UMW 2017 Ubuntu Journeys Announced!

Please pray about joining other United Methodist Women in building strong missional bridges between Methodist Christian women on (or more!) of the following Journeys:

Ubuntu Journey, Colombia

Dates: April 20-27, 2017

Anticipated Cost: $2,200.00

Theme: Empowering and Dignifying Women through Faith, Love and Hope

Bible Text: Ephesians 2:14-15  “For it is He who is our peace….made both groups one by tearing down the wall…creating one new humanity…thereby making peace.”

For more information, contact Team Leader, Paula Morgan at: impmorg@hotmail.com

Ubuntu Journey, Mozambique

Dates: July 18-26, 2017

Anticipated Cost: $TBA

Theme: Women of Faith and Determination 

Bible Text: Exodus 3:7-10 (NRSV). “ I have heard their cry… indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them and to bring them up out of that land to a good, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

For more information, contact Team Leader, Sandy Binotto  at: Yashe4jc@hotmail.com

Ubuntu Journey, Portugal   

Dates: September, 10-18, 2017

Anticipated Cost: $TBA

Theme:  To Love and To Serve Together

Bible Text: Revelation 22:2 “…through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life…”

For more information, contact Team Leader, Marcia Florkey at: mlbflorkey@gmail.com

For information on any of the 2017 Ubuntu Journeys, you may also email: Ubuntu@unitedmethodistwomen.org 

Please note that these trips are not associated with UMVIM, SEJ. 

Mission Volunteer Opportunities

If you are being called to serve in mission service beyond a week or ten days, the Mission Volunteer Program sponsored by Global Ministries provides opportunities for individuals and couples to serve from two months to two years in a variety of ministries around the world. Here are some examples:

In Honduras there are ministries that need volunteers to serve as youth leaders, to coordinate team projects, and to minister to children with disabilities.

In Africa, a volunteer is needed at the Malawi United Methodist Church Conference Offices. The position is for an international financial management consultant. This is a partnership with the Church of the Resurrection. The main responsibility is to develop and implement a financial accounting management system.

Our missionary in Chile is seeking a volunteer to serve as a gardener and groundskeeper.

The McCurdey School in Espanola, New Mexico has ongoing needs for directors.

In Haiti there is a need for a couple to serve as volunteers-in-mission team coordinators.

To respond to these volunteer requests and others, become a Mission Volunteer. Apply now at www.missionvolunteers.org in time for our October 21-24 training event. For more information, please contact Malcolm Frazier at mfrazier@umcmission.org or call 212 870-3659.

{#GivingTuesday} Day 24: English Speaking United Methodist Church, Prague, Czech Republic

We are 3 weeks into our #GivingTuesday campaign, and one week from today is December 2nd...the big day! 

We love today's #UNselfie, sent it to us by Betty Yeomans-Barton of the UMC Johnson City District in East Tennessee. We'll turn it over to Betty and let her tell you a little more about this trans-Atlantic #UNselfie!

"This is an international #UNselfie via Skype between myself (upper right-hand corner) and the Redmond family – John, Denise, Eli and Ada. The Redmonds moved to Prague, Czech Republic in August 2014 to take over leadership of the English Speaking United Methodist Church (ESUMC) Prague (Advance #3021543). This church came about as part of an In Mission Together partnership between the Johnson City District and Czech Republic District. It was launched in 2011 by Rev. Michelle McKinnon-Young and her husband Gary Young. After three years in Prague, they returned to the US this summer and the Redmonds took their place.

John was licensed as a local pastor in June, and this is his first appointment. Denise is serving as his assistant, and their son and daughter, Eli and Ada, are enrolled in Czech preschool in Prague.

In addition to weekly worship services, ESUMC has an English Club ministry for Czech mothers and their children, and a ministry with college students who live in a dorm on the church campus.

As Office Administrator for the Johnson City District, I am honored to be part of their state-side support staff, assisting in fund-raising, marketing, travel arrangements and more. We have plans to send UMVIM teams to Prague in the coming year to help them with remodeling their sanctuary space, and to conduct Vacation Bible School.

You can learn more about ESUMC Prague on their website: www.esumcprague.org."

UMVIM, SEJ takes full advantage of the connectional system of the United Methodist Church by working with conferences, districts, churches, individual volunteers and pastors the world over, and empowering their programs by sending trained, equipped teams to serve with them. We love this #UNselfie this story because it is just another example of United Methodists connecting and, well, uniting!

Betty, John, Denise, Eli, Ada, and everyone else in the Johnson City and Czech Republic Districts, thank you for what you are doing to show Christian Love in Action! We are happy and humbled to do serve with you and look forward to being part of sending teams to serve in Eastern Europe!

Stay tuned here on the UMVIM blog and follow us across social media (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) this month as our #GivingTuesday campaigns continues. For more info on #GivingTuesday and the worldwide ‪#‎UNselfie‬ movement, and to make a donation of your own on December 2, 2014 through the Advance, please click here! The Advance will begin matching donations at 12:01am EST on December 2, 2014! (Up to $1 million dollars  $2500 per donor.)

See you tomorrow for another #GivingTuesday #UNselfie!