Brenda Jacobsmeyer
For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Mark 10:45
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
1 Corinthians 12:7
I’m Jean Peterson and my guiding passage from the Bible for me and for the Missions Committee is Matthew 25:40: “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
This passage reminds me that at any time, and in any helpful way, I am not just serving a person or a group of people that I may see before me, but rather I am serving the Lord. So, no matter how the person looks or seems, it is not just that person with whom I’m in contact, it is actually God. Every person is a child of God, and since some need help, God has blessed me to be able to help them in some way. My opinion of how or why the person needs help is unimportant. The only importance is that God thankfully uses me to assist that person as best I can.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Please use me to see needs where they are, and to respond to those needs as You would have me. Help my heart to always remember anyone in need is actually You allowing me to serve.
In the name of my precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Amen
U.M. ARMY IS CELEBRATING 40 YEARS IN MINISTRY! OUR PROGRAM HAS GROWN BUT OUR MISSION IS STILL THE SAME.
To provide Christ-centered missions that serve people in need and promote spiritual growth and leadership development in youth and young adults.
MORE THAN MISSION WORK
Responding to the needs of our neighbors is our primary missional focus but United Methodist Action Reach-out Mission by Youth also provides an opportunity for youth and adults to experience Christian growth through service to others. Participants combine their strengths and resources to meet home repair and maintenance needs for low income, elderly and disabled homeowners who are physically or financially unable to make needed repairs themselves.
Our National Program Team develops a theologically sound annual program to be used at all programs nationwide. Young people return to U.M. ARMY year after year because our programs provide the opportunity to impact the world around them and the encouragement to build relationships with neighbors in need, new friends and positive adult role models. Participants realize the power of God’s love as they mature into strong Christian leaders. Many will become leaders in the U.M. ARMY program. Some may choose careers in ministry settings. All will remember their time at U.M. ARMY their whole life long.
OUR HISTORY
U.M. ARMY is celebrating 40 years in ministry! We began in 1979, when thirty six youth and adults from three Houston churches held the first U.M. ARMY mission week in Athens, TX. Since that time we have grown to over 60 programs nationally each year. We have established regions throughout Texas, Louisiana, the North East and Mid-Atlantic regions of United States. We are continuing to grow in Florida, Kentucky, and Mississippi. Each year we identify growth areas and work to bring U.M. ARMY to additional regions and communities.
OUR PROGRAMS
In most areas local churches host our mission programs. Recent partnerships with United Methodist camp and retreat centers have expanded our offerings. Participants eat, sleep, enjoy fellowship and worship at host locations. They are divided into work teams of four to six youth with adult support for the week’s work. U.M. ARMY requires that church groups bring 2 adults for every 5 youth. Preparation, safety and teamwork are priorities for all participants.
U.M. ARMY youth and adults work together on small construction projects such as porches, stairs and handicap access ramps. Teams also do a variety of home maintenance such as handrails, yard work, painting, repair of leaky roofs, windows and doors. Clients are referred through local social service agencies, and church organizations. Jobs are selected and completed based on greatest need.
JOIN US
We invite you and your church to partner with U.M. ARMY
Participate with us:
Church groups of any size and denomination are welcome to join us at programs run in our established regions or in growth areas near you. Because our mission programs are located close to home you won’t spend a fortune getting there. And U.M. ARMY is more cost effective than other national mission programs because we utilize the connectional system to offset the cost of housing and food. Registration fees run between $250 and $300 at host church locations. U.M. ARMY mission opportunities located at camp and retreat centers are higher in price. Each regions offers a variety of summer mission experiences accommodating a variety of ages. Some regions also offer Christmas and Spring Break mission programs.
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms”.
1Peter 4:10
God gives each of us gifts and we are blessed by those gifts we receive.
As a child I wanted to be a teacher because I felt that is where I could touch lives and make a difference. I have learned throughout my life that it is the gift God gave me to share and use. It has been such a blessing to my life to use that gift of teaching. Sharing my gift brings me joy and surrounds me with love. God has given each of us unique talents and gifts. God gave us gifts and talents to benefit others, not ourselves. And God gave other people gifts and talents that benefit us.
Scripture tells us that we are all a part of the body of Christ, and each part matters. There are no insignificant people in the family of God. We all were created to serve God. Are you using what God has given you for the benefit of others to make the world a better place? My prayer is that we all use our gifts to make this world better and to touch the lives of others each day.
Be faithful and share your gifts with those at Trinity by volunteering to use them. Blessings to you as you choose to serve and share your gifts.
Dear God, Thank you for the gifts you have given each of us. Be with us as we serve you and commit ourselves to using our gifts. Amen
Denise Davis
Are You a “Tipper” or a “Tither”
A couple invited some friends out to dinner. The food was very good, and the waiter was courteous and prompt. When they were finished, the host couple wrote out the tip on the credit card slip. To show their gratitude for their service, they gave 20 percent, which is becoming more and more common. As they left, the waiter smiled, happily acknowledging the satisfactory tip.
Interestingly, as the hosts filled out their offering envelope, it dawned on them that they paid a waiter, who they did not even know, more that what they were giving God in their weekly envelope. They gave the waiter beyond a tithe, but to God they gave leftovers.
