Silver Street United Methodist Church

 One Great Hour of Sharing Sunday is March 15, 2015

When disaster strikes around the globe—Haiti’s 2010 earthquake or Hurricane Sandy of 2012— so many watching the drama unfold on our living room televisions feel entirely helpless. How could any one person make a difference in the wake of such widespread devastation? As responders around the globe scramble to help survivors, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, UMCOR, is prepared to act. The response of UMCOR isn’t something “they” do, it’s something “we” do.

When You Give You Equip Christ’s Body to Serve in His Name  That’s because your generous giving to One Great Hour of Sharing is what allows UMCOR to act as the arms and legs of Christ’s church, moving toward the most vulnerable in their darkest days. Convinced that all people have Godgiven worth and dignity—without regard to race, religion or gender—together we are assisting those impacted by crisis or chronic need.
Because you give, the United Methodist Church’s compassionate response to human suffering continues today:

When tornadoes ripped through Oklahoma, we responded 

When children in Zimbabwe lost parents to AIDS, we responded 

When a massive tsunami devastated lives in Japan, we responded

And when the next mass crisis occurs, we will be prepared to respond.
UMCOR will be able to offer aid in Jesus’ name to those who suffer because United Methodists give through One Great Hour of Sharing.  In fact, it’s your generous giving that allows us to respond when disaster strikes.

Not “they.”  We.

Mission Offering   United Methodist Committee On Relief  (UMCOR)
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is the global humanitarian aid organization of the United Methodist Church.  UMCOR is working in more than 80 countries worldwide, including the U.S.

Our mission, grounded in the teachings of Jesus, is to alleviate human suffering–whether caused by war, conflict, or natural disaster–with open hearts and minds to all people.  UMCOR partners with local organizations and survivors to rebuild their livelihoods, health and homes.  In times of acute crisis we mobilize emergency supplies, fresh water, and temporary shelter to stricken areas, and then stay as long as it takes to implement long-term recovery.  Our workers are known all over the globe for their compassion, leadership, expertise, and guidance in recovery efforts.

UMCOR works through programs that address hunger, poverty, sustainable agriculture, international and domestic emergencies, refugee and immigrant concerns, global health issues and transitional development.  Please give generously by placing money in the mission offering envelopes (in the pews) and then placing it in the offering plate, or give money when the mission buckets are passed.

The mission offering for December will be “Spirit of the Season” formerly know as Operation Santa Claus.

Hope Southern Indiana has 300 families registered for the Spirit of the Season program.  This program provides needy families with food at Christmas, and two (2) Christmas gifts with a combined value of $70.00 for children, age newborn-to 18.

Every year this program is funded through donations that are specified for the Holiday programs.  And every year, you, our supporters, have given so generously that we have been able to provide for all 300 registrants.  Once again we are asking for your help.

Whatever you can give would be a blessing.  It can be food and/or gifts, for one person or a whole family.  You can also make a monetary contribution that will be used strictly for the Spirit of the Season program and Hope’s “Elves” will do the shopping.

If you feel you can give even one item, clothing, toy, or food, we can put it with other donations to get everything we need to make a family’s holiday season blessed.  If you would like to pick up a child’s name or make a monetary donation, talk to Donna Troncin, Becky Prince, or Joyce Woller and the “SSUMC Elves” will shop for you.

Gideons International is an evangelical Christian organization founded 1899  in Janesville,  Wisconsin. The Gideons’  primary activity is distributing copies of the Bible free of charge.

This Bible distribution is a global enterprise taking place in over 194 countries and in over 93 languages, with the organization being most widely known for copies placed in hotel and motel rooms. The Gideons also distribute to hospitals and other medical offices, schools and colleges as well as jails and prisons. The organization takes its name from the Biblical figure Gideon, depicted in Judges 6.

The Gideons International has a strong international presence. Its members distribute Scriptures in many countries to people who cannot afford to purchase Scriptures on their own.
Gideons began distributing free Bibles, the endeavor for which they are chiefly known, in 1908, when the first Bibles were placed in the rooms of the Superior Hotel in Superior, Montana.

Members of The Gideons International distributed over 84.6 million Gideon Scriptures in 2012. More than 1.8 billion Bibles and New Testaments have been distributed since 1908. On average, more than two copies of the Bible are distributed per second through Gideons International. It is anticipated that the two billionth Scripture will be placed in 2015.

The headquarters of Gideons International is in Nashville, Tennessee.

Around the globe, countless gifted and qualified people face financial obstacles that hin- der them from preparing for the vocation God has given them, especially youth and young adults. For ethnic students who will be the first generation in their families to attend college, or for those people of color who haven’t historically had access to resources that make higher education possible, the road toward education has often been unwieldy.

What would it look like if the church today imitated Jesus’ affirmation of the full dignity and God-given potential of all women and men— especially those who’ve historically been assigned to the world’s margins? On World Communion Sunday your giving helps to provide scholarships for national and international graduate students whom God has gifted to learn and to serve.

Equipping Disciples Like Mary Grace to Serve in Jesus’ Name

As a small child Mary Grace Galapon labored as a housemaid in exchange for food and clothing. Yet, allowed to attend church, she found hope. As a member of the United Methodist Church, your giving on World Communion Sunday has allowed this deaconess of the Mindanao Philippines Annual Conference to pursue an education that is now changing her community as she works to eliminate poverty.

