Society Of St. Andrew Needs Your Help Hosting Potato Drops In May!

Society of St. Andrew needs help with bagging and distributing 150 tractor-trailer loads (approximately 6 million pounds) of donated sweet potatoes during the next 3 weeks. We are very excited about this opportunity to feed the hungry in our communities, but this quantity far exceeds our current budget and distribution channels! We hope to partner with church groups and community organizations to do Potato Drops across the Carolinas.

Please review the time, space, and resource requirements listed below. If you can meet the requirements independently or in partnership with other churches and organizations, contact Anna MacDonald Dobbs at 919-683-3011 or: sosanc@endhunger.org to coordinate a Potato Drop.

• Your location must be an open, flat space large enough to accommodate the 18-wheeler, your volunteer work force, and the coming and going of agency vehicles.
• It takes 100 or more volunteers 4-5 hours to bag a 40,000-pound truckload of potatoes. Additional time is needed to oversee distribution and cleanup. Local grocery stores may be able to donate bags and boxes.
• Society of St. Andrew can help you coordinate with food banks, pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other hunger-relief agencies to distribute bagged potatoes.
• You will need volunteers with trucks to deliver to agencies that cannot pick up the potatoes. A pickup truck can hold 800-1,000 pounds.
• Potato Drop sponsors are asked to help with the cost of freight, which is based on mileage (typically $1000 or less). The value of the donated sweet potatoes is $14,000-15,000 per load!
• Please keep in mind that Society of St. Andrew receives potatoes because they are not in perfect condition and there will be waste. You will need to have a way to dispose of the bad potatoeseither a dumpster or a truck to haul them to a dump or livestock farm.

Please let us know if you would like to participate in a Potato Drop and cannot meet all of the requirements. We may be able to coordinate multiple groups to distribute large loads in your area. Thank you for your responding to our need and the needs in your community!

Updated:  4-19-12 at 12:45 PM

Hurricane Irene Recovery

Waves break over railings of a home's raised deck. Storm surges were up to 8 feet in some areas.

The NC Conference continues to have an on-going operation for disaster recovery.  Over 27,000 homes were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Irene in August 2011.  We have thousands of people who remain unable to move back into heavily damaged or destroyed homes.  We have deep need for work teams to do both repair/reconstruction and new construction.  The NC Conference disaster recovery call center can place your team in an area where people continue to desperately need your help.   We have had over 250 teams respond and we need many, many more.  We are deeply grateful for the efforts and gifts of these wondrous servants.  We have been staggered by the generosity of those who have responded in such manner.   Please join us.  Your efforts will make a difference.

Anyone wanting to volunteer should email disasterresponse@nccumc.org or call 888-440-9167.

For our NC districts and local churches, if you are willing to have your facility be used for work teams for this, or any, disaster, please fill out the Disaster Response Facilities Survey and send it to disasterresponse@nccumc.org .

We continue to need additional funds for the recovery work.  Please also consider reaching out financially by giving to NC Storms Emergency Response – NC Advance #S-00176. 100% of every gift to this Advance will go to storm response.  You can give online at:  Hurricane Irene Giving

You can also send funds to:  NC Conference, P.O. Box 60053, Charlotte, NC 28260.  Please be sure to note Advance #S-00176.

— Steve Taylor/Outreach Team Coordinator

Note from Outreach Team Coordinator:

Mary and Herbert Zigbuo are long term missionaries who have served Jesus and God’s people with passion, love, sacrifice, and courage.  Mary is now working here in North Carolina.  Herbert is now retired and is battling cancer.   In this current struggle, Herbert lives with courage, grace, and humor, the way he has always served God and those whom Jesus calls “the least of these.”  These servants of God are blessings to us all.  - Steve

Dear Friends,

In March, I was humbled to be part of a celebration of courage, hope and love!   The Fellowship Hall was filled with family, invited guests, volunteers, and friends!  The hall appeared like a scene of what I perceived the kingdom of God to resemble!    A diverse group of people from all walks of life sat around tables making small talk.   Symbols of Christ-like acceptance and support were demonstrated by pats on backs, hugs, embraces, laughter! Walking around the hall greeting people, Miss Bertie* held fast to baby boy Ti ‘Reem* as he sought to play with her glasses!   Talking came easy!  “My bad”, a young man said to an elderly gentleman as they conversed.  Then the young man quickly added “Oh, I mean…” but was interrupted by the elderly gentleman.  “I know what you meant” he said with a quick smile and a wink.  He was actually proud of his new attitude of comprehension and acceptance of what he used to negatively refer to as “street talk”!

A love beyond what the world teaches us was present in that Fellowship Hall!  A love where judgment is suppressed and acceptance is encouraged….. a love Paul spoke of in Romans 12:10: “Love one another with brotherly affection, giving precedence and showing honor to one another”.   That’s the kind of love United Methodist Church supported Anson County Circles of Hope portrays.

During the celebration, eleven persons were honored for their completion of an 18-week ‘Getting Ahead’ class that includes a comprehensive curriculum in which participants investigate the causes of poverty in their communities and Read more »

Children in AGAPE Christian Education

Conference contractor JP McGuire is leading a construction mission work team to Armenia July 28 – Aug. 12.  Construction experience is not necessary for this trip, just a willingness to be God’s servant in hands-on building ministry.  There is a particular need for persons with good computer skills.  The cost of the trip is projected at $3500 – all inclusive.

We have multiple openings on the team.  You will be blessed and you will be a blessing.

For more information on this team, go to Armenia team.

Volunteers work at St George UMC, Maxton, NC. NC Conference Board of Missions Inc. church construction ministry.

