God is calling us to live for Him and care about what is happening to others in the world around us.
God wants to make a difference in our
world. When we say yes to God, using the gifts we have, it
actually motivates others to say yes to God as well. So today, I
wonder, are you willing to let God work through you?
I do believe the meaning we find most
sustaining invariably comes from the value we create for others
as well as ourselves. It doesn’t matter what form this value
takes or even how much of an impact it may have on those to whom
we deliver it. Even knowing a smile we gave a stranger made them
feel good can add significantly to our own happiness.
As United
Methodist Women, we are committed to reaching women, children
and youth throughout our community, our state, our country, and
all over the world. We have a history of mission-giving and we
are more excited and as much committed to missions today than at
any other time in our history.
What is Mission Today?
Download Mission Today Form Here
Download Charter Club Form here
Download Burning of the Candle
The purpose of the Mission Today Unit is to:
- Energize United
Methodist Women to be more involved in mission
through prayer, study and action;
- Increase
contacts between units and mission personnel and
mission projects so that United Methodist Women
understand where their money goes;
- Encourage use of mission resources through United Methodist Women; and
- Expand concepts of mission, including social justice as mission.
Conference
Adaptability:
Conferences can adapt the criteria for a Mission Today
Unit by creating different levels of achievement such as
a silver unit for those completing 12 of the 17 criteria
or a gold unit for those fulfilling all of the criteria.
Units of under 15 members may be asked to complete at
least half of the criteria.
Criteria for Becoming a Mission Today Unit
Units are encouraged to complete a minimum of 10 of the following criteria, including 5 of those marked with an asterisk(*). The criteria are to be fulfilled EACH YEAR, based on the time line of each conference.
Use the Prayer Calendar at each general meeting of the unit to pray for persons in mission and for our mission work with women, children and youth.*
The unit will make and meet its pledge to mission.*
The unit will add at least two members to its roll.*
The unit will have at least two members subscribing to
The unit will use two programs from the Program Book for United Methodist Women each year.*
The unit, circle or subgroup will conduct at least one Mission Study a year. (Contact your district or conference Mission Coordinator for Education & Interpretation to learn what the studies and textbooks are for each year).*
The unit will
implement the Charter for Racial Justice Policies in
at least 2 ways during the year.* Suggested plans
of action:
Plan a joint unit meeting with a unit of a different racial/ethnic background, using programs from the Program Book
Develop bi-racial/cultural or multi-racial/cultural Koinonia groups
Become an enabling group to help the local church -- through the Administrative Board, Council on Ministries, and Work Areas to become involved in the implementation of The Charter by:
-
encouraging joint Vacation Bible School
encouraging pulpit exchanges
sharing joint worship services on special occasions
encouraging support for equal employment practices in the church & community
encouraging the church to sponsor a refugee family
helping to promote the Quadrennial Emphasis on the Ethnic Minority Local Church
At least one member of the unit (other than a conference or district officer) will attend the conference or district School of Christian Mission.
Contact your conference committee on the Charter for Racial Justice Policies for further action plans.
At least two members of the unit (other than a conference or district officer) will attend the district or conference annual meeting.
The unit will have at least one person join the United Methodist Women’s Action Network
Members shall write to five persons listed in the Prayer Calendar at least twice a year.
The
unit will participate in the Campaign
for Children in at least two ways.
Possibilities for action:
Help sponsor a church or community program related to children and youth needs.
-
Sponsor a Children's Sabbath, promoted by the Children's Defense Fund. (Order The National Observance of Children's Sabbaths Handbook -Repairers of the Breach, Stock # 3224, $6.00 from Service Center)
Get involved with children in mentoring, tutoring, and "big sisters" programs.
Write letters, e-mail or call Congressional representatives and/or others in government regarding children's issues.
Visit your local schools.
-
Attend a school board meeting.
Learn how our schools are funded.
(Order the Campaign for Children-UMW, Phase III booklet - #3223, $10.00 from Service Center)
The unit will be a Five Star unit, contributing to all five channels of Undesignated Mission Giving.
The unit will select a project from the Women's Division's Material Resources for Mission Catalog and will contribute the needed materials to the mission project. (Order from Service Center, Stock #2579, $4.50)
Each unit, circle or subgroup will include a Response moment where an article from Response magazine will be lifted up as a way to tell the mission story. New World Outlook magazine provides another good way to tell the mission story.
Have at least 2 persons from the unit, circle or subgroup complete one of the Reading Program Plans and report on one of the books read; encourage all members to complete Plan One; have a book review program. (Order The Reading Program: Your Window to the World, Stock #5547, free from Service Center).
The unit will invite a district or conference officer, other than that of a member of the unit, to one of the unit meetings during the year.
More Information:
Email: MissOpps@gbgm-umc.org