AWF Conference Continues Red Bird Partnership

As we drove through northern Georgia and Tennessee to get to Kentucky, the trees were breathtaking. The fall colors were at their peak. That seemed like a good sign of things to come for our journey as we headed to the Red Bird Missionary Conference in southeast Kentucky. Sixteen of us from the Alabama-West Florida Conference spent all or some of 2 ½ days in late October with the good people of the Red Bird Conference – praying, conferencing, learning, and building relationships. We left encouraged and enthused about the possibilities of the partnership that our two conferences are forming. Click here for a full update.
 

Fighting Malaria means fighting Ebola

Several people have asked our office if we would be asking for contributions toward the Ebola outbreak. The answer is, "We already are!" There is a wonderful article that describes how our efforts with Imagine No Malaria are also addressing Ebola. Click here to read it.

Thank you to the many churches who have already contributed to Imagine No Malaria. So far, with your efforts, we will be able to save at least 68,161 lives. Our conference is well on our way to meeting our goal of saving 100,000 lives. It's not too late for any church to participate, and it will take every church participating to reach our goal.

You can find progress reports for all our conference churches through October 31 at www.awfumc.org/inmprogress.

Click here to read about how the United Methodist Church is saving millions of lives.
Click here to find advent resources.
Click here for a flyer from the Methodist Church in Liberia asking for help to respond to Ebola.
 

Giving Tuesday

You are invited to extend the spirit of giving thanks in to the Advent season by participating in Giving Tuesday. Every gift made online through The Advance on December 2 will be matched up to $1 million. 100% of all gifts made through the Advance are given directly to the designated project.

Giving Tuesday will begin at 12 a.m. and end at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Click here for more information.

Some projects for you to consider:
Alabama Rural Ministries - #721001
Imagine No Malaria - #3021190
Red Bird Missionary Conference - #773978
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) - #999895
United Methodist Volunteers In Mission (SEJ) - #901875

Click here to search for projects, and click here for resources.

Montgomery Area Alternative Gift Fair

The 2nd annual River Region Alternative Gift Fair will be held on December 6, 2014, in the Cloverdale Campus of Huntingdon College. An alternative "gift" is a charitable donation which will fund a specific need in the community through one of the Fair's 29 participating nonprofit groups. Starting at $5 you may honor  your family, friends, co-workers, teachers, or clients by giving construction materials, medical supplies, and more. Click here and here for more information.

Red Bird Craft Show

Aldersgate UMC in Montgomery will be hosting a craft fair to benefit the Red Bird Mission (a part of the Red Bird Missionary Conference). It will be Saturday, December 6 from 9am to 2pm. The crafts are an important part of the economic development for many artisans in the southeastern part of Kentucky, where is the geographical area of the Red Bird Missionary Conference.

Click here for more details.
 

Saraland UMC mission team recruiting additional members

Saraland UMC is leading a mission trip to Casa Alleluia, a large orphanage near Guatemala City, May 22-30. The team will do light repairs to the campus and will have lots of interaction with the children. Applications from area churches are welcome. All-inclusive cost is $1350, and a $400 deposit is due in mid-December. For more info, contact Rev. Mike Hoppe at mike@saralandumc.org  

Training events scheduled

Training for leading mission teams and disaster response teams are now scheduled; more training opportunities are added often. Watch these websites for more details:

www.awfumc.org/ert - Early Response Team training

www.awfumc.org/umvimtraining - UMVIM Team Leader Training

Generation Transformation

Generation Transformation is an initiative of Global Ministries to increase opportunities for young adults to engage in mission throughout the connection. This includes supporting mission service within The United Methodist Church and Global Ministries’ flagship programs for young adults. These Global Ministries programs include:

• Global Mission Fellows (2 year mission, ages 20 - 30)
• Global Justice Volunteers (2 month mission, ages 18 - 30)
• Individual Volunteers (flexible mission, ages 18 & up). 

For every generation, young adulthood is a time of personal transformation. This is when we discern our calls and define our relationships to the church, others, and society. At this critical moment in each person’s life, Generation Transformation provides opportunities for great change and growth.

The next application deadlines:
Individual volunteers: received all year long
Global justice volunteers: February 1
Global Mission Fellows: January 31, March 31

Click here for more information.

Mission Opportunity

Service Over Self

As an expression of Christ’s love, SOS seeks to empower people and transform neighborhoods by utilizing volunteers to renovate the homes of economically disadvantaged homeowners in Memphis, TN. SOS provides these services through their home repair camps for Jr. and Sr. High youth, college students, and adults. SOS works in two low-income inner-city neighborhoods in Memphis: Binghampton and Orange Mound. As an expression of Christ’s love, they seek to partner with neighborhood homeowners to help make homes warmer, safer and drier. Check out their website, SOSmemphis.org, for more information! 
 
Youth Ministers? Plan your next summer mission trip to Memphis and let SOS handle it from there: Summer Camp for Sr. High and Jr. High students. 

College Ministers? Bring a group for a Spring break trip or encourage your students to apply for SOS summer staff.  

Looking for a gap year or post-grad option? Young adults, ages 18-26, interested in urban ministry, consider applying for the year long SOS Academy internship. 

Save the dates: June 28-July 2, 2015

Young People in Mission event at Lake Junaluska, NC

Theme:  Unique yet United based on Ephesians 4:1-6

Bible Study Leader:  Rev. Jack Hinnen, Chaplain at Birmingham-Southern College

Speakers: 
Monday, June 29 - Mr. James H. Salley, Associate Vice-Chancellor for Institutional Advancement for Africa University
Tuesday, June 30 – Ms. Laura Kigweba, student at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, July 1 – Mr. Joe Woolsey, Minister to Students at Galloway UMC in Jackson, MS