMCOR for the long-term tsunami recovery work. Key words there are long-term. UMCOR recognizes that there is no quick fix, and the rebuilding effort will have to continue for years to come. Through the World Hunger/Poverty program, UMCOR not only supplies food for hungry people, but also helps poor countries move forward with development. Seeds, tools, and training are provided to enable people to grow their own food. This program provides immediate crisis relief with long-term solutions to bring hope to people in despair. UMCOR dives as deep as they can into this issue, as well as all the others, however, they recognize they can only do so much. Therefore, they also help supply you with timely information about opportunities you have as a citizen to work for needed actions in the public arena. Recently, Phil Brewer sent out an email asking for a call to action on the sad situation that continues to occur in the Darfur region. UMCOR recognizes this as a big problem as well, and is doing something about it. They have helped to provide displaced families with basic necessities, and children with educational supplies, along with funding temporary schools. In addition, UMCOR has sent a team into Darfur to assess needs, and they are now poised to offer direct services. In October 2004, UMCOR designated $100,000 to assist with the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. A specific Advance has been established for this mission by UMCOR. Another never-ending battle that UMCOR relentlessly fights is on the behalf of Refugees. The plight of people driven from their homelands by violence, oppression, and natural disaster presents a compelling challenge to UMCOR. When faced with a refugee emergency, UMCOR immediately provides food, shelter, medicine, and other essentials for survival. UMCOR stays with the refugees where they have settled, and helps them plan for their return home when that is possible. If it isn’t possible for the refugee to return home, UMCOR helps them relocate to another country. Of course, UMCOR is assisting in Iraq as well, most notably, with the children. Through educational programs, UMCOR helps Iraqi children and youth cope with their daily life and offers them hope for a safe future. Some 480 children and youth are learning how to resolve daily challenges in a program supported by UMCOR and implemented by Save the Children. UMCOR will also assist with rehabilitation of rural schools near Basrah. Closer to home, UMCOR has a specific Advance set up for Domestic Disaster Response for crisis’ that occur in the United States. Whether it is the mudslide situation in California, the hurricanes in the Southeast, or the tornadoes in the Midwest, UMCOR is sure to be there to lend a hand to those in need. While restoring hope, UMCOR also ensures trust. All of the previously mentioned UMCOR ministries are funded by United Methodists through the churches designated giving channel: The Advance for Christ and His Church. 100% of each Advance contribution goes to the ministry designated by the giver. Consider each Advance like a folder. There is one for Tsunami relief, one for Hunger and Poverty, one for Darfur, one for Refugees, one for Iraq, one for Domestic Disasters, and many others. Every time a donation is made to a specific Advance, all of that money goes to that specific effort, 100%. How does UMCOR do it? How can they manage to give all the money to the cause? What about their operational costs? How do they pay the bills? The answer is, because of today. Most of UMCOR’s administrative costs are covered by One Great Hour of Sharing-a once a year, denomination wide special offering in United Methodist churches. Because of this day, UMCOR can literally keep the lights on. UMCOR receives no World Service funds. This annual offering covers all of their administrative expenses. That is why the offering is so critical. It enables UMCOR to dedicate 100% of your "second-mile" gifts to the Advance project you select. UMCOR’s vision is to foster a society that meets basic needs, allows for the
full participation of its members, and promotes the peaceful coexistence of all
races, ethnic groups, and religions. I am sure this is a vision shared by
everybody here today. Let’s help see it come to fruition. Let’s Be There!
