MISSIONS AND SOCIAL CONCERNS
COMMITTEE
Purpose: Through prayerful planning and action to enable the church family to participate
in the loving mission Christ in the community and in the world.
Projects:
1. Share in financial support of Belinda Forbes, a missionary serving in
Nicaragua.
2. Encourage and be encouraged by our sister church Alfa y Omega Church
in
Tipitapa, Nicaragua.
3. Prison Ministry at the Ludlow Correctional Facility.
4. Prepare Emergency Kits for the United Methodist relief agency (UMCOR)
to
Help people who have suffered from natural disasters/ These include
Health
Kits, School Kits and Baby Layettes.
5. Help serve a noon meal once a month on Saturday at Kate’s Kitchen in
Holyoke.
6. Supply food and household good to local food pantries.
7. Promote alternative energy to cut back on fossil fuels to lessen global
Warming.
8. Provide a letter-signing opportunity each year to appeal to our senators
and
Representatives to support bills that improve and increase United States
Assistance to overcome poverty.
9. Offer a small scholarship each year to a worthy graduating senior from
Belchertown High School.
10. Collect food labels to support Red Bird Mission in Appalachia.
11. Collect used clothing for distribution to shelters.
12. Contribute to six public service organizations.
13. Other projects as the need arises.
Church and Society Ministry Team Leader (¶254) and Missions Ministry Team Leader (¶254) (Our Mission and Social Concerns Committee): Leads the congregation's service and mission opportunities. Helps people understand that active service and support of mission contributes to the mission of the church: making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Leads the congregation to understand that working for peace with justice, environmental survival, and human welfare is active engagement of Christian disciples in the mission of transformation of the world. Brings attention to societal issues through education and help the congregation understand the positions of the Unitied Methodist Social Principles. Spiritual gifts: servanthood, exhortation (encouragement), leadership, compassion, faith, miracles, administration, helping, evangelism, prophecy, teaching, and wisdom. Experience, skills: This leader must have genuine interest in mission and outreach in the community and the world, openness to new views and different people, creativity in developing ways to interpret and support missions, ability to work with volunteers of various skill levels. In addition, this leader must show evidence of passion for engaging the church with the world in a Christian and Wesleyan manner. This leader should listen to and communicate with people of all ages, show interest in people of the world, especially displaced and marginalized people, and express concern about the quality of life of people in the congregation and community. This leader should show evidence of creatively and compassionately addressing concerns and mobilizing people to action.
MISSIONS AND SOCIAL CONERNS
Chairpersons: Fay Flanary Rev. Jack Moss
At Large: Dawn Kresge, Hatsumi Moss, Joan Poole, Sonya Hawkins, Julianne Jones, Tina Keller
Nicaragua Covenant Sub-committee Chair: ___________
Deaconess: Fay Flanary
Committee’s Goals Set at Retreat
Missions - 2011
§ Promote & Interpret Mission Shares information to the church family for better understanding and support
§ Consider committee membership enlarging the committee & adding a youth person
§ Get 100 % Mission Shares
§ Prepare a pamphlet to show our mission
§ Seek some suitable community group for a Belchertown project
§ More creative ways to promote the food pantries
§ Visit the 475 in New York
Missions - 2012
§ Possible trip to Nicaragua
