WHY VOLUNTEER WITH UMVIM?

WHY VOLUNTEER THROUGH UMVIM?

1.UMVIM is an approved United Methodist ministry.

2. The mission projects are vetted and screened.

3. Volunteer teams can continue their relationship with the project site they served at via The Advance and missionaries.

4. All are welcome to serve.

5. Training, forms, insurance, etc. available

6. It's simple. Contact umvimwj@hotmail.com to get started!

Faith in Action

Faith in Action

Saturday, October 24, 2009

FUTURE MEDICAL TEAMS LISTING; INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEER TRAINING


Photo: Medical mission work in Africa, courtesy, umvim.org. If interested in serving this way, read below.....
* FUTURE MEDICAL TEAMS LISTING


From Cal-Nevada Conference:

March of 2010 Team Leader: Roland Nyegaard of First UMC Modesto
Ph: 209.526.2459

July 29 – August 8, 2010
Team Leaders: Doug & Betsy McLeod of Concord UMC
Ph: 925.212.7459
Email: MAC4160@comcast.net

From Pacific Northwest Conference:

January 2010
Medical Team to Ganta Hospital in Liberia contact Ronda Cordill at r_cordill@Hotmail.com

2010
Honduras
Congo
Rwanda
Months to be determined, contact Ronda Cordill at r_cordill@Hotmail.com

From Desert Southwest Annual Conference

October 2010
Medical-VBA-Construction Team to Guatamala
Contact Bill Sanford at bill@desertsw.org



From Southeast Jurisdiction


Doctors and health care professionals needed to complete a medical team to Danli, Honduras, Feb. 6 - 19, 2010. The team will see, treat, and dispense medications to rural peasants in this small community about two hours from the capital. There is a construction team at work in Danli as well. Cost of the trip is $1425 from Des Moines, IA but travel arrangements can be altered if necessary. Contact Beverly Nolte before November 6 for more information.

Beverly Nolte
5221 Village Run Ave. #604
Des Moines IA 50317
515 266 4186 home
bnmedical@aol.com



* INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEER TRAINING IN WESTERN JURISDICTION


If you are interested in serving in mission ministry as a couple or as an individual then come to the annual Individual Volunteer Training that will be held at Aldersgate Retreat Center in Pacific Palisades, CA in January 2010. For more information about the Individual Volunteer Training please visit http://www.individualvolunteers.info/ or contact ltaylor@gbgm-umc.org.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR TEAM TO NICARAGUA; SIERRA SERVICE PROJECT SITES FOR YOUTH; US CHURCHES RESPOND TO SOUTH PACIFIC DISASTERS


Photo: Cattle being herded in Condega, Nicaragua. You can join a work team to Condega, see below. Courtesy, www.downtheroad.org.
* VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR TEAM TO NICARAGUA





5 team members needed for a unique VIM work trip to Nicaragua in order to complete construction of a new church in Condega. This is a joint team between the United States and El Salvador. Leaders are John Benson (NC Conference) and Juan de Dios Pena, President of the Iglesia Evangelica Metodista in El Salvador. Cost is $400 plus airfare. For more information, email John Benson at jbenson23@embarqmail.com or 252-987-6562.







* SIERRA SERVICE PROJECT OPPORTUNTIES FOR YOUTH





Arizona, California and Nevada:
SIERRA SERVICE PROJECT - PO Box 992, Carmichael, CA. Contact: Rick Eaton, Executive Director. Email: rickeaton@sierraserviceproject.org Website: http://www.sierraserviceproject.org/. Phone: 916-488-6441. Sierra Service Project (SSP) runs week-long summer service-mission-learning experiences for junior and senior high youth groups at Native American reservation sites throughout the Western US, in South Los Angeles and Tijuana, Mexico. Work consists of home repairs and renovation; evening activities include cultural exploration, faith development and celebration. Cost: $335 per person per week; fee includes food, lodging and building materials. Scholarships and financial assistance are available. Registrations are accepted at any time (depending upon space availability). Priority registration is due November 15. 2010 locations are: Navajo Nation, AZ; McDermitt, NV; Round Valley, CA; Greenville, CA (Indian Valley); Loleta, CA, Los Angeles, CA and Tijuana, Mexico. Maximum 30 for sr. high and 15 for jr. high groups. SSP also coordinates winter and spring break projects for high school and young adult groups at our South LA site. Please e-mail Rick for details.

