MISSIONS - CONNECTING WITH GOD'S WORLD
GLOBAL
Russia Initiative
U.S. Methodist churches have been formally supporting
Russian Methodist churches for nearly two decades.
Bishop Vaxby describes his Methodist churches this way, “The United Methodist Church in Russia, and other former
soviet republics forming the Eurasia Area, is a young church.
All our pastors are young as Christians, having committed their
lives to Jesus in the 90s or later. The lay members have similar
short faith journeys. There is not a capital of either lay or clergy
leadership experience, and the few experienced role models are
mostly foreign missionaries and short-term volunteer workers.”
Oakwood UMC has joined this partnership with fundraising and traveling to Russia. We invite you to join us in this new way God has called us to make disciples! Find out more at: www.westohioumc.org/page.asp?PKValue=992
The 2010 Christmas trip to Russia was a great success. There were three from our church traveling, and a total of twelve from the entire Miami Valley District. There are many ways to support this ministry both financially and spiritually. Please contact the church office, 293-7279 or the leader of this group, Laura Thie, 643-1539 for ways to support this mission. Please be in prayer for this group during their travels.
Linda Compher, one of the women on our trip, created a great blog with pics of our week in Samara. Check it out: http://www.russiamission2010.blogspot.com/
Nothing But Nets
Nothing But Nets helps to stop a deadly disease – malaria. In sub-Saharan Africa, a child dies every 30 seconds from this preventable disease. Just $10 buys a bed net, distributes it to a family and provides education on how to use it. Find out more at: http://www.nothingbutnets.org/
What do Malaria and Vacation Bible School have to do with each other?
Last year, instead of buying specially made Oakwood UMC t-shirts for VBS, we wore the color of the day, or ‘Nothing
But Nets’ t-shirts. The t-shirts are priced at $20, with
$10 of that going for nets used for sleeping areas, to prevent malaria
carrying mosquitoes from entering.
For more about malaria initiatives of The United Methodist Church, visit http://www.umc.org
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR): http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/
LOCAL
Daily Feeding of the Poor
OUMC serves as a distribution center for the Bread Ministry. Volunteers pick up day-old bread daily from local grocery stores and store it here at the church. Later in the day, other volunteers take the bread to needy families. This happens five days a week.
Back to School Backpacks
Each year OUMC collects donations of unused school supplies or backpacks. Then, during the second week of August we have the annual school picnic in Xenia for underprivileged kids. Our goal is to give out 100 backpacks full of the following: Pencils, Folders, Pens, Glue Sticks, Highlighters, Crayon Sets, Ruled Paper, Scissors, Rulers, Backpacks
In His Honor – In Your Name
We will be offering an opportunity for you to donate a contribution to charities of your choice, in God’s Honor in a friends, families, or associates name. With this contribution you will receive a hand made card to give to the person. Cards and information will be available starting November 30th. If you have people on your list that have “everything”, are hard to buy for, or you just need a last minute gift … this is a wonderful opportunity to help those less fortunate around the world.
Note: If you are thinking of using this for more than 3 people, please see Ellen Raichle to make sure there will be enough handmade cards.
Easter Baskets
The Easter Basket ministry has been going on for about 8 years. Each year we ask for donations to fill between 25 and 50 baskets. The baskets go to: New Life Christian Assembly’s Easter Egg Hunt which is held at Lexington Park in Xenia, Ohio. The turn out each year is between 150 and 200 kids and families. There is music, games and prizes, food, free clothing and of course a big Easter Egg hunt. We have helped in previous years run the games and the hunt. If they get enough donations and have extra baskets, we pass the baskets on to Share One-to-One who distributes baskets all over Montgomery County and Greene County. This non profit enterprise is run by Cheryl Allen who not only distributes the baskets but clothing and other essential items to the working poor and destitute at no charge. |
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The Easter baskets include: Christian Books |
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Christmas Baskets
Each year we gather items to make up gift baskets/sacks for the Xenia Project. These sacks of toys and food baskets are distributed to many who otherwise would not have anything over the holiday season.