what are we doing in missions

This list is kept up, just so someone has an idea of what is going on in our missions department. I find the list to be flabbergasting, and almost unbelievable. I wanted to share it with you. We are most fully the church when we are giving ourselves away, a cup of cold water in His name. This is what your church is doing in mission in the name of Jesus Christ:

Missions Summary 2008

Local Ministries
Jackson County Division of Family Services
§ Back-to-School Drive –192 Children received an outfit, a pair of shoes, a backpack and school supplies.
§ Easter Baskets –200 Children receive Easter Baskets full of goodies and Christian items.
§ Christmas – This year 210 children were sponsored, and each child received three gifts.
§ Every Sunday nights members of our congregation pickup the left over bread from the Panera on 40 HWY, then distributes it to area families in need.

Grace Place –has moved to the Missions building, and continues to feed families from DFS. In addition to the DFS families, we also receive requests from the community and school counselors as far as the Ray-Pec district. We even fill the requests for food from our own church members. All food is received through donations, as well as the annual Grace Place food drive at VBS every summer. Each family requesting food receives 24 different types of food and household items, with quantities depending on the size of the family.

Children’s Clothing Closet – Located within Grace Place the “Closet” offers gently used clothing for children ages newborn – 12th grade, as well as winter coats. Donations are given to families through agencies like the Community Services League, Division of Family Services, Raytown schools, Lee’s Summit Parents as First teachers, churches in lower income areas, our own church members and their friends. Each child is given a minimum of two outfits, which consist of 2 pieces, at no cost.
§ 960 outfits were donated to Blue Springs Community Services League alone.

Woods Chapel UMC Adoption Resource Foundation – “Making a difference in the life of a child”. The Adoption Resource Foundation was founded out of the love of children and a hope to help families adopt children waiting for a loving home. ARF exists as a resource to help families who have adopted, are in the process of adopting or are considering adoption. It provides information, support, financial assistance, and creates awareness for the millions of children waiting for a home.

§ Friends of Adoption Support Group meets once a month and hosts a variety of speakers on various subjects pertaining to adoption. It is open to the community.
§ The adoption group grossed over $35,000 at the WCC’s annual Adoption Resource Foundation’s golf tournament. Over $7,000 of that money was donated to the Mission trip scholarship fund, with the rest assisting families in their adoption financial needs. In the last year, ARF has used $7,600 to help families adopt children from Guatemala, China, Ethiopia, Ukraine, Russia and the Children Division.
§ Since the founding of ARF, a scholarship fund for adopted children has been established. For the last 3 years a student is selected as the recipient for $500 to help with education beyond high school.

Jackson County Free Health Clinic - Volunteers (medical and administrative) offer their services the first Tuesday of each month.

Red Cross Shelter - WCC is a designated Shelter for the Red Cross

Hillcrest Ministries – provides a 90 day program designed to move families from homelessness to self-sufficiency by providing: 90 days rent and utility free housing; professional services (haircuts, dental, legal, GED, medical); and counseling (budgeting, job searching, nutrition, community living, and parenting).
§ WCC sponsors one apartment (financial contribution of $3,000 a year as well as furnishing the apartment and cleaning and restocking every quarter).
§ Families from WCC also go every year around Halloween to carve pumpkins with families and kids. This year they said there were so many little kids, that they did most of the carving, but the kids loved getting their hands in the goo and having someone to do this tradition with at Hillcrest.
§ WCC provides “urgent needs” each week – whatever food or toiletry item they are running low on.
§ Hillcrest Gala – 50 people from our church attend the annual Gala. 30 baskets valued at over $6,000 were donated by our church for the silent auction.
§ WCC’s ‘Friends of Hillcrest’ are now sponsoring a 2nd apartment at the new Lee’s Summit location.

Christmas Projects (Other than those listed above)
§ Spofford Children’s Home
§ 20 residents sponsored from Truman Medical Center.
§ We Care sponsors a toy drive for Lee’s Summit Social Services.
§ Children’s Mercy Hospital

Prom Boutique
§ 70 High school students from DFS are invited to come to our prom boutique and select their evening’s attire free of charge, with plans next year to open it up for more girls than just from DFS.
§ All dresses and men’s wear are obtained through donations.
§ The quilters group was available for alterations the day of the event
§ Area salons donated spa certificates for the girls to have their hair done on the day of their proms

Dental for Kids
§ WCC collects tooth brushes and toothpaste for Dental for Kids which is a non profit organization in Jackson County who provides dental care free of charge to low income children in the area.
§ WCC helps with Dental for Kids annual Fundraiser the Princess Party. Dress from our prom boutique are used for decorations, Women from various bible study groups also volunteer their time to be story tellers at the party.

Project 20/20
The congregation donates reading glasses and sunglasses which are then sent to project 20/20 and are then refurbished and taken by volunteer optometrists to developing countries.

