District-wide mission projects enable small churches to participate
By Annette Bender
Large churches may have enough willing participants and resources to organize their own mission trips, while small-membership churches often can't offer their members the same opportunities.
By organizing corporate mission projects, two districts in Holston Conference are giving members of their smaller churches the chance to participate in missions in faraway places.
Wytheville meets Slovakia
In May, Wytheville District leaders wanted to establish an overseas mission relationship. They held a district missions conference and invited representatives from the Global Missions Focus and General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) to participate.
Originally, the plan was to establish a district-to-local-church partnership. But Wytheville leaders soon considered a district-to-district partnership with the Slovak District of the Czech and Slovak Republic Conference.
GBGM consultant Dick Arnold embraced the idea. Of the 26 exisiting mission partnerships within the denomination, "most are one church to another church," he says. Only one other United Methodist district is involved in such a partnership: The Iroquois River District of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference now partners with Mikulov United Methodist Church of the Czech Republic.
The Rev. Randy Frye, pastor at First Pulaski UMC, says the district-to-district partnership is a "unique opportunity. Particularly in a district like ours with so many small congregations, the number of churches that could sponsor a Volunteers in Mission team or have missionaries visit from other countries is limited." A district-wide mission project not only gives small churches more possibilities, "it gives our district a central focus."
The district sent a leadership team of seven to visit with leaders of the Slovak District in October. "It was truly an amazing experience," says Wytheville Superintendent Chuck Starks. "We felt so very much at home with each other. It was an immediate friendship."
The partnership's terms include a threeyear commitment from the Wytheville District of $3,600 per year. Wytheville's leadership team is currently visiting congregations to enlist them to contribute at least $100-$150 each year.
In summer 2004, district leaders hope to send a work and Christian education teams to serve in Slovakia, a place where 80 percent of residents profess atheism and only 15 United Methodist congregations exist. The plan is to renovate and expand existing churches and attempt to reach young people through vacation Bible school-type experiences.
In turn, Wytheville hopes to host mission workers from Slovakia at Holston's Camp Dickenson or Project Crossroads. "It's got to be a real relationship broader and deeper than just monetary," the Rev. Starks said. "We most definitely want to receive these persons in our congregations and let folks get to know them spiritually."
Morristown meets Montana
The Rev. Ginger Howe, Morristown District missions coordinator, "always wanted to go to Montana." So when she saw an opportunity on the GBGM website for mission work in Heart Butte, Mont., she didn't hesitate.
In October, Morristown District sent a team of 22 workers representing nine churches to Apistoodooke UMC on the Blackfeet Reservation. The volunteers repaired the floor, installed propane heaters and completed drywall at the church. They also captured a dream to build a youth center in an area where young people are at high risk for substance abuse and teen pregnancy.
Holston groups interested in working with Morristown District to begin build a youth center in Montana in 2005 should contact Howe at (865) 475-5726 or by e-mail. Morristown members wishing to participate in another mission trip to Montana in June 2004 should also contact Howe. Holston churches wishing to arrange their own mission trips to Heart Butte should contact Apistoodooke's pastor, the Rev. Jody Campbell, at (406) 338-3900 or (406) 470-0158.
At charge conferences this fall, Morristown Superintendent Richard Patterson made sure congregations of all sizes were aware of the district's mission work in Montana as well as the conference's work in Africa. "I tried to show all the churches that they have the opportunity to participate in mission work."
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