Global Missions
Global Mission Partners - The Global Mission Partners Program is an expanded vision of mission that offers churches a chance to establish global partnerships involving Christians everywhere. The goals of the Program are to expand the church's vision of mission partnership to encompass the globe and its peoples; to continue to spread the gospel of love and hope by increasing covenant relationships with missionaries commissioned by the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM); to work with partner churches around the world in developing leaders and service among their people by supporting Persons-in-Mission serving in their own or other countries; and to challenge every congregation to become a center for mission education and interpretation. For more details, contact the church office or visit http://gbgmumc.org/units/mpu/globalmp.html.
Russian Orphanage Project - Each Advent, a group of youth and adults visit the Podolsk orphanage in Russia, bringing necessary supplies and love to hundreds of children. Please donate hotel shampoos, little bags, toothbrushes, toothpaste, backpacks, satchels and socks and help contribute to the $2000 fee each missionary needs to fund his/her trip and the Peace Foundation in Moscow. Podosk focuses on speech impediments. A number of the youth and children require surgery or additional surgeries to help correct their speech problems. St. Matthew's holds a number of funraisers each year for this project. Contact the church office for more details.
Kits for Conference - Every year at Annual Conference, the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church collects Health Kits, School Kits, and Baby Kits that are distributed worldwide through Church World Service. These "Gift of the Heart" kits contain small, simple basics from a prescribed list that can make a world of difference in an ongoing development program or when disaster strikes. For more details, contact the church office or visit http://www.churchworldservice.org.
Native American Ministries - With a special offering taken up each April, these funds enable urban ministries such as the Native American Fellowship to reach out to Native Americans and others, provide scholarships to Native Americans attending seminaries, and develop and nurture missions with Native Americans throughout the country. For more information, visit http://www.umcgiving.org/content/sundays/native.asp.
Operation Teddy Bear - Second-hand stuffed animals and clean, used infant, toddler and children's clothing are collected and sent to children in orphanages in Haiti, Guatemala and Ghana. Distribution is coordinated by Gleaning for the World of Appomattox, VA. For more details, contact the church office.
Samaritan's Purse - St. Matthew's participates in Operation Christmas Child, one program of Samaritan's Purse. Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the Good News of God's love. This program of Samaritan's Purse provides an opportunity for people of all ages to be involved in a simple, hands-on missions project while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas-the gift of Jesus Christ. In 2003, Operation Christmas Child collected over 6.6 million shoe box gifts worldwide and distributed them to children in some 95 countries. For more details, contact the church office or visit http://www.samaritanspurse.org.
Sierra Leone Child Rescue Center - The Child Rescue Center gives safety and housing to 40 children orphaned by the country's violent civil war. These children would otherwise have been left to fend for themselves in the streets of Bo, Sierra Leone, located in West Africa. Twenty adults provide a loving, nurturing environment where education, health care and vocational training can be accomplished. In addition, more than 100 children receive education funding from the CRC. Bo is the second largest city in Sierra Leone and has far fewer resources for war recovery efforts than the capital city of Freetown. For more details, contact the church office or visit http://www.childrescuecenter.org/TheCRC.htm.
UMCOR - The United Methodist Committee on Relief - UMCOR is the not-for-profit humanitarian agency of The United Methodist Church that provides relief in disaster areas, aids refugees and confronts the challenge of world hunger and poverty. Since 1940, UMCOR has helped to heal the hurts of humanity in nearly 100 countries. UMCOR maintains a corps of trained disaster response specialists for quick reinforcement of national efforts and keeps a supply of relief materials in warehouses for immediate dispatch when and where required. It also trains disaster response specialists in their own countries as part of a global ministry by a global church and works in partnership with other international agencies. For more details, contact the church office or visit http://www.umcor.org.
Cuba Mission Team
The Methodist Church in Cuba is experiencing a great revival, and United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) is helping to keep the flame burning by providing much needed funds and human resources to repair Methodist churches and parsonages throughout the island. St Matthew's United Methodist Church supports UMVIM by participating in mission trips to Cuba. In our efforts to make a difference, we stand together with our brothers and sisters in Cuba to witness the power of love and hope in Christ. The financial support and prayers from St. Matthew's makes a difference in the lives of our Cuban brothers and sisters. Many who have gone on mission trips to Cuba have been transformed by the experience. If you are interested in going on such mission trips, please contact the church office for additional information.
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