Faith Promise Missions
Our Faith Promise Pledge year runs from April 1 through March 31 each year. Below you will find the description of the mission areas we supported for 2019-2020.
We have been blessed to have given $67,263.66 for missions in 2019-2020.
Local/National Mission:
LOAVES MEALS and FUNERAL DINNERS
Our United Methodist Women, along with our men, have been serving the LOAVES Meal each month at Fletcher Place. Our church as been serving between 75-100 people each month. The LOAVES Meal was begun in 1983 to serve dinners on Monday and Wednesdays from 3:00-4:30 pm. There is also a food pantry and thrift store where clients can receive free food and clothing. Currently, we are serving on the 4th Monday of the month.
FLETCHER PLACE PRESCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS www.fletcherplacecc.org
The Fletcher Place Community Center ministry began in 1872 with the start of the Fletcher Place Methodist Episcopal Church. Their work began as an outreach to immigrants and families in need. In 1930 their preschool program was started. During that same year the Goodwill program began, that in 1944 became independent and known as Goodwill Industries of Indianapolis.
Fletcher Place Preschool - Philosophy Statement: We believe that every child deserves to attend a high-quality early learning education program. Our program provides a wide range of hands-on learning experiences designed to enhance the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development of each child. Therefore, every day we provide developmental age appropriate activities that allow children to freely play, learn and explore in a safe, clean and loving environment. Education is key to beating poverty and the area served has a dismal high school graduation rate. The Fletcher Place Preschool prepares young children for elementary school success that will continue on to high school graduation.
The Preschool Scholarship Fund offers financial support to help families cover the cost of these two vital years of early education.
CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS
CUMC funded 41 individual youth to attend church camp during the summer of 2019. With the rising cost of camp, we hope to continue to help support our youth of all ages to attend church camp each year. This is something so special that our congregation is able to do for our youth, and is very much appreciated by the youth, their parents, and our youth leaders.
THE INDIANA UNITED METHODIST CHILDREN'S HOME, LEBANON, INDIANA www.iumch.org
The Indiana United Methodist Children's Home is a treatment facility dedicated to helping emotionally troubled youth. The Indiana United Methodist Children's Home operates on the highly effective Teaching Family Model. Each home accommodates a new and innovative way of caring for children called the Teaching Family Model. The goal is to provide a less institutional way of caring for youth. Each child has their own bedroom.
They assist youth and their families in remediation of problems and provide a comfortable and pleasant environment for learning critical social and academic skills. The biggest success of this program involves the high level of input the youth have in the treatment program and environment. The opportunity to express their ideas and suggestions increases youth satisfaction, interest and investment in the success of the program. The vision of the children's home is to be a place where youth are safe and cared for, where youth are given the opportunity to become healthy and self-sufficient adults; where families are reunited; and where every person is treated with love and respect.
WINCHESTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Winchester Elementary School is located just across U.S. 31 on Stop 12 Road. The school is very diverse in its population. There are 13 different countries represented and more dialects. 96% of the children at Winchester receive free or reduced lunches. With our funding we have been able to help with school supplies, helped with teacher supplies, replacement clothing, and sponsored four families at Christmas. This year we applied for a Metro Ministries Grant to help increase our connection with the school. We received the grant which allowed us to purchase a writing program for their teachers. In addition, with VBS funds we were able to purchase writing books for the entire first grade.
International Mission:
JOY IN THE HARVEST www.joyintheharvest.com
The stated purpose is "To provide expertise and resources needed by the church in Africa for making Christian disciples." Joy in the Harvest has one full time missionary family - The Wertz Family. The main base of overseas mission operations in Africa is located in Kigoma, Tanzania on the shore of Lake Tanganyika. They have more than 30 Africans on staff. Their USA mission operation is based out of Illinois.
Joy in the Harvest is involved in several types of projects in Africa. They play a supporting role for the work of churches, pastors, and evangelists. Their assistance includes help with church construction, training seminars, and practical helps. They also interface with other missionaries and mission organizations. They are proud of their involvement across denominational lines and believe in the importance of Christian unity. Their projects range from Mobile Medical Clinics, Crisis Intervention (where they take care of transportation, medical expenses and care at hospitals that can best treat the person), Kigoma Feeding Center (serves 54,000 meals annually to the hungry-many of whom are street children and orphans.
