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Mission News for March 9, 2010

HOOSIER UNITED METHODIST Mission Opportunities

For Tuesday March 9, 2010
This newsletter is paid for through your annual conference connectional ministries tithe.
Edited by Dan Gangler, director of communication

The Rev. LeKisha Reed, Associate Director of Mission and Advocacy, is available to you in the new Indiana Conference Center and would like to hear what your congregation is doing in mission and advocacy. Submit mission news, information and volunteer opportunities to lekisha.reed@inumc.org or call 317-924-1321. The Indiana Conference Mission and Advocacy area has created a Facebook Fan Page. Check it out here.

Mission Census Being Taken During March by Conference

The Mission Resource Team of the Indiana Conference is conducting a Mission Census 2010 during the month of March. The Mission Census is a short survey about the mission ministry of your congregation. The Mission Resource Team wants to become more familiar with the various ways you serve. All information collected will be used as a way to determine how the Mission Resource Team may service you better and to help create mission affinity groups throughout Indiana.

Register to participate at www.inumc.org/missions. If you need a paper copy of this survey, call the Rev. LeKisha Reed at 317-924-1321 ext. 1006 or toll-free 877-781-6706 ext. 1006.

Thank you for participating in this important survey.

REMINDER

Applications Open for Summer 2010 Global Justice Volunteers

NEW YORK (UMNS) – Now is the time for young women between the ages of 18 and 30 to apply for short-term, volunteer-mission service in the 2010 Global Justice Volunteers program of United Methodist Women. The deadline to apply is March 15. The areas of service are Asia and Africa. The program offers young people the opportunity to live internationally for six weeks and explore the issues of justice and its advocacy. Download applications at here.

DEATH NOTICE – Thurl Cook

THURL COOK, husband of the Rev. Pam Cook serving Paoli UMC in the South District of the Indiana Conference, died Friday, March 5, 2010. Visitation has been scheduled for Friday, March 12, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Smith & Ogle Funeral Home at 5086 College Corner Pike in Oxford, Ohio. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 13, at College Corner UMC, 89 Church Street, West College Corner, IN 47003 on the Indiana-Ohio state line northwest of Oxford, Ohio. Condolences can be sent to the Rev. Pam Cook, 1167 S. SR 37, Paoli, IN 47454-9582.

MORE WAYS TO GIVE TO HAITI RELIEF

Tents Desperately Needed in Haiti for Earthquake Survivors

Friends of the Orphans, a Chicago-based charity with Roman Catholic roots serving South America and the Caribbean, and Children of Abraham, an Indiana Conference Advance Special with offices at Hammond First UMC, have been resupplying the Saint Damien Children’s Hospital in Haiti. This 120-bed hospital currently has 700 people in serious or critical condition under its care. Children of Abraham have been supplying medical supplies and many additional beds, as well as food which are being distributed with help from the Italian contingent of the United Nations. Children of Abraham is partnering with other concerned relief agencies to supply ten-person mosquito netted tents complete with rain tarps. We have multiple suppliers willing to provide these tents for $150 each, which normally sell in the $350-$400 range. For more information, visit Children of Abraham at www.coa-worldwide.org.

For more information about latest in Haiti relief efforts by UMCOR, visit www.umc.org/haiti.
Volunteers In Mission Team Leader Training Coming to Indiana
  • March 20, 2010 at First UMC in Bloomington, Ind.
  • April 10, 2010 at New Life UMC near Mexico, Ind.

Both 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (ET), Penny Krug will be the trainer for these sessions.

Who should attend? Leaders and/or participants of work teams and youth leaders.

What is the cost? $15 person, which includes lunch and basic materials plus $25 for VIM Training Manual (only 1 needed per church).

Topics include: How to plan a mission trip, where to go when your church wants to send a team, spiritual enrichment, being a team member, cultural sensitivity, insurance and liability forms regardless of where you go, issues of risk, and answers to questions.

To register: Contact Bonnie Albert, Indiana Conference UMVIM Coordinator.

