2011 SPECIAL ADVENT MESSAGE
Mission Volunteers, teams, and individuals…thank you for all the passionate volunteer work you have been part of this year and for allowing God to use you by working with others using your amazing generosity, love, and faithfulness!
As we all know, Advent is a time of waiting and preparation. Therefore allow me to encourage all Mission Volunteers to spend this Advent season to evaluate our 2011 volunteer involvement and prepare our volunteer plans for 2012.
2012 is unpredictable, but we need to remain faithful in our volunteer spirit of giving. Giving is when we first give of ourselves to make a difference in God's mission around the world.
Merry Christmas and may God bless you during this special time of the year.
-Una Jones
Mission Volunteers
Assistant General Secretary
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Volunteers are important resources in all kinds of mission institutions, in local outreach ministries, in our work with our mission partners, and in our cooperative efforts with the ecumenical community.
The United Methodist Church recognizes the important role of volunteers in enabling the church in mission to the world. During the 1996 General Conference of the United Methodist Church, a structure was approved for GBGM that makes Mission Volunteers one of the six major program areas.
The responsibility of Mission Volunteers Program Area is to provide support and resources for all global mission volunteer programs including linking with the UMVIM program, as well as facilitating all the other ways that volunteers get involved in ministering to others and providing service for mission programs.