Operation Christmas Child
This was the first year that WCC participated in Operation Christmas Child, and over 140 boxes were collected. The boxes are sent to children all over the world by the Good Samaritan organization.

Metro Ministries

Grace United Church - This church is located in downtown KC & serves a low-income, multi-cultural segment of society.
§ Thanksgiving Food Drive – 210 bags of groceries were donated for needy families this year.
§ Members of our church invited people from Grace United to attend our Gospel Choir Concert, and the came to listen and praise God along side us!
§ WCC has helped in renovation repairs on this church including painting, stucco work, and drywall work, as well as renovating the bathroom in the parsonage.
§ Youth teams also go down to Grace United to cook and serve breakfast several times a year to the homeless and families that need a meal in that area.

Spofford – A home for children in transition
§ The music department has Spofford as their mission focus. All the choirs and bands and children’s choirs collect needed items from month to month.
§ Handmade quilts are donated to Spofford by the Woods Chapel Church Quilting group.

Camino Verdad Y Vida UMC (The Way, The Truth and The Life UMC)
This church has become our “partner” church and we have grown together through the year.
§ Back to School Drive –89 children received backpacks with school supplies as well as shoes & clothing.
§ Thanksgiving Food drive – 170 bags of food were collected and distributed among CVV families this year, with an additional $550 of chickens and extra food.
§ Christmas Adopt-A-Child – 102 children were sponsored at Christmas that including also included gifts of new warm clothing.
§ Donations of appliances, furniture, food (from Grace Place), clothing (from our clothing closet), supplies, computers through out the year as needed by the church.
§ Harvester’s fee is paid by WCC so that the people of CVV may receive food from the food pantry

Ronald McDonald House Family Room - The RMD House Family Room is a home-like setting within Children’s Mercy Hospital where families of critically ill children can “get away” while still being close to their children.
§ WCC provides & serves dinners each month to the families.

Westport UMC - “Neighbor-to-Neighbor Program” This ministry helps the homeless and needy in the Westport Area.
§ Sack lunches are collected EVERY week and delivered to Westport on Monday mornings. Sacks are filled by Bible study groups, and families wishing to serve together.
§ Hot Meals served every month for the homeless that are prepared and served by WCC folks.
§ Annual Hundred for the Homeless Donation Drive during the winter to collect coats, blankets, socks, hats, gloves, Chap Stick and peppermint sticks.

Crop Walk
§ Members of WCC and their families continue to participate in this yearly walk which raises money for international relief as well as local food ministries.

Mission Trips

Camp Wilderness Family Mission Trip – WCC families join together each year for this weekend mission trip to Lawson, Missouri. Their work helps to build, restore and maintain this United Methodist camp and retreat center. There are projects for every age and this trip brings families together by serving close to home.

Greensburg, Kansas – Since the F-5 tornado in May of 2007, WCC has sent 6 teams to Greensburg, 5 of those trips in 2008, in an effort to aid in the rebuilding of the community. This trip usually last between 8-9 days, but since this trip is close to home it offers the opportunity to stay a few days or to stay the whole duration of trip. There is no restriction on knowledge and there is work for all levels of skill. WCC teams are well known in Greensburg for their commitment and passion to serve those that need help.

Guatemala, South America – WCC has established a presence in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. During the summer of 2008 we sent a team of 19 people to Guatemala for 10 days. Their task was to put up walls in a local school. They also continue to build relationships that have been established from other mission teams that have visited before. Teams consider it a wonderful opportunity to put their faith into action by allowing Christ to use their hands and feet. They are consistently moved by the friendliness of the Guatemalan people and have learned many things from the Mayan culture.

Falmouth, Jamaica – New in 2008, a medical mission team took their skills to Falmouth, Jamaica. Teams travel twice a year, in January and June, and work in the clinic that was established by the United Methodist Church 20 years ago. Those who do not have medical knowledge are used in the clinic in other ways, such as aiding in running the clinic, counting pills, organizing and other chores.

Liberia, Africa – We are in the Process of laying the groundwork for a WCC team to travel to Liberia the summer of 2009. WCC hopes to find a niche, and a place to build relationships with children in Liberia who are in rehabilitation from being boy soldiers and child prostitutes. God willing, this will be a place WCC can begin to contribute by connecting people to Jesus Christ.

Matthew 28 – WCC is still committed to the work of the United Methodist Church in New Orleans. The goal is to send 1 or more persons to New Orleans for 1 week or up to 30 days. Matthew 28 volunteers coordinate work projects for mission teams that come from all over the United States to help rebuild New Orleans. Among their many tasks they are asked to welcome the arriving teams, provide orientation, deliver tools to job sites and organize the facility where they sleep.

New Orleans, Louisiana – WCC’s last team to New Orleans traveled in June to work on the rebuilding efforts that are still occurring in the city. To these 20 people, showing the love of Christ to the homeowners motivated them as they sweat through their work days replacing sheetrock, finishing dry wall, removing debris and painting walls.