Health, Layette, Birthing Kits Needed

According to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), there will be a great need for volunteers to help rebuild once the initial crisis is past, but it is not safe or possible for volunteers to go to Haiti at the present. Instructions for assembling and shipping health kits are available on the UMCOR Web site.

There is a need for volunteer groups in March to serve at the Midwest Mission Distribution Center in Illinois assembling the shipment to Haiti. Please contact MMDC to make your team’s reservations. Contact: Midwest Mission Distribution Center, 1022 New City Road, P.O. Box 56, Chatham, IL 62629, phone: 217-483-7911, fax 217-483-7981 or online.

For more Indiana Conference-related information about recovery efforts, early response training, kit assemblage, collection points and special offerings to UMCOR for Haiti Emergency, visit www.inumc.org and click on Haiti Emergency in left column.

MISSION NEWS

OC Coordinators Discover Crisis with English in West Africa

Operation Classroom coordinators, the Rev. Joe and Carolyn Wagner have discovered one major problem this past month in the West Africa nations of Sierra Leone and Liberia – English. The discovery became apparent after visiting seven Operation Classroom-related schools in Liberia.

Joe Wagner said, “This was a real surprise to me as this had not been discussed until this year. The civil-war (1990-2004) brought a national crisis in English. Many students entering college cannot write proper sentences and the spelling leaves much to be desired. In our conversation with teachers and administrators, we have made a decision to make an emphasis (on English) in the elementary level beginning with the first grade to begin this process.

“We have to be able to build a foundation and we must start there. This will involve not only getting the proper materials, but also working with training the teachers. We must make an effort to upgrade our schools beginning this fall. We are working some ideas for high school, but they are only in the idea stage at the present.”

Wagner also reported that by 2012, all high schools in Liberia need microscopes. OC needs three or four microscopes for each of its related schools in both Liberia and Sierra Leone. In addition to science class inventories, Wagner says they are asking each of the schools to survey the jobs that are available in the community in order to develop a program to make it possible for students to find employment when they graduate from high school.

For more information about Operation Classroom or Operation Doctor, visit www.operationclassroom.org.

Offering is UMCOR’s ‘Backbone’

NEW YORK (UMNS) – Eight days after the January earthquake in Haiti, Melissa Crutchfield led a small team to the island to start assessing emergency needs for the United Methodist Committee on Relief. The ability of her team to get to Haiti quickly was due in part to One Great Hour of Sharing, an annual churchwide offering for UMCOR taken on the fourth Sunday in Lent. This year’s offering is on March 14. To Crutchfield, who coordinates international emergency response for the relief agency, One Great Hour of Sharing “is the backbone of what makes everything possible.” Read full story and post a comments here.

One Great Hour of Sharing Resources Can Be Found Online at http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/give/oghs.
UMCOR Helps Haitians Stay in U.S.

NEW YORK (UMNS) – The United Methodist Committee on Relief's Justice for Our Neighbors has joined with Church World Service and other organizations to hold free clinics in churches and offices to help Haitian immigrants apply for permits to stay in the United States. "We're talking about a community that already is stressed," says Panravee Vongjaroenrat, Justice for Our Neighbors director. "On top of that, now they have lost families in Haiti or have surviving relatives who want to join them here." Read full story and post a comments here.

Methodists in Chile Assess Quake Damage

NEW YORK (UMNS) – Methodists in Chile are beginning to assess damage after the massive Feb. 27 earthquake. Bishop Mario Martinez of the Methodist Church in Chile said on Feb. 28 that church buildings in the districts of Chillán, Los Angeles, Segunda de Temuco and Primera y Segunda de Santiago suffered major damage from the earthquake. Because of communication problems, he had no information on the condition of churches and members in the Concepción, William Taylor and Sur districts in Chile's central region, which were hit hardest in the earthquake. Read full story and post a comments here.

