The East Belfast Mission is pitching its tent. The community center, Skainos, an ancient Greek word meaning tent, is being built by missionaries, staff, volunteers, and community members of Ballymacarret in Northern Ireland. All people will be welcome in this East Belfast building which will offer space for outreach groups and individuals seeking healing and transformation.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Christian love | Communities | Conflict | Evangelism | Global connections | Hate | Human rights | Peace | United Methodist Church | Violence | War | Focus on Congregational Development | Focus on Ministry with the Poor | Ireland |
Date posted: Nov 04, 2011

In Christian lingo, "to discern" means to perceive God's call or spiritual direction. This week, a class of seven young adult US missionaries, US-2s, are meeting in New York to be in community and to discern their call to work for justice one year into their two-year missionary service.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Mission opportunities | Missionaries | Youth | Focus on Leadership Development | United States |
Date posted: Oct 28, 2011

"In the Tongan language there is no word for cousin, because you are either sister or brother," said Rev. Sione (Loni) Veikoso. On Thursday, October 13, 2011, 35 sisters and brothers of Rev. Loni from the Asian and Pacific Islander network of The United Methodist Church met in the upper Manhattan office of Global Ministries to discuss how to enlarge the Church for all people.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Global connections | Mission opportunities | Missionaries | United Methodist Church | Youth | Focus on Congregational Development | Asia and the Pacific Islands |
Date posted: Oct 18, 2011

New York, NY, October 13, 2011--United Methodist mission work in three South East countries--Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam--is being divided into separate operational units because of significant growth and maturity. Also, work in Mongolia is being brought into the denomination's formal organizational system.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Evangelization | Global connections | International affairs | United Methodist Church | Mission updates | Focus on Congregational Development | Laos | Mongolia | Thailand | Vietnam |
Date posted: Oct 14, 2011

New York, NY, October 12, 2011--A dynamic Korean American church in one of earth's most ethnically diverse neighborhoods was the setting where ten new United Methodist missionaries were sent into the world on October 11.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Children | Education | Evangelization | Family | Global connections | International affairs | Missionaries | Prayers | United Methodist Church | Youth | Focus on Leadership Development | Congo DR | Italy | Kazakhstan | Korea | Mongolia | Palestine | Uganda | Ukraine |
Date posted: Oct 12, 2011

Bishop Rev. Bruce Ough Blesses 39 LSMC Certified Pastors In September 2011, the second annual meeting of the Lao Samphan Methodist Church (LSMC) of the South East Asia Mission Initiative--which includes Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam--was held. Rev. Bruce Ough, presiding bishop of the West Ohio Conference and president of the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church, recognized and blessed 39 certified pastors of the LSMC.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Evangelization | Global connections | International affairs | Mission opportunities | Methodism | Focus on Leadership Development | Laos |
Date posted: Oct 12, 2011

Among the ten new missionaries to be commissioned at the First United Methodist Church in Queens on Tuesday, October 11, 2011, four of the new missionaries--Fresie and Rukang Chikomb, and Eumin and Prumeh Kim--are married couples. Serving as a family with children poses special challenges and opportunities for missionaries.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Children | Education | Family | Global connections | International affairs | Missionaries | Prayers | United Methodist Church | Focus on Leadership Development | Congo DR | Kazakhstan | Korea |
Date posted: Oct 11, 2011

When the Russia Initiative mini-consultation meets on October 15, 2011, advocates will share stories of friendship and church growth. The group will celebrate Rev. Jim Athearn's leadership as he steps down from coordinating the initiative and meet the new coordinator, David McLaurin, from Lovers Lane United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Education | International affairs | Mission opportunities | Natural disasters | Volunteers | Partners/partnerships | Focus on Congregational Development | Asia and the Pacific Islands | Belarus | Moldova | Russia | Ukraine |
Date posted: Oct 10, 2011

