52 South Flordia St.
Other Outreach
C.O.M.E. EVENT |
| The Celebration of Mission Event celebrates the mission outreach of our conference through our various mission projects and our church and community workers. It is an opportunity to learn more about the work which United Methodist are doing in West Virginia and to show our support for those who carry out various ministries in our name. Breakfast and lunch are usually served at this event. Everyone has the opportunity to participate in worship and singing. Entertainment is on hand and fellowship is alive and well. The day is filled with craft sales, white elephant sales, exhibits, puppet shows and a childrens carnival. This event is a way to support UM projects, as well as having a great, fun-filled day! |
HEAD START |
| The local Head Start Organization has many children from very low income families. Each of these families are given Christmas gifts for all members in the family. Our Sunday School classes adopt some of these children and/or families and provide Christmas gifts and food as needed. FUMC contact: Esther Dyer, 472-3046 |
BLANKET SUNDAY |
 What we have observed as Blanket Sunday is now called Blanket and Tool Sunday, indicating the broadening of help to people in need. This is a ministry of Church World Service of the National Council of Churches that provides such things as garden tools, water pumps, fishing nets, etc., in addition to blankets. |
UNICEF |
| Trick-or Treat for UNICEF is a Halloween tradition beloved by generations of Americans. For many children, its their first introduction to social awareness and to helping others. FUMC has been participating in Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF for many years. Each year the children of FUMC go out on a separate night from the candy Trick-or-Treat night to collect change for UNICEF. They look forward to doing this every year, dress in their Halloween costumes and then attend a fun Halloween party in GFH. Last year, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF raised nearly $5 million dollars during Halloween and then the December 26 earthquake and tsunami struck South Asia. American youth and their local communities rushed to the aid of children and their families whose lives were devastated by the disaster, raising and additional $13 million |
WV CONFERENCE MISSION PROJECTS |
FUMC includes in its outreach ministries the mission projects of the United Methodist Conference in WV: Tyrand Parish, Heart and Hand, McDowell Mission, House of the Carpenter, Ebenezer Outreach Ministries, Scotts Run Settlement House, Charleston Outreach Ministries, Upshur Parish House, special offerings, the COME event and Church and Community Workers. Burlington Children and Youth Ministries and Beckley Youth Ministries are also a part of their outreach. Contact: Marvin Carr, 472-4978 |
LENTEN LUNCHES |
| Each Lenten season lunches are provided for the community under the auspices of the Worship committee. The lunches are held each Wednesday (except Ash Wednesday). There is no charge, but donations are welcome. Various groups of FUMC, such as UMW circles, the Outreach Team, and choir, prepare the meals, which consist of simple foods in keeping with the season. The Worship Team provides the music, and the pastor arranges for a devotional message. All proceeds are spent at the discretion of the group providing the food. Since all of these groups support mission projects such as Womens Aid in Crisis, Parish House, PET and others, the majority of the funds goes to other special mission projects. Contact: Marianna Harr, 472-2245 or Barbara Loftis, 472-1975 |
GARDEN SURPLUS PROJECT |
| Every summer members of the congregation who have gardens are encouraged to bring their surplus produce on Sunday mornings to share with others. Donations from those who take the produce and any unclaimed food items are given to the Parish House. FUMC contact: Mary Lee Welliver, 472-1624 |
SALAD-AND-MORE LUNCHES |
| The Outreach Team sponsors Salad-and-More lunches after church approximately once a month to raise money for a number of very worthwhile causes. Families bring a covered dish and a freewill offering is received for the cause of the month. These lunches have provided generous donations to Katrina relief, Tsunami relief, Africa University, the current Middle East Crisis, Womens Aid in Crisis, McDowell County Work Team, and many other needs both local and worldwide. The Salad-and-More lunches have become an after-church fellowship time with a purpose where all are welcome whether they have contributed a covered dish or not. FUMC contact: Sande Presar, 472-6012 |
UNITED METHODIST SPECIAL OFFERINGS |
| Throughout the year there are church-wide Special Sundays with offerings. They are briefly described below: January Human Relations Day encourages justice through local church Youth Offender Rehabilitation projects, church-based Community Developers, and a network of grassroots social justice organizations. March One Great Hour of Sharing provides major support to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), which aids in refugee ministries, disaster-response ministries, and hunger ministries. Additional requests are usually made after horrific disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and the 9/11 disaster. April Native American Ministries provides funds for urban ministries with Native Americans, scholarships for students attending United Methodist seminaries, and annual conference Native American ministries. May Peace with Justice supports ministries through the General Board of Church and Society and the annual conference. October World-wide Communion supports Crusade Scholarships, the Ethnic Scholarship program, and the Ethnic-in-Service Training program. November Student Day provides loans and scholarship funds for United Methodist college, university, and graduate students. |