Mexico:
SIERRA SERVICE PROJECT - PO Box 992, Carmichael, CA. Contact: Rick Eaton, Executive Director. Email: rickeaton@sierraserviceproject.org Website: http://www.sierraserviceproject.org/. Phone: 916-488-6441. Sierra Service Project (SSP) runs a week-long summer service-mission-learning experience for senior high youth groups in Tijuana, Mexico. This program has a strong learning focus on the complex issue of immigration and the California-Mexico border region, with particular emphasis on the lives of young people. Service work will include home repairs; evening activities include cultural exploration, visits to social justice organizations, faith development and celebration. Cost: $335 per person per week; fee includes food, lodging and building materials. There will be an additional charge of $40-60 per person for transportation while in Mexico. This means that adult volunteers do not need to drive. Scholarships and financial assistance are available. Registrations are accepted at any time (depending upon space availability). Priority registration is due November 15.

Honduras Service Project:
SIERRA SERVICE PROJECT - PO Box 992, Carmichael, CA. Contact: Rick Eaton, Executive Director. Email: rickeaton@sierraserviceproject.org Website: http://www.sierraserviceproject.org/. Phone: 916-488-6441. Sierra Service Project (SSP) sends volunteer teams every summer to Honduras, one of the poorest countries in the Americas. In Honduras, volunteers are immersed in the culture, live in a small community, learn together and serve alongside Hondurans. Team members will build two simple, but safe, dry and secure brick dwellings. The trip includes visits to several different local ministries of service. The project is open to high school juniors and seniors and college-age young adults. Registration is on an individual basis. Cost: $1,700 if you register by December 31, 2009 ($1,800 after that date); fee includes airfare to and from Houston or Los Angeles and includes all meals, lodging and transportation within Honduras.








* US: CHURCHES RESPOND TO SOUTH PACIFIC DISASTER




The Church of the Wayfarer in Carmel, California is partnering with Hilltop United Methodist Church, Seaside, Calif., to assist survivors of the four tsunamis that struck South Pacific islands in recent weeks. About 90 percent of the homes were damaged by the tsunami in Tonga.
The churches plans to fill and ship two large crates of food and supplies to Tonga by Christmas, and are collecting donations of food and non-food items for shipping on Nov. 1. Suggested donations include rice, flour, sugar, canned fish, corn beef, salt, peanut butter, beans, or basic items like toilet paper, laundry powder, toothpaste, tooth brushes, and blankets.


Churches interested in donating should email Geoff Van Loucks, Geoff@vanloucks.com for instructions in how to deliver supplies to Hilltop UMC.
You can support survivors of recent disasters with your gifts to South Pacific Disaster, International Disaster Response, UMCOR Advance #982450, Indonesia Emergency, UMCOR Advance #217400, and Philippines Emergency, UMCOR Advance #240235.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Early Response Team Training in PNW Conference; NOMADS News & Needs in Galveston, TX; PRIMETIMERS Schedule 2010; UMCOR News from South Pacific


Photo: UMCOR responds to typhoon damage in the Philippines. Read more below and see how you can help. Courtesy, UMCOR.org.
EARLY RESPONSE TEAM TRAINING IN PACIFIC NORTHWEST CONFERENCE 10/24/09


Training has been rescheduled for Saturday October 24th from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Fairwood Community United Methodist Church15255 SE Fairwood Blvd., Renton, WA 98058

Larry Powell from UMCOR will lead this training which is for any one who is interested in being an early responder to a disaster with in the conference. Teams are sent out after the disaster to assist families with clean up and to make sure that their homes are safe and secure in preparation for long term Volunteer in Missions Teams to come in and assist with the rebuilding phase.

Early response teams also assist with the spiritual care and support as families start the healing and rebuilding process.

If you are interested in attending the ERT training or have questions please contact Ronda Cordill the UMVIM Conference Coordinator at mailto:r_cordill@hotmail.comor call at (509) 235-5366.





* NOMADS (Nomads On a Mission of Active Divine Service) REPORT FROM GALVESTON


NOMADS serve all over the country. They are men and women with an RV who make themselves available to volunteer in many wonderful ways for churches. The following is a report from a NOMAD volunteer who is serving in Galveston, TX as that town slowly recovers from hurricane damage. Teams and help are needed. If you are interested in serving as a NOMAD or leading an UMVIM team there, contact Heather Wilson at umvimwj@Hotmail.com. For more information about NOMADS visit http://www.nomadsumc.org/.