In Samara, Russia, Michael watched a grandmother and her grandson carry a suitcase together as they boarded a train. Michael had an epiphany: If these two family members of such different ages and abilities could carry such a heavy weight, which neither could lift alone, perhaps the church family too could carry one another's weight.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Missionaries | Poverty | United Methodist Church | Focus on Leadership Development | Mongolia |
Date posted: Oct 10, 2011

In addition to standard business meetings, the Global Ministries fall board meeting will include opportunities for worship, building new relationships, and actively exploring new ways to facilitate mission. For the first time, directors will meet at the agency's New York City offices. The semi-annual meeting is scheduled to take place October 10-13, 2011.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Evangelization | Mission opportunities | Missionaries | United Methodist Church | Youth | Focus on Leadership Development | Kazakhstan |
Date posted: Oct 06, 2011

Thousands of individuals and churches are expected to engage in mission through 10-Fold, a ten-day online gathering. Beginning on October 10, 2011, the event will offer opportunities to learn about powerful ministries of The United Methodist Church.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Agriculture | Donations | Education | Health | Missionaries | Natural disasters | Youth | Focus on Congregational Development | Focus on Leadership Development | Focus on Ministry with the Poor | Focus on Global Health | Africa | Congo DR | Germany | Honduras | Philippines |
Date posted: Oct 06, 2011

After more than three weeks of training, ten United Methodists will be commissioned and sent to missionary assignments around the world. Global Ministries executive Judy Chung says that the training helps prepare the individuals for the mission field while building a foundation of support.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Evangelization | Mission opportunities | Missionaries | United Methodist Church | Youth | Focus on Leadership Development | Congo DR | Italy | Kazakhstan | Palestine | Uganda | Ukraine |
Date posted: Oct 04, 2011

Rev. Ramos-Gallardo uses this image of a water-soaked Bible to express the longing for God that a steady stream of rebuilders have felt as they've come to the city of New Orleans.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Advocacy | Civil rights | Family | Human rights | Immigration | Justice | Focus on Ministry with the Poor | Mexico |
Date posted: Oct 04, 2011

Is your church thinking of reaching out to people in new ways? Or is your substance-abuse ministry looking to partner with people in United Methodist churches? Do you want to accompany and care for people who are struggling to overcome a chemical dependency, such as alcoholism? Is your church in ministry with people who are homeless, drug abusers, family members of substance abusers, or people in recovery?
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Education | Finance | Grants | Health | Violence | Focus on Global Health |
Date posted: Oct 03, 2011

Walk together in God's mission with our scholars. Give to your utmost ability. As we invest in their education and leadership, churches and communities shall help transform the world. By God's grace and sitting around the Lord's Table We bear witness to multiple ministries everywhere.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Ecumenical | Finance | Health | Poverty | Focus on Leadership Development | Focus on Ministry with the Poor | Focus on Global Health | Brazil | Liberia | Philippines | United States |
Date posted: Sep 28, 2011

In the month following South Sudan's independence, the United Methodist people of South Sudan outlined the priorities that will help strengthen the church as part of building a new nation. A team of clergy and lay leaders from Yei District came together for a roundtable meeting in Kampala, Uganda, on August 9 and 10, 2011, with delegates from the East Africa Annual Conference, the General Board of Global Ministries, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), the Holston Annual Conference, and Ginghamsburg Church in Tipp City, Ohio.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Agriculture | Education | Finance | Poverty | Water | Focus on Congregational Development | Focus on Leadership Development | Focus on Ministry with the Poor | Sudan |
Date posted: Sep 23, 2011

A delegation from The United Methodist Church met with the Foreign Minister and other leaders of Côte d'Ivoire to explore areas of common interest as the West African country recovers from a post-electoral crisis earlier this year. Bishop Weaver of New England led the delegation and later said he was encouraged by the meeting and emphasized the role of the church as a global organization.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Children | Conflict | Education | Family | Global connections | Health | Poverty | Refugees | Violence | War | Water | Focus on Ministry with the Poor | Focus on Global Health | Cote d´Ivoire |
Date posted: Sep 22, 2011

