Youth Attend Mission Camp
Sorting blueberries
Youth from Monroeville First and Toulminville-Warren Street UMCs participated in the fourth annual Mission Camp at Blue Lake Camp July 18-23. They enjoyed typical camp activities such as swimming in the lake and pool, archery, games, and spiritual growth. The youth and adults also spent significant time participating in outreach work in the area. They worked at the Prodisee Pantry in Spanish Fort, AL, gleaned and sorted blueberries from a local farm with the Society of St. Andrew (SoSA), and helped with the "Full Tummies" ministry at Andalusia First UMC.
They also learned about issues of poverty from Rev. Lisa Pierce of Alabama Rural Ministry, and Suzanne Wright of SoSA.
With the blueberry farm owners (center) after gleaning
Conference-wide mission trip to Ecuador
Dates: Sat., Oct. 29 - Sat., Nov. 5, 2016
Place: Santo Domingo, Ecuador
Mission: construction, Bible school, and more
Cost: less than $2,000 (Scholarships and fundraising help are available)
This mission trip is open to anyone in the conference. Contact Rev. Rob West by August 15 to confirm your participation. 205-755-0490 or rob@clantonfumc.org.
Mission Agency updates
Camp Discovery
.jpg?width=364)
35 children ages 8-15 attended Blue Lake Camp July 24-27. Dumas Wesley's Neighborhood Outreach Program provides children with the opportunity to experience camp life and Mother Nature at its finest. This year, children enjoyed stories around the camp fire, swimming and canoeing, hiking, faith-based activities, and most importantly, making memories that will last a lifetime. A special thank you to Saraland United Methodist Church for donating camp supplies for 11 children living in Dumas Wesley's transitional housing program. This opportunity would not be possible without the support from the community.
Homeless families need your help
Significant cuts in Housing First funding have threatened Dumas Wesley's ability to provide life-changing services for the homeless in the Mobile community. These funding cuts represent more than 50% of Dumas Wesley's transitional housing program budget.
You can help. Click here for a video.
Click here and here for local media stories about the cuts.
September is Hunger Action Month. More than 50 million people in the United States today are hungry or food insecure. Yet in this country, we will throw away over 133 billion pounds of good food this year. Read more here about how your congregation can make a difference.
Your church also has the opportunity to have Suzanne Wright, Regional Director, come speak at any time and for any occasion. Contact Suzanne at 205-245-3215 or sosaal@endhunger.org.
Upcoming Webinars
Click on the title for a description and to register to participate.
Disaster Response - Aug 8, 7PM
How can your church respond to a disaster in your community.
Pensacola UM Community Ministries - Aug 15, 7PM
Society of St. Andrew - Sept 22, 10AM
Local Church Reports - Nov. 10, 10AM
See previous webinars at www.awfumc.org/webinars.
Advocacy
Gambling
Op-Ed - August 2016
Rev. Dr. Brian Miller, Rev. Nancy Watson
In the upcoming special called session, the Alabama Legislature will address what Governor Robert Bentley calls "problems that have held our state back for decades." Bentley is specifically calling for legislation that would create a referendum to decide whether gambling will be a source of revenue for the state. Although Bentley has apparently forgotten, this is still a bad idea for Alabama. Read more here.
Beyond the AWF Conference
The Renfro Trust Fund
The Renfro Trust Fund awards annual bricks-and-mortar grants to small rural UM congregations in the Southeastern Jurisdiction. After being unavailable for several years, Renfro Trust Funds are again available for award. The deadline for application is September 1.
For the guidelines, click here. For the application, click here.
Note: Applications will only be accepted when submitted through the AWF Office of Connectional Ministries.This is a highly competitive grant, therefore following the instructions in the guidelines is critical. Contact Susan Hunt at susan@awfumc.org or 334-356-8014 for any questions or additional assistance.
Career Opportunities
Love INC of the Wiregrass is searching for an Executive Director. Click here for the job description and instructions on how to apply.
The Society of St. Andrew is searching for a part-time area gleaning coordinator for the Mobile area and surrounding counties. For the job description and more information, click here.
