Food pantry – in addition to members of the church volunteering with the local food pantry we also collect on an ongoing basis items for the food pantry. Items are collected in a box at the front entry of the church and taken directly to the food pantry as they come in.
“Give it up” Campaign – Each fall we act as a drop off site for items to be donated to the Spiritual Life Center at the prison items collected are use to teach skills and help provide an income for the ministries.
Gift bags for inmates – Each Christmas we collect donations of items for the gift bags given to all the inmates, each group participating collects 700 of a given item so that the bags will include the same items. We have collected chips and crackers for the last couple of years.
Moments for Mission: a collection of change is taken the 2nd Sunday of each month for a local mission. Examples include; special needs fund, Spiritual Life Center, Food pantry…
Christmas Child Boxes: We are a collection site for Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Child boxes during the month of November. If you would like to fill a shoe box for kids throughout the world be sure to pick up the materials that will be available in the fall to help you pick out your items.
Christmas Store: While this is not an exclusive ministry of the United Methodist church it is a key community ministry in which we participate. Each year funds are collected to help families throughout our community who might not be able to purchase Christmas presents on their own. Families who may need help are contacted in a way that maintains their confidentiality and if they are interested they call the church office to register. After we know how many kids there are and how much money has been received each family is given a specific amount for each child under 18 years of age. They are then able to go to Alco in December and purchase gifts. The parents and Alco each pay 10% of the costs. We have one night that we also offer free gift wrapping and snacks on site at Alco during this time, and childcare at the church.
Kid’s with a Mission – is the continuation of this group for 4th graders. The big difference is that each week the 4th graders go into the community to do community service activities which include; car washes to raise money for the food pantry, bingo at the nursing home, cleaning up around town and helping neighbors with small projects, as well as a variety of other things.
Youth Group – Meets every Wednesday night for 5th -12th grades, 6:30 -7:30 pm. Meetings include a variety of activities and learning opportunities. The youth also help with worship and serve a meal the 2nd Sunday of each month following worship services to fund their activities.
United Methodist Men – Meet at noon on the 3rd Saturday of each month for devotionals and a meal together. In addition to fellowship they also do fundraisers that are used to fund missions within the church.
United Methodist Women – the main purpose of the United Methodist Women are fellowship and mission for this reason there are 3 groups (circles) that meet at different times to allow a variety of opportunities for women to participate. Within the circles there are times for devotionals and fellowship. All money raised is donated to missions chosen by the women.
The circles are:
v Faith & Hope Fellowship, which meets the 2nd Thursday @ 2:00 pm
v Ada O’Donnell Fellowship, which meets the 2nd Thursday @ 7:00 pm
v Ethel Homfeld Fellowship, which meets the 2nd Thursday @ 7:00 pm
The joint meeting is held the 1st Thursday of the each month @ 7:00 pm unless otherwise indicated.
Ministries of the United Methodist Women (UMW) include; scholarships for the METour, Coffee and fellowship 2nd Monday @ 9:00 am, showers, wedding receptions, Holy Week breakfasts, home-bound birthdays, funeral dinners, Good Samaritan bingo & Birthday parties, Ladies luncheons, Altar flowers, and the task force which organizes cookie fellowship Sundays, pot luck meals and meals to people recovering.
Vacation Bible School – this is a community wide event held at the school with volunteers from all of the churches participating. With approximately 200 kids participating each year it takes just as many volunteers to make this a fun and educational event for kids, kindergarten – 6th grades. Dates: June 13-17, 2011
Television & Website – are ministries we use to both keep connected with people who are unable to join us for worship, and to help us reach out to those who don’t yet have a faith community.
Prayer Group – meets Wednesday evening in the parlor to share concerns and to be in prayer with one another.
Prayer Focus Family – each week a prayer focus family is listed in the bulletin and Newsletter. All are invited to keep this family or individual in prayer and send a note of encouragement. These families are identified on a random basis and there are not necessarily any specific prayers needed, but this is a way to keep each other in prayer.
Nursing Home services – based on a rotation with the other churches in town we periodically lead a worship service at the Good Samaritan home at 2:00. This is away to continue to care for members and neighbors who can no longer join us for worship in the church all who are willing join in this service of song and fellowship.
Bulletin outreach – Volunteers deliver bulletins and devotionals to the nursing home and shut-ins who have asked for them each week so that they will have them for the service on Sunday.