In addition to the regular summer team, a 17 member team from the music ministry traveled last April to inspire their homeowners with music as well as hard work. The music ministry team also invited their homeowners to a dinner at People’s Station in an effort to serve them outside of their homes.

Velikoretskoye, Russia – The Russian ministry has been consistently traveling for 6 years, but when Kurlovo orphanage closed at the end of last year, it became evident that we needed to continue to move this ministry forward. Our vision team recently returned from Russia having accomplished their task of choosing a new orphanage for WCC to sponsor. Velikoretskoye is an orphanage in the Kirov region with 46 kids from age 7 to 18. Early next year, each of these kids will be sponsored by a family at WCC who will commit to writing letters and $34 a month that contributes to their sponsor child’s quality of environment, education and health care. Most of all, however, the sponsorship of each orphan sends a discipler to the orphanage once a week to take translated letters, do Bible lessons and take birthday or Christmas gifts from their sponsor. This ministry looks forward to traveling regularly again with VBS teams to build relationships with the orphans in Velikoretskoye.

Student Ministry Mission Trips:

Senior High Mission Trip – Twenty-two incoming freshman through exiting seniors joined together with 7 adults to work in New Orleans homes for their June 2008 mission trip. This 29 member team worked on mucking homes, painting, installing dry wall and ripping out ceilings through the Louisiana UMC Disaster Recovery effort out of Peoples Station.

Junior High Mission Trip – Incoming 6th graders through exiting 8th graders worked together on cleaning up St. Joseph, Missouri after the ice storm that ravaged through the city during the winter of 2008. The 33 member team also worked alongside the United Methodist church’s ministry to homeless, young mothers and the older community in different areas of the city.

Global Ministries
Prayer – international mission teams are supported by the WCC congregation through prayer partners. Prayer partners compile notes and small reminders to send in a tangible way to support the missionaries, and ultimately remind them that WCC is behind them while they are serving. As well as pray for them throughout their time serving Christ wherever they are in the world.

Nothing But Nets – Upward basketball participants will be given the opportunity to donate money which will be used to buy insecticide-treated bed nets.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
























Children & Student Ministry Missions

Children
§ Packed sack lunches to feed the homeless every month.
§ Decorated 200 stockings for the dental kits delivered to children adopted this Christmas by our congregation.
§ Collected grocery bags full of aluminum pull tabs for Ronald McDonald House
§ Collected money which was donated to Project 20/20 during VBS
§ Donated food to Grace Place during vacation bible school
§ Collected $810.76 for Heifer International.
§ Collected macaroni and cheese at Trunk or Treat for Grace Place
§ The 4th & 5th grade girls are writing letters to the folks at the nursing home, and doing projects with them.

Student Ministry

§ Youth teams go down to Grace UMC to cook and serve breakfast several times a year to the homeless and families in need of a free meal in that area.
§ Senior High sponsors a little girl in India name Vimala through Compassion International for $32 a month that is collected at youth group on Sunday nights. This sponsorship provides a possibility for students to connect with a foreign child and gives her better opportunities for education, health and personal development as well as learning about Jesus in a church-based program in her neighborhood.
Student Ministry Mission Trips:

Senior High Mission Trip – Twenty-two incoming freshman through exiting seniors joined together with 7 adults to work in New Orleans homes for their June 2008 mission trip. This 29 member team worked on mucking homes, painting, installing dry wall and ripping out ceilings through the Louisiana UMC Disaster Recovery effort out of Peoples Station.

Junior High Mission Trip – Incoming 6th graders through exiting 8th graders worked together on cleaning up St. Joseph, Missouri after the ice storm that ravaged through the city during the winter of 2008. The 33 member team also worked alongside the United Methodist church’s ministry to homeless, young mothers and the older community in different areas of the city.


Club 56
§ Evan Almighty series – in January and February, Club 56 devoted this time to a series on ‘Changing the World, Every Chance We Get’ that focused on doing good to others, without expecting anything in return. After the series, they served the younger kids of the church by volunteering at the Winter Social as characters, game leaders and beauticians.
§ Adoption Resource Fund – donated a movie themed basket at the end of the Chronicles of Narnia series for the Adoption Resource Fund golf tournament.
§ Guatemala team – for the second year in a row students were prayer partners for the 16 member team and sent notes for their prayer partner while they were in the mission field.
§ Lock-In – At this annual outreach event for 5th & 6th graders, the students collected the aluminum cans and donated the resulting money to the American Red Cross, and collected the pop tabs to donate to the Ronald McDonald House.
§ 100 For the Homeless – collected 576 hats, gloves, pairs of socks, Chap Stick, & candy canes for this ministry to Westport UMC during the Christmas mission series. At the Christmas party, they put one of each item into a bag so it is easy to hand out to people at Westport.