Category Archives: Mission and Outreach

Mission Trip to Panama

Sandy Procter and Susie Shaw will be traveling to Panama March 10-19 to work alongside United Methodist missionaries David and Cindy Ceballos as part of a team with eight others from Ohio. The Ceballos have dedicated their lives to serving the poor in rural areas of Panama, who have little or no access to medical, dental, or optical health care. Government-sponsored medical clinics in rural Panama are rare and generally ill-equipped to meet their medical needs, and even less the stress and suffering resulting from poverty and social marginalization. More important than the medical benefits our week-long clinic provides is building friendships with the people we serve and their children. We share coloring books, crafts, and games with the children, treating them and their families with respect and love. After receiving medical care and medications (from a small pharmacy of U.S.-donated medications we bring with us each day), their first question is, “when are you coming back?” They understand that God has sent us to serve them as brothers and sisters in Christ.

David and Cindy have requested that we bring certain items that are greatly needed there: hydrocortisone cream, muscle rub cream, wrist splints, knee braces, compression stockings, ball caps, sunglasses (non-prescription), reading glasses (1, 1+, 2, 2+, etc.), gently used bras no larger than “C”, children’s summer clothing, adult summer clothing no larger than “L”, and infant vitamins. If you can donate any of these items, it would be greatly appreciated. Susie will pick them up, or you can leave them on her porch at 2917 Roma Terrace, just a few blocks north and west of the intersection of Kimball & Browning. To get everything packed and ready, she needs to have all donations by March 7. 

Thank you!
Sandy and Susie

UMCOR Responding to Earthquakes

UMCOR is already responding to the earthquakes in southern Turkey and northwest Syria through a grant to International Blue Crescent, a longstanding partner with offices in Turkey. According to UMCOR: “the grant will provide tents, heaters, blankets, warm clothes, ready to eat meals and basic first aid kits.” Gary Beach is working on setting up online giving for this cause and we’ll take a special offering on Sunday, February 12, 2023.

Human Relations Day Next Sunday

This Sunday, January 15, we will have a special offering for Human Relations Day. What is Human Relations Day? Human Relations Day is a denomination-wide Special Sunday designed to celebrate and raise awareness to further the development of better human relations by involving congregations in community and youth outreach.

A special offering is taken the Sunday before Dr. Martin Luther King Day. Gifts received for the offering build King’s vision of “the beloved community” through programs such as Community Developers, United Methodist Voluntary Services, and Youth Offender Rehabilitation Programs.

Fifty-seven percent of the funds received support community development programs that strive to build, maintain, promote and strengthen racial-ethnic minority congregations through local UMC congregations. Thirty-three percent of the funds received support The United Methodist Voluntary Services (UMVS), which serves as a resource to congregations, volunteer-based groups, and programs that challenge unjust political, social, and economic systems which threaten the livelihoods of people.
Ten percent of the funds received support rehabilitation programs. These programs work to strengthen youth empowerment programs that provide positive avenues for youth participation in their communities through churches, mentoring programs, and boys/girls clubs.

For more than half a century, United Methodists have observed this church-wide special Sunday in recognition of the message Jesus demonstrated during his life: all of God’s children are important.

One of the wonderful aspects of The United Methodist Church is that we can do so much more together than we ever could do on our own. Our gifts are part of building “the beloved community.”

$10,000 for the Crisis Center

The Crisis Center in Manhattan provides a safe haven for women and children to remove themselves from abusive situations. College Avenue UMC (CAUMC) has strongly supported the Crisis Center since it opened in 1979. This church was there at the beginning and is still there as the Crisis Center moves into a new home. The Church Council has approved an effort to raise $10,000 to help the Crisis Center furnish and equip the new facility. Members and friends of the church can help by donating to this effort. You may write a check to the church with a note on the memo line saying “Crisis Center.” You may also make a gift online. Please help CAUMC reach this goal and continue our strong support for the Crisis Center.

Care Packages for Hospital Employees

From Andrea Purvis, Chair of the Mission and Outreach Team:

The Mission and Outreach Team is putting together some care packages for our local healthcare workers as a thank you for their continuing hard work during this pandemic.  We are seeking volunteers to help us form an assembly line/team to put together the packages.  We plan to meet at the church on Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. in room 200 to put them together.  Hope you can join us!

Help Those Impacted by Hurricane Ida

Hurricane Ida’s impacts will be felt for a long time along the Gulf Coast. With torrential rains and wind speeds that topped 150 mph, damage ranges from destroyed homes to flooded streets and a crippled power grid.

The storm made landfall Aug. 29, and its slow progression—often only at 8 to 10 mph—meant its high winds and heavy rains stayed over areas for long periods of time while advancing north and east into the continental United States.

The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is deploying to Louisiana, and Great Plains Conference Early Response Teams are expected to deploy once public safety officials give approval — likely in a week or two. Great Plains personnel are encouraged not to self-deploy but rather to wait until the official call is made to avoid hampering efforts of emergency responders who are still trying to rescue people from flooded areas.

You can make a financial donation today or in the weeks that follow. By check, special offering envelope, or online at https://abilenefirstumc.org/giving/.

Little Free Pantry Collection

Tomorrow, September 5, 2021, we’ll be taking up a collection for the Little Free Pantry. You can contribute money or food items. If you choose to bring food, we especially need Energy/Snack/Granola bars, peanut butter and jelly, pancake mix (the kind that only needs water is best), macaroni, canned meat/fish, individual cereal packets, pasta, spaghetti sauce, fruit snacks, snack bars, canned fruit, and self-contained microwaveable meals, personal hygiene products, and water.

Signs Are In

Our “Love Kindness” yard signs are here. Send an email to office@abilenefirstumc.org or call 785-263-2623 if you would like one delivered by the youth group, or you can stop by the church during office hours and pick one up. (The signs are free either way.)