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NEWS: CAPACITY BUILDING TRAINING FOR PASTORS IN MOZAMBIQUE
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A grant from the General Board of Global Ministries to the Mozambique South Annual Conference Board of Ordained Ministry will support a two-day capacity building training in Mozambique on December 8-9, 2014.
The training is designed to help pastors, including members of annual conferences within the Episcopal Area, build leadership capabilities, discuss ministry challenges and explore prospective partnership opportunities within the connectional church. Invited participants will include members from the Mozambique South and North Conference, as well as from the South Africa Provisional Conference.
Each year, the Mozambique South Annual Conference Board of Ordained Ministry organizes a meeting or retreat for all clergy members to reflect on their ministry, engage in skills development, and produce meaningful contributions to the development of the church. The goal is to challenge clergy to take on a leadership role that promotes institutional stability.
Training session topics will include: the role of the local pastor; the importance of communication and information sharing; caring and nurturing the community while dealing with rules and procedures for institutional performance, and leadership skills that examine human resource management, counseling and mediating conflicts.
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OPPORTUNITY: UMC #GIVINGTUESDAY, DEC. 2
When Methodists are united, the possibilities of supporting missionaries, projects and communities in need are endless.
This year, you are invited to once again extend the spirit of giving thanks into the Advent season by participating in UMC #GivingTuesday, December 2.
Every gift made online through The Advance this year on December 2 will be matched up to $1 million.*
UMC #GivingTuesday offers an opportunity to start off the holiday season by giving instead of getting through supporting organizations and missionaries that have been researched and approved by Global Ministries. And 100 percent of all gifts made through The Advance are given directly to the designated project.
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PRAYER: BECOMING A PEACEMAKER: A REFLECTION
“Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God,” Matthew 5:9.
At a time when our world is experiencing conflict, distress, disasters and critical medical emergencies like Ebola, a time of reflection is necessary to determine our place and contribution to worldwide needs.
In this video meditation, Sophia Agtarap of United Methodist Communications, shares what it means to be a peacemaker. She offers the Serenity Prayer as a tool to help us spread peace in the world and in our hearts.
Prayerfully view this video and ask yourself, “How can I answer God’s call for peacemaking?” |
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MISSION INSIGHTS FROM THE GENERAL SECRETARY
Word definitions can become stumbling blocks in our deliberations on the worldwide, global, or international nature of The United Methodist Church. Are we talking about structure, geography, or vision? I find it a daily challenge to know in what context to use which of these overlapping terms. In my work as General Secretary of Global Ministries I have come up with a functional delineation: Our worldwide - our global - nature as a church is in our mission, ministries and vision.
Read more of Thomas Kemper’s blog which reflected on the agency’s global mission as a result of the board of director’s bold step to open regional offices in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
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MISSION HIGHLIGHT: A HAND THAT HELPS UMCOR ARMENIA
In the September-October issue of New World Outlook magazine, Nicolas Jaeger states, “Human trafficking is a crime that deprives people of their basic rights and freedom, increases global health risks, fuels growing networks of organized crime, and creates an obstacle to development.” Jaeger is the Armenia and Georgia program manager for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).
He goes on to describe the plight of trafficked persons in Armenia and how UMCOR in Armenia, since 2004, has worked in the area of Victims of Trafficking Protection, providing rehabilitation and reintegration services for both Armenians and foreign nationals.
Read more to learn how survivors of trafficking are healing through psychological, medical, and legal assistance.
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ADVANCE PROJECT #14420T: LORD’S MOUNTAIN ORPHANAGE IN ZAMBIA
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Caring for three new orphan children, providing school supplies, uniforms and tuition, and offering three meals-a-day for 35 children, are just some of blessings that resulted from UMC #GivingTuesday donations last year to the Lord’s Mountain Orphanage in Zambia.
Located in the Zambezi District in the northern province of Zambia, the Lord's Mountain Orphanage is a project of the Zambia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church within the South Congo Episcopal area, under the leadership of Bishop Kainda Katembo. The orphanage helps some of the most vulnerable children gain access to basic education, food, health, clothing, spiritual support and shelter—all which positively contribute to their development.
In Zambia, many young girls turn to prostitution to earn an income. This behavior has contributed to the spread of the HIV and AIDS, and has made them vulnerable to drug abuse, child labor and vagrancy. The orphanage helps the children regain their dignity and become persons who are loved and respected—restoring hope to those who have also lost the love and support of their parents.
Last year’s UMC #GivingTuesday donations also assisted the orphanage in covering medical costs for children who fell ill, paid for water and electricity bills, plus staff salaries, covered the expenses of necessary building repairs, and much more.
Be a source of hope with your gifts to UMC #GivingTuesday, Dec. 2. |
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RESOURCES FOR UMC #GIVINGTUESDAY
Need help spreading the word about this year’s UMC #GivingTuesday event on Dec. 2? Three distinct UMC #GivingTuesday toolkits have everything you need to help raise awareness about this special day. They include: UMC #GivingTuesday 2014 Toolkit forAdvance Projects, UMC #GivingTuesday 2014 Toolkit for Annual Conferences and UMC #GivingTuesday 2014 Toolkit for Missionaries.
Use the respective toolkits to encourage supporters to get involved in UMC #GivingTuesday by using the provided alternative-giving models, social media and email language templates, and other tips that will help you raise funds online.
You can also help build excitement and momentum by using available banners, worship resources, graphics and other ideas that are accessible for download on the UMC #GivingTuesday resource page. |
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EVENTS: UPCOMING EVENTS
*Global Ministries will allocate matching funds dollar for dollar up to the first $1 million in gifts to Advance projects received online on December 2, 2014, between 12:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. EST. A maximum of $2,500 per individual gift to a project will be dispersed as matching funds. A project may receive a maximum of $25,000 in matching funds. |
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Photos in order of appearance: Alfiado Zunguza; Global Ministries; Mike DuBose/UMNS; Cassandra Zampini; UMCOR Armenia and the Lord’s Orphanage. |
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