The Servant's Journey 

August 2017 Issue

Tending to Growth:

"The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!" He said to them..."Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:17, 20

During the summer it seems like my lawn grows faster than I can keep up with it.  I love being out with the mower and the trimmers.  But between mission trips and vacations and family reunions and VBS's the growth can sometimes get out of hand.

Often I hear folks report back from a mission experience saying (somewhat guiltily) that "I went expecting to give something to people who had nothing, but I ended up receiving far more than I gave."  

Let me suggest that this is part of what God has planned for us in mission.  Mission is for serving others AND for our own spiritual growth.  That may seem self-centered - the opposite of what we intend in mission - but it is also humiliating in the best sense of the word.  It brings us back down to earth.  It makes us more vulnerable.  It teaches us that we are in need of love and healing as much as anyone else.  It teaches us that God uses what is weak and lowly in the world to guide those who are strong and in control. It teaches us that we truly need each other in order for the reign of God to be present.

Like my lawn, if that growth remains untended, it can get choked out by the weeds of life.  It can start to grow in unhealthy directions.  How are you tending the growth in yourself and your mission team?  Is your mission experience changing the way you look at ministry in your community?  Is it changing the way you read the Bible?  Is it deepening your prayer life?  Is it challenging who you see as your neighbor?

Tend to the growth and rejoice!

-- Tom 

Sound the Alarm

The people of the United Methodist Church are very generous with their money as well as their time. As such, our national partner, the American Red Cross, has reached out to UMCOR to ask for our support as they seek to recruit volunteers for their campaign to install smoke detectors in over 100 cities.

Since this is a mitigation activity that aligns closely with UMCOR’s Connecting Neighbors: Ready Congregations Module 1, UMC Conferences may find this an opportunity to highlight the need for fire safety while linking the information also to disaster preparedness in other areas of your work.

More information about the program can be at https://www.redcross.org/sound-the-alarm. 

-- from Cathy Earl, UMCOR

Both the South Central and Southeastern Jurisdictions have upcoming Academies.  If you missed the opportunity to attend in the NEJ, you can arrange to join our brothers and sisters in the south this Fall.  The next Academy in the NEJ is scheduled for April 11-14, 2018

U.S. Disaster Response Update

--In the Northeast

West Virginia needs UMVIM teams!  UMCOR recently released a $500,000 grant for WV to assist in disaster case management, construction coordination, supplies and materials.  The goal is to help at least 120 families in the next two years.  Go to 
http://wvumc.org/About/Ministries/Disaster-Response for all the information you need to donate or volunteer.

A Future With Hope is still working with what remains of a $3.16 million grant from UMCOR to continue recovery from the 2012 Hurricane Sandy.  There are many homes in Atlantic County that are still in need of volunteer teams.  In many cases these are people who were swindled by contractors in the immediate aftermath of the storm and have now recovered their funds.  The more teams, the further the grant money stretches and the more families we can help!  Register here or join one of our existing teams.

The Connellsville Flood Recovery Center still has active cases that they are working with in the aftermath of flooding in late August last year. Many of those homes will need volunteer assistance to do repair and rebuild work. Housing and hospitality for teams wishing to serve for multiple days up to one week is available though one day teams have been the most common practice. Volunteers can register online at https://connellsvillevolunteers.org/2016/09/08/how-to-volunteer/ or email volunteer@wpaumc.org. We expect to be scheduling volunteers September 2017. 

--Outside the Jurisdiction

SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS

MISSISSIPPI

Each issue of The Servant's Journey will be archived at http://umvimnej.org/news_events/newsletters.html.  Go back and see what you missed!