Today's Mission Moment - 12/5/04
A Mission Moment ‘Twas the month before Christmas and all through the church The Mission Committee was on a great search Our congregation is generous; our members –they care They love to give freely -- But where to give. Where? The donation boxes were wrapped and placed in the hall When up from Room B there arose such a clatter The lights on the list of all our good intent When next what transgressed left me in awe for the week With a sprightly leader, Carol, in the lead Gifts for elderly or youth won’t appeal to some As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly And then in an instant I heard the most wise And then in a twinkle I grasped what they meant Pastor Jani and Len related their vision Sebastian and I, the new members there So CUMC members I urge you with a plea This poem was offered as a mission moment by Karen in explaining the multitude of giving options available to members of the congregation this season. Some members had suggested presenting larger numbers of gifts to a smaller number of recipients—the above poem (with slight poetic liberties) reflects the decision of the group to offer several giving options but explain our decision to the congregation so that new members would not feel obligated to contribute to each charity. Giving options include;
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Now we are entering the season when you make gifts to those close to you, your family and friends. You probably have a few folks on your gift list who are impossible to buy for? These folks have everything! The Missions and Social Concerns Team has a suggestion that may help. Why not give a gift in honor of those folks to people in places in the world who have nothing or very, very little? When I have received gifts of this nature, I have been so pleased and when I gave gifts of this kind, they were really well received. A short time ago, a member of this congregation shared with me the following story. Friends from out of state had stayed with her during the Pilot Pen tournament. As a hostess gift, they purchased a pig in her honor from the Heifer Project. The church member was moved to tears by this gift. When you give a gift in honor of someone, you are paying them a high compliment. You are saying, "I think you are a really generous person, who would value a gift that helps others". Even my young grandchildren understand and appreciate what this type of gift means. This year, I plan to purchase seedlings for Haiti in their honor. It's my way of doing something to prevent a recurrence of the thousands of deaths this past year due to mudslides on deforested hillsides. Maybe you can contribute toward building wells in Southeast Asia, so people will have clean drinking water. Maybe it will be a gift of chickens to a family in Central America, so they can feed themselves and have something to sell. Perhaps your gift will provide school supplies or training for teachers in Africa. You can see how important these gifts can be. Wouldn’t you be honored to have a donation such as these given in your honor? Last year, CUMC gave just under $2000 for this type of gift. We supported the building of wells in Cambodia, care of children in Russia, a Children’s Hospital in Haiti and donated numerous animals. I think we can do even more this year. We’re going to make it easier for you. We've developed a form, modeled on one used by Mary Taylor UMC in Milford. After worship, I'll have forms for you. You can also find them on the Mission table, along with Advance and Heifer catalogues. We'll also have the forms included in the Courier. Hope you enjoy "shopping" in this way for your friends and family this Christmas. It will make your holiday so much more meaningful and special. * * * * * * * * * * * *
Today's Mission Moment - 10/11/04
We can change the world. We CAN change the world. WE can change the world. You've been hearing and seeing those words for 7 months as we ask you to donate your loose change. A couple of months ago we asked you to select the area of world problems our money would help solve. You chose water. Water is one of the most important needs in the world, one where we really can help "change the world". Today after worship, we invite you to join the Missions Team at tables in Fellowship Hall to select the actual projects we will support. Whether these projects build wells, purification systems or outhouses, they will be important steps in changing the world. We see water everywhere. We are rich, so we can turn on the tap and get it hot or cold. It's safe to drink. Some of us even have irrigation systems to automatically water our lawns with this same clean water. Yet we rarely even think about this wonderful liquid - yet without it we die. Not everyone in the world is as fortunate as us. Over a billion people have even rudimentary access to clean water. That is almost 20% of the world's population. Approximately 2.4 billion people (40%) of the world' s population) lack adequate sanitation, which contributes to the water problem. The result is disease and death in the developing world. About 3 million people die each year from lack of access to safe drinking water - most of them children. Experts report that more people have died from diarrhea in the last 10 years that have been lost in armed conflict since World War II. Please be generous when you contribute to the Change the World jars and do join us this morning to choose the projects that will benefit from this money. Together We CAN change the world. * * * * * * * * * * * * Today's Mission Moment
- 8/22/04
Heifer also provides trees, or small seedlings, to help prevent erosion, improving farming conditions. Often time, there is extra milk, eggs, or other good left over after meeting the needs of the family. They can then sell this surplus and make additional income to improve their standard of living. In VBS this year, we bought a lot of animals, including a cow, ducks, goats, chickens, pigs, and lambs. When you give to Heifer, you can choose which animal you would like to buy or let Heifer choose. You can also give a gift of an animal in honor of someone special to you, for a birthday or even as a Christmas present. Now you know what Heifer Project does to help people all over the world. If you would like more information, you can get it on the way out of church or you can find additional information at http://www.heifer.org/
My mother told me to always go to the bathroom before you start out on a trip and every time you stop to go again whether you need to or not. How's that for a way to start a Mission Moment?? I went to the bathroom before my predawn departure from the airport in Cuzco, Peru, on the way to the Amazon Basin town of Puerto Maldonado on the Tambopata River. When I arrived there, I got my pack, got into a rickety van and went to sit beside the Tambopata River .......... for a VERY LONG TIME. We were waiting for the 8 seat wooden canoes which would
eventually take us on a 3 hour trip up the river to depths of the Amazon area.
