Missionaries coming soon to visit AWFC
Small, medium and large membership churches can have a missionary visit! These listed below will be traveling (itinerating) through Alabama-West Florida soon and would love to come speak to your church. They are available for small groups, Wednesday night suppers, breakfast or lunch meetings, a few Sunday morning services, and many other opportunities. Contact information for scheduling is listed below.
Everyone is invited to attend events that are already scheduled.
Eric and Liz Soard
July 23-August 5, 2017
Serving: Mara Region, Tanzania
Contact Eric at soard.eric@gmail.com to get on their schedule
Eric and Liz are church planters and discipleship trainers and work in holistic church development in Tanzania.
Events already confirmed:
- Sun., July 23—Aldersgate UMC, Montgomery (morning)
- Tue., July 25—Aldersgate UMC, Montg. - 12 PM and 6 PM (**Open to surrounding churches, too)
Click here to read more about Eric Soard, here for Liz Soard, or here to read their blog.
Nkemba and Mbwizu Ndjungu
October 21-November 3, 2017
Serving: Yaoundé, Cameroon
Nkemba serves at the Mission Superintendent of the Cameroon Mission. He and Mbwizu oversee church development and construction, Christian education, health, youth, and prison ministries, as well as mission teams.
Click here to read more about Nkemba and here for Mbwizu.
Contact Susan Hunt at susan@awfumc.org or
334-356-8014 to have them come to your church.
Delbert and Sandy Groves
December 12-14, 2017
Serving: New Life Center, Kitwe, Zambia
Delbert and Sandy serve at the "New Life Center" in Zambia and focus on church leadership and spiritual growth training through conferences, seminars, workshops, and crusades.
Click here to read more about Delbert, and here for Sandy.
Events already confirmed:
- Dec. 12—Montgomery FUMC—10 AM
- Dec. 13—Epworth UMC, Phenix City—6:30 PM
Contact Susan Hunt at susan@awfumc.org or
334-356-8014 to have them come to your church.
Prison Ministry
Frank A. Clem
Is your church already involved in some form of ministry to prisoners, released offenders, or their family members? Please be in touch with us because we would like to know more and how we can support you in your efforts.
We would also like to form a ministry team that will help churches become more involved in prison ministry. If you are interested in being part of this team, or just learning more, or will share what your church is already doing, contact Frank Clem at frankaclem@gmail.com or Susan Hunt at 334-356-8014 or susan@awfumc.org.
Visit http://www.awfumc.org/prisonministry to read Frank's powerful testimony about his own prison experience and the redemption and healing he found. Frank is a member at Millbrook First UMC.
Upcoming Events
Mission u - July 21-22, 2017
Each year, United Methodist Women members prepare for faithful living and action by studying mission studies. The 2017 Cooperative Mission u Event will be July 21-22 at Millbrook First UMC. Each study is a 6-hour course.
The study topics this year are:
- Spiritual Growth: A Covenantal Community
- Geographic Study: The Missionary Conferences
- Issue study: Climate Justice
- NEW: A Youth Study on Missionary Conferences
Click here for more information, including registration.
Social Principles Seminar - September 18
Want to know more about what the United Methodist Church has to say about social issues? Learn more about the Social Principles and how they relate to you and your congregation and community at Frazer UMC in Montgomery on Monday, September 18 at 6 PM. Rev. Brandon Dasinger will be the presenter.
Click here for more information, including registration for dinner at 5:15 PM.
Disaster Response Training - September 23
Be prepared for the next disaster. Early response team (ERT) training covers the essentials of early disaster response, including roof tarping, cleaning out damaged homes, spiritual and emotional care, team protocols, and much more. You will receive a badge to join future emergency response teams.
This ERT Training will be on September 23 at Highland Park UMC in Dothan. Click here for more information, including registration information.
Mission Opportunities
Disaster Response
The Virginia Conference has an urgent need for work teams to help their ongoing disaster recovery efforts. Housing is available in the Virginia Beach area. Teams are responsible for their transportation and meals. Contact Forrest White, Conference Long-Term Recovery Manager, at 804-938-1026 or virginiaumvim@gmail.com.
There are other disaster response opportunities throughout the Southeastern Jurisdiction. Click here to see the complete list.
Glory Sightings
Blessing Box installed Outside Foley UMC for the community
(Gulf Coast News Today) - The United Methodist Women of the Foley United Methodist Church had a “Blessing Box” installed on the front lawn of the church located on 915 N Pine Street in Foley as a mission to the community. The box is stocked with non-perishable food items and is available 24 hours a day to be utilized by anyone in need of food. The church doesn’t have to be open for people to take items from the box nor do they have to be a member. This is a true ministry to the community! More here.
Resources
Local School Partnerships
Now is the time to start thinking of how your church can partner with a local school. Click here for a tool kit your church can use, and here for a book with practical steps to guide your church.
September is Hunger Action Month
Plan now to make September a time for your congregation to stand together against hunger. Click here for more information.
Imagine No Malaria Impact Report
Alabama-West Florida was one of the 49 conferences that contributed toward Imagine No Malaria, for which the goal is to end deaths due to malaria. Click here to see the final impact report. For example, since we began this effort, global malaria mortality rates have fallen by an estimated 60%!
And click here to read "Five ways the UMC has impacted malaria"