WOMENS AID IN CRISIS |
| Womens Aid in Crisis (WAIC) was established in 1979 as a private, non-profit corporation to provide comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in a six-county area. Services include emergency shelter, a 24-hour crisis hotline, counseling, medical and legal advocacy, information and referral and adult basic education. FUMC has supported WAIC through the Salad-and-More luncheons and the United Methodist Women. Contact: Womens Aid In Crisis 473-0070 or 473-0106 |
UNDIE SUNDAY |
| Each year the congregation of FUMC is encouraged to bring new underwear, such as boxers, briefs, long johns or janes, socks, and training pants to a Sunday in October that is designated as Undie Sunday. These items are donated to the following organizations: Community Development Outreach Ministries, Ebenezer Community Outreach, Heart and Hand House, Philippi, House of the Carpenter, McDowell Mission, Scotts Run Settlement House, Tyrand Cooperative Ministries, Upshur Parish House FUMC contact: Damon Rhodes, 472-9494 |
UNITED METHODIST WOMEN IN MISSION |
| From the earliest days of church women organizing, their purpose has been mission. The same is true today. It is stated in our purpose, we are to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church.. Our unit of UMW at First United Methodist Church takes this responsibility very seriously. Our pledge to mission is $4,755, paid by individual pledges which is administered through the WV Conference. Through service projects (serving meals for groups who request them), and fund raisers we give another $4,700 to groups such as Church Women United, Crosslines, Parish House needs, Habitat for Humanity, Literacy Volunteers, Womens Aid in Crisis and all youth groups in the church. For several years our Cookie Walk has netted in excess of $1,000 allowing us to give $1,000 to tsunami aid in 2004 and $1,000 to Katrina relief in 2005. Thanks to a generous bequest from a former member, we were able to extend our outreach to the following in 2005-06: $25,000- purchase of and improvements to a house for Parish House $10,000- Habitat for Humanity $5,000- UMCOR (hurricane relief) $5,000- FUMC Scholarship Fund $2,000- Pastor's discretionary fund $3,000- Local work team $5,000- Crosslines $1,000- Womens Aid in Crisis $2,000- Ganta Hospital (Liberia) $1,000 McCutcheons to attend World Methodist Conf., Seoul, Korea In addition to money, we collect labels and greeting cards for education. We also conduct a mission study each year and several of our members attend the School of Christian Mission. Contact: Ellen Nickell, 472-2914 |
VOLUNTEERS IN MISSION |
| United Methodist Volunteers-in-Mission (UMVIM) is an organization that plans work teams to various parts of the world. Over the years, UMVIM has provided a way for the church members and friends to experience first hand the servant ministry of Christ and to exemplify Christian love in action. Servant Ministry may be a flood recovery work team in Wyoming County or stirring apple butter for Burlington Children and Youth Services; it may be converting a pub into a youth ministry center in Belfast, Northern Ireland, or throwing a Christmas party for Russian Orphans, UMVIM enables our members to know the joy of servant hood. Volunteers in Mission are ... senior citizens, ten-year-old kids, housewives, pastors, carpenters, musicians, women, men, a little bit crazy, quite normal, adventurous, shy, you and me, the Body of Christ. For more information, you can visit their website at http://www.wvvolunteersinmission.com/ contact Tom Clark at 304.469.4126 (office), 304.206.8257 (cell) P. O Box 969, Summersville, WV 26651, or email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . |
RECYCLING |
| Part of good stewardship of the earth is reducing the use of natural resources, re-using whatever can be reused, and recycling as much as possible. For some time, First United Methodist Church staff members have been recycling all paper goods, including bulletins from the Sunday services. Now everyone who uses the church kitchen has the opportunity to recycle cans, milk jugs, and plastic pop bottles when they prepare food to serve in the church. The Micah/Outreach team encourages all kitchen workers to recycle the items, for which bins have been purchased, labeled, and placed under the dishwasher Computer printer ink cartridges can be recycled at the Parish House or the Intermediate school. Put the used cartridge in a small plastic bag or the original cartridge box and take it to either place. This recycling provides funds for the benefit of children and youth in the Upshur Parish or the school. Contact: Marjorie Richter: richter_p @ wvwc. edu FUMC Contact: Sande Presar, 472-6012 |
VALENTINES DAY COOKIES |
| On September 11, 2001, the nations attention was called to the dangers faced by members of many of our governmental services, such as Fire, Police, and Post Office employees. Since that time our church has taken trays of home-baked cookies on Valentines Day to a number of local service departments, including Police, Fire, Post Office, EMS, Sanitary, and Street Departments to express our appreciation of their service to the community. Also when the supply has permitted, we have taken trays to the libraries, City Pound, Humane Society, Women in Crisis and others. Contact: Mary Lee Welliver 472-1624 |