St. George UMC – Maxton … a great volunteer driven outreach ministry of the NC Conference Mission Team/Board of Missions.  Please come and join us!  To do so, please contact JP McGuire at:  (919) 920-7282 or jpmcguire@nccumc.com

A word from JP McGuire, NC Conference Lead Contractor – WOW! – what an incredible two weeks.  Volunteers and crew after crews on-site – and we have really moved forward.  The “crowning glory” was the participation of an UMVIM-South Carolina team from Bethany UMC in Summerville, SC this past Friday and Saturday.  This team of 11 contractors came to Maxton and got almost all of the OSB wall sheathing done and about 1/2 of the ceiling 2X4 purlins installed.  That saved me about 3 weeks of regular labor.  They were joied by a couple of volunteers from St. George UMC itself + 2 volunteers from New Hope UMC in Rowland + 1 volunteer from Beauty Spot UMC.  The St. George congregation provided lunch on Friday and the New Hope congregation provided lunch on Saturday.

This is what I wrote on my facebook page regarding this weekend:
Where do I see the face of God?:  -  When 11 people travel 3 to 4 hours to work at hard labor in the reconstruction of a church for a congregation they do not know, for no compensation, and they do so merely because there is a need – a need which their skills can answer, where God’s people are one-in-harmony, I see the face of God.

In addition to the OSB work, other work done:
New roof installed; new brick steps and wheelchair ramp built in front; all walls insulated; plumbing and electrical rough-ins completed; and framing, electrical, insulation (wall) and plumbing inspections all passed.

For the latest information and more updates, see JP’s blog at:
http://www.klipspringerstudios.com/Board-of-Missions-Contractors.html

Mission Seed Funds are now available.  There is a small amount of funding for 2011.  Funds must be expended within the 2011 calendar year.  Applications are due November 1, 2011.  Funds will be disbursed by November 15.

Seed Fund Applications for the 2012 funding cycle are due November 1, 2011.  Funds will be disbursed by March 31, 2012.

Applications and budget reports can be found at Mission Seed Funds.

Final Reports and Budget Reports are due for recipients of 2011 Mission Seed Funds no later than January 31, 2012.  (Any recipient not submitting a required report will not be eligible for future funding until required reports are received.)

The Office of Outreach Ministries is offering these two highly interactive journeys of transformation and formational outreach.   We are delighted to facilitate these with your congregation or small group.  Times are flexible.  You can download more information by clicking on the highlighted links.  For more information, please contact Steve Taylor at 919-780-4141 or Kathy Reavis at 800-849-4433 ext 256.

Walking with Jesus

A 10 week journey through the Gospels with Jesus.  Moving from Baptism to Resurrection, we interact with the Jesus and those with whom he dwells.  This highly interactive biblical experience allows the participant to walk with Jesus, experiencing and participating in the interactions of his life.  We continue to ask the question:  ”Where do we see this story unfolding in our world, right next door, and down the street?  What then is our response?”  This is a transformative journey where we become disciples who will see the world from the eyes of Jesus.

Sabbath Economics

Sabbath Economic Household Practices – Growing as a disciple through spiritual exercise of our household economy.  We are in an age of “death by affluenza,” a culture of putting spiritual value on physical things.  Our economic systems are in deep decline as are the moral fibers that hold together our culture.  This eight part series, steeped in scripture and using the highly interactive process of Biblical Animation, leads small Christian communities to a more sustainable household economy that cares for the poor, holds gently to creation, and seeks to worship the God who says he is found in the “least of these.”  This series is focused on growing disciples to transform the world.

For more of the Connectional Staff’s Transformational work resourcing, coaching, and partnering in local congregations, please see: Transforming Congregations – Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

Key Taylor Award Nominations due by May 27

Rural church nominations for consideration of the Key Taylor Award are needed by May 27.  Congregations can nominate themselves. For 2011, $1395 will be awarded.  The award, sponsored through the United Methodist Foundation, is to call attention to the mission work of all rural churches by honoring the specific achievements of one rural church.  To nominate a church, respond via email in narrative form on one page to the criteria below by May 27 to Kathy Reavis (kreavis@nccumc.org)  at the Office of Outreach Ministries.  Please include the names of the church and district. Read more »

Hinton Rural Life Center has limited openings still available in its Summer Volunteer Mission schedule for groups who want a transformative service experience in rural Appalachia. A mission agency of the United Methodist Church, Hinton creates opportunities for work teams from all over the country to experience rich mountain culture, to serve with others in repairing or building homes with local families, and to grow in their understanding of faith in action.

Week 3 (June 12-17) has openings for Senior High Youth in Mission (SHYM) groups, and Week 6 (July 3-8) is now open for all ages in Mission (AAIM) groups.

Hinton Center is located on 32 acres overlooking beautiful Lake Chatuge in Hayesville, NC, two hours from both Asheville, NC, and Atlanta, GA.  Complete information can be found at Hinton’s website, www.hintoncenter.org or by calling 828-389-8336 or toll-free 866-389-8336.

This Lent, SPSARV, the Special Program on Substance Abuse and Related Violence, offers a 2011 devotional, Hope for the Transformation from Addiction to Abundance for the friends, families, and beloved children of God who are challenged by the disease of alcoholism and addiction. Produced by the SPSARV team in partnership with Global Ministries’ Mission Communications, this downloadable, free resource is bound to challenge, inspire, and comfort readers.

The 30-page devotional is organized around the themes of hope, health, healing, and wholeness. Each of the 16 featured meditations offers a Bible passage, a story, and questions to reflect upon. The authors share diverse personal, professional, and Christian perspectives on hope in response to the scourge of alcoholism and substance abuse, diseases that strike every stratum of society.

For more information on this free resource, please see:  Hope is Here!