Surprise, surprise they were not ready for us when we arrived on Tuesday. The RV parking sites at the Island Community Church where we are parked was completely overgrown with grass, weed, trees etc.. It was also covered with junk blown in since the hurricane from the everlasting wind we have had. The wind is a good thing, it keeps the mosquitoes away and keeps it cooler.The Pastor of the church came to our aid and loaned us a lawnmower, so we have been mowing everyday since.


Yesterday 5 young folks (Aggies on Mission) came and helped us for a half a day to finish the mowing, trimming and cleaning up, Ha Rah we can now see all twenty RV hook ups.The major sewer work has been completed but the final hook ups to the RV's sites were not completed for most of them, thats our project for tomorrow and this week. There was an old travel trailer setting on the property in the way of our activities and that has now been towed away.The church is not in use except for a bible study group on Wednesdays, it is still being rebuilt after the hurricane, however we have access to a meeting room, restrooms, a partial kitchen and a washer and dryer.


Electric and water to the sites is very good.We have a long way to go to totally prepare for our teams, hope it will all be ready by the end of this week, the folks here are happy to have us, people have stopped us driving down the street to give us hugs and thank the NOMADS for coming.We were welcomed at the Moody Methodist Church this morning and introduced by the Senior Pastor. Once again we are dealing with a lot of folks that have never worked a disaster before and they are learning as they go.They need help here badly, the most constant comment from local people is where is the help? We have not seen a single long term team here, they have a few short term teams (3 day weekend) and some really great individuals that are here to help but no teams.


The staff running the rebuilding effort are all very dedicated and working hard to ensure the NOMADS will have our needs met so we can work on the really important job of getting folks back in their homes. They have lots of homes ready for us to work on.Much of the commercial district and the water front is rebuilt but the homes of the folks that did not have insurance are standing empty and very much in need of help.


Our first home will be that of a elderly woman that lost her husband to death a short time before the storm and then her home to the storm.In the meetings I have had so far, money does not seem to be a factor "yet" there is plenty for now but that is partly because the rebuilding has really just started. All of my report deals with just the Island, there is also much to be done on the mainland in Houston proper.


There are good places to eat here and a wonderful large Methodist Church, so come on down.We ask all of you to pray for the people in need here and also for the Disaster Response workers that are doing the best they can to pull this project together.The church were we are parked had 5 and 1/2 feet of water in it, many of the homes had over 8 feet of water, the wind which was a factor seems to be secondary in degree of damage it caused.


God Bless,

Marley



* PRIMETIMERS: VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNTIES FOR OLDER ADULTS


Environmental protection, Methodism in Latin America, music in Jamaica, and justice issues along the US-Mexican border are among the week-long educational forums available to United Methodist older adults in 2010 and early 2011 through the Primetimers mission volunteer program.

Six Primetimers events are scheduled for the two years, beginning February 11-20 in McAllen, Texas, with a focus on "Justice on the Border" and extending into January, 2011, in Brown's Town, Jamaica, with the experience of "Making Music: Jamaican Style."
Primetimers is an educational and mission service program of the General Board of Global Ministries for persons over 50 years of age. It offers seminars, cross-cultural experiences, faith-filled reflection, and interaction with the work of The United Methodist Church and the larger Christian family.

"Primetimers offers attractive education programs for adults interested in God's world and the mission of the church," said the Rev. Clint Rabb, who heads the Mission Volunteers office of Global Ministries. "Every event is an adventure in faith and an opportunity for group members to interact with one another and Christians from diverse cultures."

The cost of each event ranges from $850.00 to $975.00, plus travel costs. Advance registration is required, along with a $150.00 deposit.

Environmental protection is the theme of "All Creatures Great and Small," set for November 7-12, 2010, at Epworth by the Sea, located on St. Simons Island, Georgia. Methodism in Latin America is the topic for a May 2010 event at the Biblical University in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Justice along the border will be explored in February 2010, in the Rio Grande Valley, with headquarters at the Pharr United Methodist Church, near McAllen, the site of a Justice for Our Neighbors free legal clinic for immigrants. The clinic is related to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).