As the time passed, and I thought about that at least 3 hour boat ride, and as
it seemed we were getting closer to thinking about leaving, I decided I had
better do something about going to the bathroom. I found the project "One Hundred Outhouses" to which I have made some contributions as Christmas presents to people I know who don't need material things but would enjoy receiving this kind of present. We invite you to give gifts that last forever to friends and
relatives by finding a project in the catalogs we will give you as you leave
today.
Mission Moment - 7/18/04 The first example was the prophet Isaiah. You may recall that God was looking for a messenger, and in a dream Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord ask, "who shall I send? And who will go for us?" Isaiah’s response was simply, "here I am. Send me." For a second example, because it was the 4th of July, Rev Car used the founders of our country, who responded to the call for freedom and independence. Rev. Carr made the point that he wasn’t just talking about the major figures of that time, like George Washington or John Adams, but was especially including the common people, like the minutemen and countless people across the colonies who answered the call and rallied to these leaders. He asked the question, "where would we be today if 228 years ago these patriots did not respond to the call?" Because it was communion Sunday 2 weeks ago, the third example was the last supper and Jesus’ call to his disciples to take the bread and the cup of wine in remembrance of him. And, as Jesus asked, the disciples continued the practice, and we too respond to the very same call whenever we take communion. I go back to this sermon because when Rev, Carr was giving it, another call was wending its way through our church and missions committee. Recently a call to serve came from the General Commission on United Methodist Men to support our service men and women who are answering our countries call to serve in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kuwait. As you all know we have thousands of troops serving in these countries. Many are in very hostile, demanding, and frightening environments. Many are homesick or desperately lonely. All are sons or daughters. Many are fathers and mothers. Some, especially those from National Guard units, are grandfathers and grandmothers. Many never thought their units would be called overseas. Many never thought their deployment would last so long. Some deployments have been extended because of increased hostilities. Some have been extended twice. For those of you who will respond to the call, starting today there will be a collection box in fellowship hall for donated items to send to these troops. On the box there is a list of requested items. You might be surprised at the simplicity of the things our soldiers need. Things like zip-lock bags to keep the dust and sand out of their clothes, all sorts of toiletries like medicated powders and lotions, things like writing paper and envelopes. The two most coveted items are AT&T calling cards for calling home and letters of support. If you prefer to contribute money, any checks that you write to CUMC with a memo that says "support for our troops" will go to the purchase of calling cards. Whether you are able to make a donation or not, please consider writing a short letter of support, which is highly cherished. Address it to "Our Service Person in the Middle East". Concern for their safety, recognition of their sacrifice, appeals to take care and to act with honor, and assurances that they are not forgotten are some possible themes to express. The collection box will be out through the end of August, then we will have a dedication in September. That gives us roughly 6 or 7 weeks to collect items. The collected items will be taken to the Canton CT town hall where a volunteer organization called Connecticut Supports Our Soldiers will ship our donations to Connecticut service men and women in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kuwait. If you live in the Connecticut area and would like to help you can either bring items to the Cheshire UMC or call the Canton, CT town hall for information. Regardless of our individual political beliefs, please recognize that