Mark Stransky brought a tape measure as a symbol of transformation and hope. As the director of housing at Crossroads in Marion, Virginia, Stransky said that volunteers and community members find grace while repairing houses together. "What the tape measure doesn't measure is the hearts of the people serving on the projects," Stransky said.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Children | Communities | Education | Evangelism | Health | Immigration | Justice | Missionaries | Refugees | Focus on Leadership Development | Focus on Global Health | Mexico | United States |
Date posted: Sep 22, 2011

"Jesus learned new things when he went to the border," said Rev. Edgar Avitia, who led the worship in Florida for US-based missionaries of The United Methodist Church. Jesus' continuing education and migration to the border of Tyre and Sidon in Matthew 15:21-28 spoke truth to missionary Jim Perdue, who attended the missionaries meeting on the heels of the immigration task force meeting at the Church Center of the United Nations (CCUN) in New York from September 16 to 18, 2011.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Advocacy | Children | Family | Human rights | Immigration | Justice | Missionaries | Poverty | Race | Social Principles | United Methodist Church | Youth | Focus on Ministry with the Poor | Guinea | Mexico | Philippines |
Date posted: Sep 20, 2011

In the late 1970s, millions of people starved in Cambodian refugee camps. Among the hungry were present-day United Methodist missionaries Marilyn and Joseph Chan. In the camps, they witnessed and experienced Christian love and converted to Christianity. The couple went on to study theology in the US and returned to Cambodia to work with Christian and global aid networks as teachers and theologians, offering to help in health and agriculture in rural communities.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Agriculture | Health | Missionaries | Poverty | Focus on Ministry with the Poor | Focus on Global Health | Cambodia |
Date posted: Sep 19, 2011

The global mission agency of The United Methodist Church joins the voices of other Methodists and of the global ecumenical community in expressing grave concern over the Fijian government's recent restrictions placed on the Fiji Methodist Church.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Civil rights | Evangelism | Ethics | Global connections | Human rights | International affairs | Justice | Prayers | United Methodist Church | Focus on Congregational Development | Fiji |
Date posted: Sep 15, 2011

The Holy Bible occupies a central place in the life and witness of churches in China, and it is this theme that the second exciting Bible Ministry Exhibition of the China Christian Council explores when it comes to the United States on September 28. Entitled Thy Word Is Truth, this multimedia event is set to tour.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Bible | Education | Evangelism | Global connections | John Wesley | Mission opportunities | United Methodist Church | Focus on Congregational Development | China |
Date posted: Sep 15, 2011

This coming Saturday will mark 10 years of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The reactions that followed this event radically changed our world and the context of Mission. As we take time together to reflect and pray we are mindful of other instances of violence, including the recent shootings in Norway and all the places and people in the world who suffer violence in this very hour.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Children | Conflict | GBGM events | Global connections | Health | Human rights | Hunger | International affairs | Peace | Poverty | Prayers | Violence | War | Statements | Focus on Congregational Development | Focus on Ministry with the Poor | Focus on Global Health | United States | Afghanistan | Iraq | Norway |
Date posted: Sep 09, 2011

August 2011 "[The Charitable Pharmacy] shows me that God works miracles. It's given me spiritual hope." --Charles Littleton, Charitable Pharmacy Patient Have you ever been part of a miracle? I have…three days a week for the past year and a half. Working at the Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio has allowed me to experience the unexplained and unexpected blessings God offers to us all…but that we often overlook in our busy lives.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Christian love | Evangelism | Health | Rural | United Methodist Church | Focus on Global Health |
Date posted: Sep 09, 2011

Labor Day is not an excuse to buy items on sale at department stores. Labor is a legacy of 19th-century US workers who fought for and won legal guarantees for workers, such as the garment workers who made (and make) the clothes sold in the sales racks at department stores.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Advocacy | Civil rights | Ethics | Human rights | Justice | Mission opportunities | Social Principles | Youth | Focus on Leadership Development | Focus on Ministry with the Poor | United States |
Date posted: Sep 02, 2011