Eagle River United Methodist Camp at Auke Bay, near Juneau, Alaska, is the setting for the August 2010, event on "For the Beauty of the Earth," which includes whale watching and education on the importance of the fishing industry to local communities.
New Mexico's cultural riches will come into focus in October 2010, from a base at the church-related McCurdy School in Espanola. The event on music in Jamaica will be hosted by the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas, a mission partner of Global Ministries.

For additional information contact: Nancy Eubanks, Primetimers ConsultantCall toll-free: 1-877-882-4724E-mail: Primetimers@gbgm-umc.orgWebsite: http://new.gbgm-umc.org/about/us/mv/programs/primetimers/
Topics, dates, locations, and costs are provided in the following list. Each name is also a link to a website offering a great deal of information.

"Justice on the Border"February 11-20, 2010McAllen, TexasEvent cost - $950.00

"A Methodist Primer - Latin America"May 8-15, 2010San Jose, Costa RicaEvent Cost - $950.00


"For the Beauty of the Earth"August 20-28, 2010Auke Bay, AlaskaEvent Cost - $975.00

"New Mexico's Cultural Riches"October 9-16, 2010McCurdy School - Espanola, New MexicoEvent Cost - $800.00

"All Creatures Great and Small"November 7-12, 2010Epworth by the Sea - St. Simons Island, GeorgiaEvent Cost - $850.00

"Making Music - Jamaican Style"January 8-15, 2011Brown's Town, JamaicaEvent Cost - $900.00



* UMCOR NEWS FROM THE SOUTH PACIFIC


South Pacific Earthquake and Tsunamis: Four powerful tsunamis crashed into the South Pacific islands of Tong, Samoa and American Samoa on Sept. 29 killing more than 170 people and displacing tens of thousands.

Tom Hazelwood, UMCOR’s disaster response executive, spoke with Dr. Finau Ahio, president of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga (FWC) who reports that 90 percent of the homes were damaged in some way by the tsunami. FWC is reaching out to families to help with immediate needs such as food and clothing.

The Rev. Afereti Samuelu, president of the Methodist Church of Samoa reports that one church and parsonage was completely destroyed, along with the homes of many parishioners. The church is supplying shelter, food and clothing to affected families.

UMCOR is supporting a medical mission from Wesley UMC of Honolulu, HI which will facilitate community-level planning and immediate re-establishment of rural district health care services in the Aleipata and Falealili districts of Western Samoa.


Please give to South Pacific Earthquake and Tsunamis, International Disaster Response, UMCOR Advance #982450 For more information about The Advance for Christ and His Church (The Advance) please click on The Advance link found on the left-hand column of this blogspot.


Typhoon Parma, the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines since 2006, landed in the north-east part of the country a week after Typhoon Ketsana hit Manila on Sept 28, killing more than 265 people and forcing 567,000 people to flee their homes.

UMCOR is working closely with Action by Churches Together (ACT) partners including the National Council of Churches and Church World Service in addition to local United Methodist connections such as the Manila Episcopal area, Harris Memorial College, Asuncion Perez, and


KKFI (Kapaatiran-Kaunlaran Foundation Inc.) to bring relief to those most in need.
Mobilizing its network of local volunteers including United Methodist district superintendents and disaster response coordinators, UMCOR Philippines is conducting needs assessments in areas which were impacted by both Ketsana and Parma. More than 30 volunteers, including students from Union Theological Seminary, assisted relief efforts by repacking goods for distribution.

UMCOR’s initial focus is on Bulacan, Pampanga, Laguna and Rizal which have been identified as areas receiving little or no aid. Volunteers are distributing food and relief supplies to 500 families.


A partnership with Global Medic is providing potable water in these areas.
Support UMCOR’s relief work in the Philippines by giving to Philippines Emergency, UMCOR Advance #240235

Friday, October 2, 2009

TEAM LEADER TRAININGS; UMCOR TRAINING; PRAYERS FOR FUTURE TEAMS; ROCKY MOUNTAIN MISSION NEWS & FUTURE TEAMS; AIRPLANE MECHANICS NEEDED; MISSIONARIES


Photo: Pilot flying supplies in the Democrativ Republic of Congo. Airplane mechanics are needed. Read more below, courtesy iamanet.org.