Problem Gambling Advocates Say 2 to 3 Percent of Population Has Gambling Problem

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) announces the 8th Annual Problem Gambling Awareness Week campaign, a grassroots public awareness and outreach campaign. It will be held March 7-13. NCPG is the national advocate for programs and services to assist problem gamblers and their families. NCPG research finds that 2 to 3 percent of the U.S. population will have a gambling problem in any given year. That’s 6 million to 9 million Americans, yet only a small fraction seeks out services, such as treatment and self-help recovery programs. For more information, visit www.npgaw.org. See the video.

Also visit the Indiana-based Gambling Recovery Ministries Web site at www.grmumc.org.

FOR THE LATEST IN DISASTER NEWS AND RECOVERY
VISIT www.disasternews.net and www.umcor.org.
Video story of Haiti relief efforts available here.

NEWLY LISTED MISSION OPPORTUNITIES

  • No new mission opportunities this week.

PREVIOUSLY LISTED MISSION OPPORTUNITIES

Preparing for UM-VIM Teams in Haiti

Three United Methodist Volunteer-in-Mission IM Coordinators (Greg Forrester, Northeast Jurisdiction, Paulette West, Southeast Jurisdiction and Lorna Jost, North Central Jurisdiction) are in Haiti to assess the logistics of hosting Volunteer-in-Mission teams and how best to accommodate volunteers at the priority project sites.

In the meantime, register for one of the many United Methodist Volunteer In Mission workshops to prepare for mission trips to Haiti, when Haiti becomes open to VIMs.

They are listed at http://www.gbgm-umc.org/northcentralvim/. Click on “Upcoming UMVIM Leadership and ERT Trainings” at the bottom of the home page.

FLOOD RECOVERY INFORMATION (UPDATED)

United Methodists Continue in Flood Recovery Efforts Statewide

The floods may seem long gone and out of the news, however, volunteers are still needed to assist residence in northwest, far northwest and in the central parts of Indiana. (updated 6/15/09)

In far northwest Indiana, contact the Lakeshore Area Regional Recovery in Indiana (LARRI). Visit www.larri.info located at the United Way of Porter County at 951 Eastport Centre Drive, Valparaiso, IN 46384; ph 219-447-3583 or toll-free 877-LARRI4U; fax 219-477-5845.

In Northwest Indiana contact Alan H. Welch, director, DANI-Disaster Assistance for NW Indiana, 1021 N 10th Street, Lafayette, IN 47904; ph 765-742-4718; welchah@gmail.com. DANI information is available by visiting http://daniflood.org.

Morgan County Lannie Stecher thanks the Indiana Conference for all the help that it has been to assist county residents rebuild since the summer 2008 flood. At this moment Morgan County recovery is finishing up but still needs skilled volunteers. They want to be finished by the end of April. If you or your church wishes to volunteer your help, contact Lannie Stecher at 765-318-8344, or pastorlannie@yahoo.com).

Southern Indiana – Contact Disaster Response Coordinator: The Rev. David Powell at 317-745-4330 or info@danvilleumc.org. Terre Haute and Bartholomew County areas are in need of volunteers.

ONGOING MISSION PROJECT REMINDERS

For more information about these opportunities, listings of ongoing projects and contact information, please visit http://inumc.org/pages/detail/171.

Check Out the New Gambling Recovery Ministries Web Site
  • Check out the United Methodist-related Gambling Recovery Ministries’ greatly expanded Web site www.grmumc.org.
  • Sign up for e-news Bonus Pages at www.grmumc.org.
  • This ministry is supported in part through your congregational tithe to the conference.
NOMADS Volunteers Work in Response to Disaster
Volunteers Needed in North Dakota
  • Volunteers are needed for rebuilds in Fargo/Moorhead and the Jamestown areas. Contact: Joan Buchhop at jbuchhop@lssnd.org or call 701-775-6151.

MISSION OPPORTUNITIES REMINDERS

For more information about these opportunities, listings of ongoing projects and contact information, please visit http://inumc.org/pages/detail/172.

Minnesota Operation Classroom Announces Trips to Africa
  • Sierra Leone, Kabala, March 10-25, to begin constructing a new school building. Team leader: Lyndy Zabel, ph 952-829-7179.