Mary Grace’s work, and the impact of hundreds more like her, are possible because you give.  Will You Equip World-Changers?

Will you give generously on World Communion Sunday to make education and vocational impact possible for more students like Mary Grace? Will you equip gifted and qualified students from around the globe to become the world- changers God created them to be?

Nelson Mandela said “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”  And because the People of the United Methodist Church believe that all of God’s children have been created and gifted to build the kingdom Jesus ushered in, we’re resourcing them to do just that. Because of your giving on World Communion Sunday, the most powerful tool to change the world is in more hands.

SOUP KITCHEN – 2014

We proudly present our own Soup Kitchen as the mission focus for September!

Silver Street UMC has been serving the New Albany area since 1970, when “Meals on Wheels” was started by Loma Fleming organizing an effort to deliver hot meals to approximately 20-30 shut-ins of our community.  We have grown from that modest endeavor to serving approximately 450-500 people per month; depending on the time of year it may be higher.   A limited amount of commodities comes from TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) which are delivered by Dare to Care.  We submit a monthly report that generates our portion of food available to Floyd County and we, in turn, receive a percentage of that delivery.

We can use a volunteer to pick up these commodities once a month.   We are also blessed to receive baked goods weekly from the Grant Line Kroger, as available.  On occasion, we receive surplus from Karem’s and Heavenly Hams.  Altho’ we do not have a “food pantry” we share with people in need; Salvation Army, Hope SI, and Salvation Tabernacle the smaller donated cans or by swapping with other agencies who cannot use commercial-sized cans.

Also, the NAHS Football Team and the Boy Scouts  conduct food drives for us.   Mt. Tabor Presbyterian, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and Trinity UMC share Soup Kitchen responsibilities.  On months with five Wednesdays, SSUMC serves both fourth and fifth Wednesdays.

If you would like to volunteer your time or food, there is a sign-up book on the desk by the phone at the Soup Kitchen entrance.  We can always use volunteers on fourth or fifth Wednesdays to serve, clean up, grocery shop, cook, bring desserts or salads.

If you’d like more information, please see:  Betty Atkins, Kathy Hardison, or Kay Grier.   Your prayers, your time, and your donations are greatly appreciated!

Our mission for August is Heifer International.

Heifer International is a different type of relief organization. It started by supplying young dairy cows to people whose lives had been disturbed by the Spanish Civil War in the 1940’s. The theory was that they would provide a way to earn a living permanently instead of giving out supplies for the present. Since then, it has expanded into much of South and Central America, Africa, Asia, parts of Europe, and even in parts of the United States.

The emphasis is on training in how to care for the animals. Often the people being trained are women whose men have gone to the city to find work. This training empowers them in parts of the world where women have traditionally been almost powerless. Animals entrusted to these people are not limited to dairy cattle, which would not prosper in many parts of the world. Sheep, goats, water buffalo, llamas, alpacas, pigs, rabbits, geese, ducks, chicken, honey bees, and even trees are sometimes hared.

One requirement for every recipient is they pass on the gift. This means that the first offspring of the received animals are to be passed on to someone else in the neighborhood. Then this person must do the same. In a few years, this process can change neighborhoods—and lives. Success stores include improved infant health because of the milk or eggs added to their diets; children being able to go to school; and adults earning respect and pride where there had been little previously.

The cause is worthy. Please consider helping to change lives one animal at a time when the mission buckets are passed or you may use the envelopes on the back of the pews.

Mission for July – Exit Zero

MISSION STATEMENT:  To Offer Resources that Prevent & End Homelessness To Serve Everyone Respect, Integrity, & Grace To Be Good Stewards of the Resources Entrusted to us by our Supporters To Reflect the Teachings of Jesus & the Love Of God In All We Do

Excerpts from Paul and Michele Stensrud…

Exit 0 began as a result of a calling that our family felt to serve in the mission field in 2008. Our pastor challenged us to reach our community and that is where Exit 0 began. We researched homelessness and came across an article about a young boy who filled gallon size bags with snacks and provided them to homeless people in his area. We decided to do the same for our first project. The Lord was faithful and allowed us to find some people in Jeffersonville who became our guides on the street and helped find a need that was needed in the community. Blue Lick Church from Henryville had been providing lunch to the homeless every other Sunday for three years. We stepped out in faith and made the commitment to pick up the other Sundays so that a meal was now provided every Sunday! Next, we started working with Haven House, the only shelter in Southern Indiana. We are still learning every time we go out.

Exit 0 is constantly changing, with no idea what it will turn into next, God will leads us. The groups have partnered with many of the community agencies who share our desire to help those in need. We don’t want to reinvent the wheel so, for example, when we meet people who need help getting identification or birth certificates, they are referred to a min-istry who does that. We want to use the resourses that are out there and help point people to them.

With our many volunteers we now serve dinner 6 nights a week. We take people to church every Saturday night where they also receive a meal. We feel it is important to feed the body and the spirit. We have many churches with whom we partner to pro-vide meals. We have churches that collect supplies for us that we use to build comfort bags or to meet other needs. We have so many people and denominations working together for a common goal.

It is our desire to be the light of Jesus Christ and shine hope into the darkness. Through the grace of God, Exit Zero is a beautiful picture of the body of Christ working together!

To God be the glory!

Please give generously when the mission buckets are passed or you may use the envelopes on the back of the pews