* ARE YOU READY FOR RISK IN MISSION? - TEAM LEADER TRAINING IN CAL-NEV CONFERENCE


If not...Come Join Us! UMVIM Team Leader Training is great for anyone wanting to be a Team Leader some day or those who only wish to be a team member on a mission. This class will prepare you to manage those risks to your project success and give you a foundation that is helpful for conducting any mission project locally, nationally or internationally. You do not need to be a United Methodist Church member. You only need to have the desire to help others in service. Please spread the news of these classes to anyone you know who might be interested.

Already had the UMVIM Team Leader Training?
Please join us for an update with the new training material that includes the new Safe Sanctuary program, new insurance, new Conference policies, new international travel and security requirements, and more.
UMVIM Team Leader Trainings
Saturday, October 3rd from 8:30 - 4:30@ South Reno UMC 200 DeSpain Lane Reno, NV. 89501 (Attendees are responsible for their own lunch)Saturday, October 31st from 9 - 4@ Wesley UMC - San Jose 566 North Fifth St. San Jose, CA. 95112
To register for one of these trainings please contact the Ca-Nv Conference UMVIM Office at (916) 374-1584 or umvim@calnevumc.org with your contact information and the information of anyone else who will be joining you at the training. There is a cost of $29 that pays for your official GBGM Team Leader Manual and officially reserves your spot for the training.
To request a training at your location please contact the Ca-Nv Conference UMVIM Office at (916) 374-1584 or umvim@calnevumc.org
Please fill out your check payable to the "California-Nevada Annual Conference"memo line = "Team Leader Manual" and any names of those you might be paying forand mail it to:UMVIM / Ca-Nv Conference OfficeP.O. Box 980250West Sacramento, CA. 95758-0250

ARE YOU READY FOR A DISASTER?
UMCOR Disaster Response Training
The weekend of March 26, 27 & 28, 2010
Stay at beautiful Camp Shasta, high in the SierrasTraining classes taught by UMCOR trainers and include:
· Early Response Team
· Care Team
· Basic Disaster Response
· Care For Children in Disaster
· Safe Chainsaw Use
To register for this UMCOR training please contact the Ca-Nv Conference UMVIM Office at (916) 374-1584 or umvim@calnevumc.org.
More details here: http://www.calnevumc.org/page.asp?PKValue=1191


*Prayer Requests for Future Teams

If it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others,
let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing
mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Romans 12:8

Elk Grove UMC Team to the NEW UMCOR West Supply Depot, SLC, Utah:Sept. 28 – October 2. Pastor Kathy LaPoint-Collup will lead the first Cal-Nev Conference UMVIM team to the new UMCOR West Supply Depot! She will be joined by Giles Popish, Mary Popish, Glenda Groff, Bob Fossgreen, Deb Rowland-Bird, Suzanne Ward and Owen Mosburg of Elk Grove - Elk Grove UMC.

Los Altos UMC Relief Team to Casper, Wyoming: Sept. 28 – October 2
Bob Lee of Los Altos UMC will lead a quickly organized construction team to Casper Wyoming to serve those affected by flash flooding last July. He will be joined by Dana Kreiter, Hal Taylor and Richard Roy.


Care-A-Vaners construction team works in Wilseyville, CA (@ Camp Lodestar): October 4-9
Rod and Gloria Castor head up yet another group of nomadic volunteers who will go in mission, living out of their RVs while working on light construction and repair projects throughout the California-Nevada Conference. The Care-A-Vaners have worked this year at Laton UMC, The East Salinas Family Center. Mt Shasta and other locations this year—give us a call if you want to join them in this work.

Multi-Church Recovery Team to Vancleave, Mississippi: October 18-24
Bev Schier will lead a team of 17 volunteers to Camp Hope in Vancleave, MS. The churches sending volunteers are Federated Methodist Church of Placerville, Foothills UMC and Centennial UMC.


Hurricane Recovery Team to Galveston, Texas: October 24-31
Steve Elliott of Pleasanton - Lynnewood UMC will lead a construction team to Galveston to continue to serve those affected by hurricanes. He will be joined by Warren McGuffin of Alamo - San Ramon Valley UMC Roger Everett of Livermore - Asbury UMC as well as Joyce Suter, Larry Suter, Anton West, Doug Huey, Mary Ellen Huey, Beth Okurowski, Ginger McGuffin, Coleman Johnson, Cynthia DeLand, Ruth Coffing, David Hans, Kathy Hans, Cindy Jensen, Sharmyn Crawford, Dick Crawford, Alec Willis and Brian Lundberg.

