| Ministries/Teams
Outreach
Outreach is involved with keeping our church
members informed about the needs of people within our general area.
We provide a means for the members of our church to help people
in our area who need help of some type through a number of projects.
-Back-to-School Project:
In August we, along with the Vineyard (several local United Methodist
churches), conduct a back-to-school project during which we collect
needed school supplies for children of Diven School in Elmira.
-Flood of Food: During September, we collect
food for the Horseheads Food Pantry through the Flood of Food
drive.
-Annual Peanut Brittle Sale: This is held in
November and December. Proceeds are used for an outreach cause,
as well as the Christmas Giving Tree project.
-Christmas Giving Tree: At Christmas time, our
church community provides gifts of food, clothing, etc. to needy
families.
-Sweatshirts: During January 2002, we collected
sweatshirts for the needy children of Diven School in Elmira,
as well as for children in Schuyler County.
-Toilet Paper Collection: February is usually
the month that we bring in toilet paper for the Horseheads Food
Pantry.
-Mothers’ Day Baby Shower: In May, we collect
diapers and other items needed for very young children.
For more information, contact the church
office at (607)739-1943.
Prayer
Our Prayer Chain- As a congregation
of the First United Methodist Church, we believe in staying connected
to God and to each other. When a need or situation that requires
prayer is necessary, our Prayer Chain is started; one person calling
another until a large chain of caring people are asking for God’s
blessing.
For more information, contact the church office
at (607)739-1943.
Evangelism/Membership
The membership team provides leadership, support
and new programs in the following areas:
Encourage and welcome visitors to our church.
Current activities include active visitor follow-up, leadership
of the new website deployment, development and publication of information
materials, support of the Sunday coffee hour program, and active
welcoming at the beginning of the worship service.
Encourage and welcome new members.
Current activities include Participation in New Member classes,
phone contact with individuals indicating a desire to join the church,
hosting the coffee hour when new members join the church, and hosting
social events for new members at the end of their first year.
We are continually working on new programs and
initiatives to improve this very important function.
For more information, contact the church office
at (607)739-1943
Memorial
Overview
Memorial/Honor gifts are significant ways for us to express the
love we hold for living friends and relatives as well as to remember
those very special persons who have died. Memorial/Honor giving
is a meaningful way to strengthen and extend the mission of First
United Methodist Church. Contributing through specific gifts provides
a way that effective projects and programs will continue, without
impacting the church operating budget.
Polices
Memorial gifts will be managed by the Trustees. The Memorial Committee
and the Pastor will evaluate proposed expenditures of memorial funds.
Projects to be funded by memorials will be submitted to the Trustees
for initial approval, to the Finance Committee for information and
to the Administrative Board for final approval.
In order to ensure faithful and effective
use of Memorial contributions, any gifts which have not been designated
for a particular fund or project one year after the receipt of the
first gift, shall be placed in the Undesignated Memorial Fund to
be expended at the recommendation of the Memorial Committee.
Bequests
Bequests will be received by the Charge/Church Conference and managed
by the Trustees, as provided in The United Methodist Discipline.
Proposals for the use of undesignated bequests can be initiated
by any group or committee of the church and submitted for approval
by the Administrative Board.
All gifts received by First United Methodist
Church in Horseheads become the property and responsibility of the
church.
MEMORIAL/BEQUEST FUNDS
Building Our Vision Fund Designated-
Gifts may be given for specific building improvements or furnishings
(windows, chairs, etc.). Rooms may be fully furnished or funded
as a memorial or in honor of someone at a set fee, which has been
identified by the Trustees.
Undesignated-
Gifts may be given for general support and/or to purchase new items
for the church building at the discretion of the Memorial Committee
and Trustees and with the approval of the Administrative Board.
Living Memorial Endowment
Fund-
The principal of gifts made to this fund is restricted. Earnings
are used to support the annual church budget and other projects
as recommended and approved by the Administrative Board. Gifts are
received in this fund to remember or honor friends and loved ones
(birthdays, anniversaries, confirmation, holidays, etc.).
Bequests
Persons are encouraged to remember the church in their will.
Program Support Fund
Gifts may be given to fund specific programs in the life of the
church (missions, music ministry, etc.).
This list is not all-inclusive. The Memorial Committee invites other
suggestions to be shared.
Missions
Work Area
"Go therefore and make disciples of all
nations... teach them to observe all that I have commanded you..."
Matthew 28: 19 & 20
Listed below are the three goals of the Missions
team and some of the activities it participates in to accomplish
these goals:
To educate the congregation about our United
Methodist missions:
- Bread for the World- A nationwide Christian movement that seeks
justice for the world's hungry people by lobbying our nation's decision
makers. The Offering of Letters program works toward this goal by
having the congregation write letters to our political leaders to
ask for help fighting hunger nationally and internationally.
- Local and National Speakers
- Mission Opportunities Worldwide
To engage the congregation in our United Methodist
missions:
- Six United Methodist Special Sundays- These Sundays each highlight
a different cause: 1) Human Relations
2) One Great Hour of Sharing
3) Native American Awareness
4) Peace With Justice
5) World Communion
6) United Methodist Student Day
- House Banks - This collection helps fight hunger through the Bread
for the World program, the local Horseheads Food Pantry, and the
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)
World Poverty and Hunger
- UM Bishop's Appeals- These are appeals from the bishop, often
for disasters which come under the UMCOR- Disaster Relief program
To support the United Methodist Church's
mission work:
- Youth Work Camps- The youth of our church give their time, energy,
and resources to help others in need throughout out country for
one week in the summer.
- United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (VIM) Trips
- Ecumenical Mission Trips
- Missionary Meridith Whitaker, Director of Cookson
Hills Center which is a Native American Ministry in Oklahoma.
Finance/Stewardship
The Stewardship Committee is responsible for providing
financial direction to the church. Using the church budget as it’s
primary tool, the Stewardship committee monitors the expenses
of the church’s ministries versus the pledge revenues.
The two key people on the committee are the financial
secretaryand the treasurer. While the financial secretary tracks
the pledges and donations, the treasurer updates the expenses versus
the budget and pays the bills.
For more information, contact the church
office at (607)739-1943.
Worship
Working with the pastor(s), the Worship Work Area
plans and implements all aspects of corporate worship to include
the order of the service, the music, altar arrangements and sanctuary
decorations. It coordinates the activities of the pastor(s), music
directors, choirs, ushers, and acolytes. It is responsible for special
celebrations such as Christmas Eve, Lenten and Easter Services.
Other responsibilities include: requests for special
music, ordering candles, hymnals, bibles, children's bulletins,
encouraging members to give flowers in memory or honor of loved
ones, delivering flowers to shut-ins, placing a rosebud on the altar
for a newborn child, making preparations for Communion, making a
Lenten devotional booklet, coordinating summer services, arranging
a liturgist schedule, putting announcements in the bulletins and
newsletters for Easter Lily and Christmas poinsettia donations.
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