Mission Sunday... October 25, 2015

Youth Choir sang, as well as the youth provided all of the
worship music.  

Part of the lead up to our finance campaign is to hear from various ministries of our church.   On October 18 we were blessed with a service in word and song with our young people.  When both the youth choir and the children's choir share in the same service, we had a wonderful warm feeling being with so many of our church family in one service.   

 

On Sunday, October 25 we will be hearing from the mission teams ... Local Missions, National/International Missions, Hilltop, and Rays of Hope will share the worship time.  

 

Part of the pledge and general gifts to the church are used to support our mission program.  All of the 4 mission areas have a small budget...$6,000 to share.   Recently we (National/International Missions Team) send Margie back to Costa Rica with $300 of our budgeted funds to use at her discretion while she volunteers at UBL (Latin American Bible University) in San Jose, Costa Rica.   This week she sent us a note telling about a need that was addressed with those funds.  Read her words...

Just today I gave $120.00 to a refugee family who are being protected, loved and cared for here by the UBL community.  They are close and loving friends of mine...REv. Hernan, Mirna is wife, and Rachel their teen-aged daughter.  3 years ago they ran for their lives from the their MOST violent nation of Honduras, threatened at gunpoint.  So, the Lutheran Church of CR and several Lutheran Churches in the US, plus the UBL community are helping together in their support.  I have recently learned of a fairly serious health problem with 16 year old Rachel is suffering, and for which they simply do not have the $$$ to buy the medicines she needs.  We together have checked with my niece Dr Molly Stout by skype (Molly is a doctor in St. Louis and we all talked today together by skype) and Molly confirms that Rachel needs regular dosages of this particular medicine.  So...because she has NOT been taking it regularly due to lack of $$$, I have given her mother money for 5 months supply---$120.00.  They are good and faithful people, and they are very, very grateful for this gift from YOU, my church!!
I told her that today I would write to you her gratitude!  and MINE!  Love to all, Margie

Another way your pledge dollars are used is to support two missionaries.   Clara Biswas who serves in Cambodia and Ardell Graner who serves in Dominican Republic.   We were blessed in 2014 - 2105 with visits from both of these missionaries. $2,500 for each missionary is pooled with other churches who support our missionaries.  It takes about $60,000 per missionary to fully fund their living expenses, travel expenses, and medical insurance.  To support one missionary requires at least 24 churches giving at $2500 per church.  Again this is an example how working together is better than working on our own.      

In addition to that our church sent a team to Dominican Republic to get better acquainted with the ministry being lead by Ardell and her husband Gordon.  The mission team provided some of the project money for the completion of the parsonage at Monte Rojo church.  Previous blog posts give a bit of that story...just scroll down to June.   

Another way our congregation supports mission is through the Monthly Mission Focus.   As you know in October, your donations are going to UMCOR's response to the refugee issues in our world today especially to those fleeing Syria.  Each month a mission offering (which is above and beyond your pledge) supports a ministry within the connectional church whether it be within our state, another place in the US or out of country.  We are so blessed with a church denomination that has mission at its core.   It is only because we work together that we can make such a huge difference in our world.  We are "CIA"...Christians in Action".   Thanks for your gifts...in response to all that you have been given.  You are blessed.