For more information about any of the above contact, Phil Bandy & Eddie Frutchey
California-Nevada Annual Conference - United Methodist Volunteers in Mission
Mail: P.O. Box 980250 West Sacramento CA. 95798-0250 Office: (916) 374-1582 Fax: (916) 372-5544. Email: philb@calnevumc.org ; eddief@calnevumc.org or umvim@calnevumc.org visit: http://www.cnumcvim.org/



* FUTURE TEAMS & MISSION NEWS FROM ROCKY MOUNTAIN CONFERENCE


Sierra Leone - Summer 2010 - Exciting opportunity to participate in construction and health ministries! There will be two work teams, 2-1/2 weeks each during the period June 12 - July 15, 2010. Doctors, dentists, nurses, teachers, laborers, ANYONE with a WARM HEART are invited! Contact Hope and Les Law at 303-642-3693, lhlaw@hope4salone.org; see attached brochure for more details.


Guatemala - Dental team, April 23 - May, 10 2010 - needs NON-MEDICAL volunteers to assist the dentists and to play with children who will be at the clinics with their parents. The team will be hosted by Salud y Paz. Contact P.J. Baldwin, dental@puravida.org, 303-989-3192, or Mark Ely, marcos@puravida.org, www.puravida.org/dental.


Guatemala - ODIM - Organization for the Development of the Indigenous Maya - Invites you to bring a medical and/or construction team! Betsy met recently with Director JoAn Dwyer and she thinks JoAn is awesome and well-organized! Work is in villages near Lake Atitlan. Contact JoAn at odimguatemala@gmail.com, http://www.odimguatemala.org/.


UMVIM Team Leader Training, Saturday, December 12, 2009, Broomfield/Northglenn area, 9 am to Noon - This is comprehensive training for those who would like to lead a domestic or international UMVIM team or would just like to learn more about UMVIM. Please contact Betsy Keyack, bkeyack@att.net, to register.


Disaster Preparedness and Response - There are great resources on the Rocky Mountain Conference Web site, including information about H1N1 at http://rmcumc.org/rmc/disaster-preparedness.html . To learn more about the UMCOR West Depot see http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/work/umcorwest/



*AIRPLANE MECHANICS NEEDED


An airplane owned by the Central Congo conference of the United Methodist Church crashed in early June. To get our missionary pilot Jacques Umembudi (Wings of Caring) back in the air, Steve Quigg and our other missionary pilots are going to work together to rebuild a plane that is out of service since it was confiscated by the military in South Congo. This will require a huge effort and we need some experienced airplane mechanics who would like to volunteer to assist this effort. The airframe has to be repaired and checked out and a new engine installed with prop, new rubber everywhere etc. This will also require some updating and restocking of the hanger and maintenance facility that Jacques uses. For more information, please email Landon Taylor at ltaylor@gbgm- umc.org.



*COMMISSIONING OF MISSIONARIES BROADCAST ON INTERNET FOR FIRST TIME


For the first time, a service of commissioning of United Methodist missionaries, deaconesses, and home missioners will be broadcast live on> the internet. The service will take place on Tuesday, October 13, during the annual meeting of directors of the General Board of Global Ministries, in Stamford, Connecticut. The time is 7:00 p.m. EDT. There are 31 missionaries, seven deaconesses, and two home missioners to be commissioned. Additional details can be found online at> http://gbgm-umc.org/global_news/full_article.cfm?articleid=5534.


The webcast provides an opportunity for United Methodists to take part virtually in the sacred experience of blessing and commitment inherent> in Christian commissioning. The webcast can be accessed at http://www.ummissionaries.org/.



*GEORGIA FLOODING NEWS


As expected, the assessment teams in the North Georgia Conference have come back with reports that the damage and need is much greater than originally expected, and they are in need of more teams. The North Georgia Disaster Response teams have been working diligently to set up housing accommodations for teams who will be traveling to the area. To learn more about sending UMVIM teams to the North Georgia Conference to deal with the recent flooding, please contact the official call center (located at the conference headquarters at Simpsonwood Retreat Center in Norcross) at 678-533-1443. The call center will be keeping lists of needs to match with the list of those who able to help.