Is this situation that uncommon among us? Do we take God’s goodness, love, and mercy for granted? For who God is and what he has done for us through his Son, he deserves our first and best. The next time you eat at a restaurant, ask yourself as you leave your tip whether or not God is receiving his appropriate response from you.
My favorite Passage in Bible regarding Gifts is Romans 12:6-8“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
This Passage is close to my heart when talking about Gifts. God has blessed each one of us with some unique gifts. Same way God has divine plan for each individual; even before we were born. We need to wait in His presence to understand His purpose of our lives.
Mathew 5:14-16 says: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
So let’s prayerfully utilize our God given Gifts to be a light to this World.
Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Thank you for the Gifts you have given me. Help me to understand your purpose for my life. Help me to use the Gifts you have given me to bring Glory to Your name. Amen.
Solomon Livingston
My name is Suzanne Cote and one of my favorite scriptures is James 1:17 –Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation of shadow due to change.
This scripture passage reminds me I have been blessed with many gifts in my life. Listing them would not do justice to how good God has been to me. Even in times when I have been troubled He has shown me that through Him with the gifts that He has given me I can overcome any obstacle that confronts me. We have to remember who God is does not change when our circumstances change His gifts are always a source of good in our lives.
Key Word: Gifts
Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Help me to remember the gifts you have given me. To use these gifts to lift my spirit and the spirit of others so they can be blessed with your love and care. Amen.
Gift of Spiritual Sight
Dewey Christian
Keyword- Gift of Spiritual Sight.
One of my favorite scripture passages is Galatians 3:28-29: “There is no longer Jew or non-Jew, slave or free person, male or female. God makes all of us one family in Jesus Christ. If you are Christ’s, you are Abraham’s descendent. And the promise of God to Abraham is yours too.”
I treasure this passage because it speaks to the universality of God’s love. John 4:24 reminds us that God is a spirit. And since we are made in His image, we are spirits also. The nature and worth of our spirits do not depend on our country of origin; they do not depend on our social status, and they do not depend on our anatomy. If we can grasp this spiritual perception of our brothers and sisters in Christ, then we will be able to embrace us all as equal heirs to God’s promise-even including those whom we might have otherwise rejected.
Prayer
O Dear Father, help us to realize that you are a loving father who cares for each of us. Help us to love Thee and to love one another. Please keep us in Thy loving arms. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen
I find Proverbs 11:25 to be an excellent encouragement when it comes to giving gifts to the church.
“Generous persons will prosper;
those who refresh others
will themselves be refreshed”
This excerpt really highlights the warm fuzzy prosperous feeling you get when you give any gift to the church. Small or large, God lets you know how important that support for the betterment of his kingdom truly is. Unfortunately, there are some brothers and sisters in Christ that don’t know where their next meal will come from, or where they will be sleeping in the moonlight of the darkness ridden hours that they have to undergo. When we give our gifts to the Church and to the lord, he sends the holy spirit to refresh them and to refresh us, so we can prosper with our siblings in Christ.
Jesus once said, “Giving is better than receiving”, That’s, why we should do our best, to be generous givers and siblings in Christ.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, our divine refresher, Guide us to be generous givers. Thank you for your calming and refreshing holy spirit. We are not perfect gifters, but clear us of our sin. Help us to bless and gift one another. You are the righteous lord our god. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.
Molly Cullum
Ken Sloan
When I joined the United Methodist Church, I promised to support the church with my prayers, presence, gifts, and service. In recent years, the church has added the pledge of witness as well. I remember this promise often (especially when I renew my vows), and I think I live up to them — although I know there is always room for improvement. Most of us can pray more. Most of us could probably give more sacrificially. There are always more places we could serve — although I’m aware many of you reading this probably feel you spend more time serving in your local church than you do at home! How are we at witnessing? I’m sure almost all of us could find more opportunities to share and live out our faith, to be not only a witness for Christ, but a witness for justice and compassion.
The vow of presence, I thought, was always the easiest. You just have to show up, right? OK, no problem — once a week I can make an appearance: potluck suppers, good people doing good things, worship, fun times and fellowship — presence is a breeze! I don’t have to worry about living up to that promise.
As the years have progressed, I’ve realized that my promise of supporting the church with my presence is about more than showing up. The main question asked is if you will “faithfully participate in its ministries by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service and your witness.” While potluck supper and fun activities fall in that category, there are times when offering presence is more challenging. When someone has lost a loved one (a parent, a spouse, child, or sibling), words seem so inadequate; but we can give the gift of presence. When violence or dishonesty has shattered a family, we can give the gift of presence. When natural disasters have ripped through a community, whether it is a flood 10 miles away, or a tornado 1000 miles away, or a typhoon 5000 miles away; we can give the gift of presence.
Our gift of presence can be through a personal, one-on-one visit. Presence can also be offered to the broader world through the work of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). When we support the offering during the One Great Hour of Sharing Sunday, we are able to give the gift of presence to people who find themselves in turmoil due to the various storms of life.
By responding in love to those we don’t know and may never meet, we experience a different kind generosity – a way for us to make real the love of the Savior we profess as Lord of our lives. Yes, we offer the gift of presence!
Ken Sloane is the Director of Stewardship and Connectional Ministries at Discipleship Ministries.