Mishawaka Church Planning Mission Trip to Henderson Settlement

  • April 5-10
  • The cost is $200 per person
  • For more information, contact Isaac Nanney, director of student ministry, at First UMC in Mishawaka or call 574-255-4707.
Individual Volunteer In Mission Training Available
  • April 15-18
  • People must apply and go through the Individual Volunteer Web site.

Operation Classroom VIM Trips to Africa

  • Workteams to Sierra Leone 2010
    • May 2 to 23 To Koidu – University of Indianapolis, Lang Brownlee, team leader
    • June 12 to July 15 - Constructing a school for the blind - Les and Hope Law, team leaders
    • July 25-August 3 - Construction project to be decided - Kay Hess, team leader
  • Workteams to Liberia 2010
    • April- New Georgia school construction
    • June 21 to July 6 - Tubman-Gray School - Especially for College Students
    • Construction of Elementary Building - Jill Bowen Team leader
    • June 22 to July 8 or July 20 to August 1 - Teaching seminar on reading, phonics and writing (elementary level)
    • Sept 7 to 27 – Kay Zeigler and Bob Evans Leaders, Construction project to be decided

Russia Initiative Consultation XV

Rx Consultation in Iowa

  • May 7-9, 2010
  • Walnut Hills UMC in Urbandale, Iowa
  • More information to come

Chain Saw Training Course in Wisconsin

  • May 15 at Pine Lake United Methodist Camp
  • Limited to 10-15 beginners or experienced cutters
  • Cost: $35 includes lunch
  • Register by May 7
  • More information: Chuck Wedemeyer 414-354-8285

Construction Volunteers Need to Construct New Houses

  • Work Camp Schedule for S.O.W.E.R. 2010 (Sharing Our Witness – Enriching Relationships)
    • Week 1 May 16 – 22 Frame shell
    • Week 2 May 23 – 29 Roofing, interior walls, exterior doors, windows, siding
    • Week 3 July 11 – 17 Install insulation and drywall, finish siding and soffit
    • Week 4 July 18 – 24 Finish drywall & paint, install porch railing
    • Week 5 August 8 – 14 Finish interior trim, install underlayment, and flooring
    • Week 6 August 15 – 21 Install interior doors, trim, and kitchen cabinets
  • To learn more or to join one of these camps contact Ralph & Carolyn Brandon, SOWER VIM Team Leaders. 231 McMillen Dr., Newark, Oh 43055, ph 740-344-5581, SOWER@wocumc.org
Volunteer In Mission Trip Planned to Africa University
  • May 20-June 8, 2010
  • Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe, Africa
  • Cost of the trip: $3800
  • For more information, contact Rev. Anyike at 317-925-1997 or Ruth Ellen Stone at ruthellen1@juno.com.
Applications Sought for Hunger Justice Leaders

Elgins to Lead TeachUM Team to Managua, Nicaragua

  • teachUM teams to Managua, Nicaragua
  • June 14-23, 2010
  • For more information, e-mail rrelgin@comcast.net
Terre Haute Church has Space Available for VIM Trip to Russia
  • June 15-26
  • More information at www.umcmemorial.com, click on the Missions tab
  • Peter Priest, Emeritus Professor of Russian

Vietnam / Cambodia

Poland
  • June 24-July 7, 2010
  • Cost is $2,500
  • Contact Ron Fontenot 618-628-8262.

Flood of Justice Missions

  • For your senior high youth
  • July 18-24, 2010
  • July 11-17, if needed
  • Cost is $250 per registrant
  • More information here.

Peru

West Ohio Church Announce Two Mission Trips Need Volunteers

  • E-mail Grove City Missions for more information
  • JAMAICA:
    • July 31-Aug. 7
    • Cost is $1,300
    • Team Leader: Carol Coudle.
  • UGANDA:
    • Summer 2011
    • Cost is $3,200
    • Team Leaders: Jan Scharenberg and Dayna McFarland.