They believe in ministering to the total person. Projects are designed to help Africans receive training and education so that they are able to find meaningful employment and support for their families.
Their mission is that as Christians we should render assistance to the poor, sick and needy. Joy in the Harvest helps operate a destitute camp for cripples and handicapped Africans, runs a program of emergency assistance for the desperately needy and sick, and runs a feeding program for the hungry.
Joy in the Harvest is a Christian organization. Specifically, it is an organization that is participating in the "Great Commission" of Jesus Christ to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." Matthew 18:19-20
Joy in the Harvest provides training for Evangelism and Church Planting, provides Compassion Ministries (feeding the poor, medical treatment), Apprenticeship and Vocational Training and Technical Ministries. In February 2016, they launched their FM station Radio JOY where "Lowell's music" is broadcasted nightly. In 2020, they have hopes of expanding their coverage area and possibly include a midday time frame.
MOSHE MESSIANIC MISSION One Mission Society (OMS)
Moshe is of European and South American descent. He grew up in South America and later discipled Jewish believers for more than 10 years in the United States. Both sets of his grandparents were Jews from Europe who escaped to South America during World War I (maternal) and World War II (paternal).
Just before his bar mitzvah, Moshe became a Messianic believer. At that time, he understood that God would use his life for God's kingdom. He received his call to serve in Israel while in seminary, more than 20 years ago. But after many years of doors closing, today, Moshe lives in Israel with his wife and four children, where they serve the Lord in a messianic congregation.
MISSION GUATEMALA www.missionguatemala.com
Mission Guatemala, Inc. was founded by the Rev. Tom Heaton, an Indiana United Methodist Pastor, who has been supporting the needs of the poor since 2000. In the spring of 2009 Mission Guatemala was founded to help meet the basic needs and improve the quality of life of under-served and impoverished Guatemalan peoples through health, education and nutrition initiatives and missionary service. The organization's philosophy is based on John Wesley's teaching to "do all the good you can."
Their scholarships with a mission program began seven years ago with just a few students and has grown to nearly 100 in 2020. This scholarship helps to provide an opportunity for students who have the determination and grades - but not the financial resources - to continue their education past the 6th grade, which is still the only educational level that the Guatemalan government requires and readily provides.
MADISON ATKINSON HUNGARY One Mission Society (OMS)
Madison Atkinson grew up in Southern Indiana and was always highly involved in the United Methodist Church. After graduating college in 2015, she felt led to do missions for a short period and worked with several different organizations, but never felt at home with any of them. During the spring of 2017, she completed an 11-week internship with the OMS Hungary Team. Before the internship was over, it was clear that this is where God was calling her to serve in a more permanent way. She moved to Hungary at the end of September in 2018 to work with the team. She is excited to work alongside the Christians in Hungary to reach out to the non-believers and have a positive impact on their lives.
JAMALYN PEIGH WILLIAMSON Zanmi Fondwa (Haiti)
When a family has a safe home, they can dream about a new future. Zanmi Fondwa is dedicated to creating stability in Fondwa, Haiti through housing, education and economic development. Out goal is to provide jobs for Haitians by building 40 homes in three years. For the last 15 years, Founder Jamalyn Peigh Williamson and husband David Williamson have been working on Fondwa - a beautiful, rural, safe, hospitable community full of people they have grown to love. Jamalyn and her husband lived in Fondwa, Haiti from 2003-2005 and consider Fondwa like home. Before founding Zanmi Fondwa, Jamalyn held a variety of roles in the United Methodist Church as an ordained Elder.
TOTAL FAITHING PROMISE GIVING IN 2019-2020 $23,000
Second Mile Giving Beyond Faith Promise:
Above and beyond Faith Promise Missions:
When the CUMC congregation hears a need in global community, they react. Since March of 2019, the following has been given:
Andrew's Harvest Food Pantry 23,856.00
Camp Scholarships 12,919.41
UMCOR Undesignated 4,325.00
Winchester School 2,055.29
Fletcher Place Food Pantry 782.96
East 10th Street 325.00
TOTAL SECOND MILE GIVING $44,263.66
TOTAL plus ABOVE AND BEYOND FAITH PROMISE MISSIONS 2019-2020 $67,263.66