our troops are caught in the middle of these major events. For the most part, they do not have a choice about where they are. I have 2 letters from Connecticut service people that I would like to read to you from a website where families post the letters they receive from their loved ones overseas. I think by listing to their own words, you might hear the call that Rev. Carr was talking about and recognize the need which I hope this congregation will address. This is a short e-mail from a Connecticut soldier: June 16, 2004 Dear Mom, I guess it was a good thing that I am here in Ashraf. We got news that Anaconda was hit by 6 mortars today. One of the mortars hit right in front of the PX. When I say right in front, I mean right in the walk way to the PX. There were 2 that died instantly and 23 were injured. 13 of the injured went to the combat support hospital and they treated 10 at the TMC. The first sergeant said that three more died at the hospital. They said it was worse than the last time. Things are really getting crazy now. I know that I have to go back, but I would be lying if I said that I wasn't scared. I think things are only going to get worse once we turn the country back over to them at the end of the month. I don't know what to expect anymore. Talk to you later, Signed Stefanie This is a letter from a soldier from Danbury: May 28, 2004 Dear Mom and Dad, This is my last letter from Khaldiyah. I wish I could say it’s because we’re coming home. The 1st Cav is in Baghdad, and the higher ups want all the companies together now. They gave us 24 hour notice to pack up. I have to toss my school books, all my notes, and my reading books. We will have 5 to a room as we do now, but no storage space. We are going to a new camp in Central Baghdad. There is no electricity, no plumbing, no phones. We were supposed to leave this morning but they changed it at the last moment, so I went and got some of my paper out of the trash and am writing to you. We will leave tomorrow at 0500. The last time here! It’s hard to believe it’s been 8 months and so much has happened. Many of my brothers came here but they did not leave the way we all want to. I feel I’m leaving them behind. The last time I saw them was here. I know they are not here, but their last work is. I am not sorry we are leaving this place, but I will not look back when we drive away because I don’t want to see them standing and waving goodbye. I will do my job. Goodbye, Camp Manhattan. What have I lear | ||
Last Wednesday I was privileged to attend a seminar at the OMSC – The Overseas
Ministries Study Center in New Haven, along with the Missions Committee from
Elim Park. This was my first visit there, and I was surprised and pleased to
see that more of the residents were missionaries from other countries than from
the US. I sat next to a tall man from Cameroon (West Africa). He was dressed
in a beige colored cotton outfit, a long shirt over matching pants, and a
matching tall hat which emphasized his height. He is a theology professor
working now on his PhD. 
Peace
with Justice Sunday. Sounds so simple. It’s how we try to live. It’s what we try
to instill in our children. Treat others like you want to be treated. It’s what
we expect in our day-to-day lives. Peace with Justice!
Because
yesterday was Earth Day, this seems like the appropriate time to talk about the
responsibility of people of faith to care for the environment. The Bible tells
us to do so and our own United Methodist Social Principles say the same thing.
We are called to be good stewards of the earth.
This is a
generous congregation. You have been wonderful in your support of Onita and
Harrison, the Liberian refugees living in South Meriden, and of the visitors to
Agape House and of the many other causes the Mission team brings to your
attention.
Heifer
Project International is an organization that helps people by giving them animals, like
cows, water buffalo, goats, chickens, pigs and sheep. The animals help the
families that receive them by supplying them with things like meat, milk, eggs,
wool and fertilizer. Some even help plow fields.
Two weeks ago
today, on the 4th of July, Rev John Carr gave us a sermon about
answering the call to service. He gave 3 noteworthy examples of people answering
the call.