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Mission Today

What is Mission Today?

The purpose of the Mission Today Unit is to:

  • Energize United Methodist Women to be more involved in mission through prayer, study and action;
  • Increase contacts between units and mission personnel and mission projects so that United Methodist Women understand where their money goes;
  • Encourage use of mission resources through United Methodist Women; and
  • Expand concepts of mission, including social justice as mission.
  • Click here to see the new Mission Today Poster!

Conference Adaptability:
Conferences can adapt the criteria for a Mission Today Unit by creating different levels of achievement such as a silver unit for those completing 12 of the 17 criteria or a gold unit for those fulfilling all of the criteria. Units of under 15 members may be asked to complete at least half of the criteria.

Criteria for Becoming a Mission Today Unit

Units are encouraged to complete a minimum of 10 of the following criteria, including 5 of those marked with an asterisk(*). The criteria are to be fulfilled EACH YEAR, based on the time line of each conference.

  • Use the Prayer Calendar at each general meeting of the unit to pray for persons in mission and for our mission work with women, children and youth.*
  • The unit will make and meet its pledge to mission.*
  • The unit will add at least two members to its roll.*
  • The unit will have at least two members subscribing to Response magazine. (Order from Service Center, $18 for a year's subscription. New World Outlook magazine is available at Service Center - $19.95 for a year's subscription.
  • The unit will use two programs from the Program Book for United Methodist Women each year.*
  • The unit, circle or subgroup will conduct at least one Mission Study a year. (Contact your district or conference Mission Coordinator for Education & Interpretation to learn what the studies and textbooks are for each year).*
  • The unit will implement the Charter for Racial Justice Policies in at least 2 ways during the year.*  Suggested plans of action:
    • Plan a joint unit meeting with a unit of a different racial/ethnic background, using programs from the Program Book
    • Develop bi-racial/cultural or multi-racial/cultural Koinonia groups
    • Become an enabling group to help the local church -- through the Administrative Board, Council on Ministries, and Work Areas to become involved in the implementation of The Charter by:
      • encouraging joint Vacation Bible School
      • encouraging pulpit exchanges
      • sharing joint worship services on special occasions
      • encouraging support for equal employment practices in the church & community
      • encouraging the church to sponsor a refugee family
      • helping to promote the Quadrennial Emphasis on the Ethnic Minority Local Church

      Contact your conference committee on the  Charter for Racial Justice Policies  for further action plans.

  • At least one member of the unit (other than a conference or district officer) will attend the conference or district School of Christian Mission.
  • At least two members of the unit (other than a conference or district officer) will attend the district or conference annual meeting.
  • The unit will have at least one person join the United Methodist Women’s Action Network to receive and respond to legislative information.  (To join, contact the Women's Division Washington Office at 202-488-5660 or write to UMW Action Network, 100 Maryland Ave. NE, Suite 530, Washington, D.C. 20002).
  • Members shall write to five persons listed in the Prayer Calendar at least twice a year.
  • The unit will participate in the Campaign for Children in at least two ways. Possibilities for action:
    • Help sponsor a church or community program related to children and youth needs.
    • Sponsor a Children's Sabbath, promoted by the Children's Defense Fund. (Order The National Observance of Children's Sabbaths Handbook -Repairers of the Breach, Stock # 3224, $6.00 from Service Center)
    • Get involved with children in mentoring, tutoring, and "big sisters" programs.
    • Write letters, e-mail or call Congressional representatives and/or others in government regarding children's issues.
    • Visit your local schools.
    • Attend a school board meeting.
    • Learn how our schools are funded.
    • (Order the Campaign for Children-UMW, Phase III booklet - #3223, $10.00 from Service Center)
  • The unit will be a Five Star unit, contributing to all five channels of Undesignated Mission Giving.
  • The unit will select a project from the Women's Division's Material Resources for Mission Catalog and will contribute the needed materials to the mission project. (Order from Service Center, Stock #2579, $4.50)
  • Each unit, circle or subgroup will include a Response moment where an article from Response magazine will be lifted up as a way to tell the mission story. New World Outlook magazine provides another good way to tell the mission story.
  • Have at least 2 persons from the unit, circle or subgroup complete one of the Reading Program Plans and report on one of the books read; encourage all members to complete Plan One; have a book review program. (Order The Reading Program: Your Window to the World, Stock #5547, free from Service Center).
  • The unit will invite a district or conference officer, other than that of a member of the unit, to one of the unit meetings during the year.

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