AUMC OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES

TO BE OF SERVICE TO OTHERS

DELIVERY OF PEACE MEALS

Sign up for a day to deliver Peace Meals which are prepared at the Arcola Community Building.  Churches in our community take turns being responsible for deliveries.

LABOR OF LOVE – THE WEEK BEFORE LABOR DAY

In 2006 we designated the Sunday before Labor Day as a day for members to volunteer to do a chore for a person or organization who indicated a need.  We then returned to the church for fellowship and a meal. 

We repeated this event in 2007 with over 60 people involved serving in Arcola and neighboring areas. Plans for this year include the possibility of making this a week-long endeavor so more people can be involved and we can better accommodate schedules. What a reward it is to serve!

DONATION OF ITEMS NEEDED FOR THE ARCOLA FOOD PANTRY

Each month items are listed in the bulletin that is needed for the Arcola Food Pantry.  Check your bulletin and then drop those items at the church.  They will be delivered to the Arcola Food Pantry.  We can help make a difference.

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD SHOEBOX MINISTRY

Plastic boxes the size of shoe boxes are filled with items that children would enjoy receiving.  Directions for filling a box are distributed each October.  The boxes are collected at our church before Christmas and then sent on to a local church where eventually they join thousands of other boxes to be distributed to children all over the world at Christmas time.

CHURCH COMMITTEES

In the past, the following organizations benefited from funds raised by the United Methodist Women: Beth’s Place, Arcola Food Pantry, Angel Tree, HOPE in Charleston, Arcola United Church General Budget, Cunningham Children’s Home and Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House.

The Outreach Projects Committee has given to the Arcola Transient Ministry, RP Set Free Drug Free Presentation at Arcola High School, the Arcola Post Prom Drug Free Party, the Substance Free Graduation Party for Arcola High School, Military personnel who were activated to duty received telephone cards, the Liberian Ministers Association which is now a special project of our conference, Support for Lora Cole’s Mission to Eastern Europe, Kumler Neighborhood Ministries for food and medicine for the Springfield, Illinois, area following the severe storms this year, Arcola Food Pantry, Arcola Santa Fund, Angel Tree in Arcola, Arcola Health Care, Angel Food for a needy family, Hope House in Arcola, Arcola Telecare, Cunningham Children’s Home and UMCOR for flood relief. The committee supplied food for our Labor of Love Sunday meeting. This committee was also able to take over the following two former commitments of the church general budget thus freeing some funds for that budget. For the past three years, the missionary support of Janet McCarty who served in Nepal and now in the Philippines and our commitment to Wesley Foundations were both paid by the Outreach Projects Commmittee.

INDIVIDUAL TALENTS

One area that we often overlook is the individual talents of people who quietly bless our church with their gifts of decorating of tables, babysitting in the nursery, teaching children, organizing Bible School or the Candy Cane kitchen, assembling the parking lot for broomcorn, or making the beautiful Christmons and bow for the Christmas tree. The Christmas tree was especially lovely as shown in these pictures. Although we do know which hands made each piece, there is no doubt that when all pieces were added together, the overall effect was one of worshipful adoration of our Lord.

SPECIAL GIVING

Here you see the results being accomplished by a group of men who organized a project in Peru which they named “God’s man, Our man, Your man” and which is designed to help people in a Peruvian village develop resources to provide a school, a sawmill, and other things they need. The son of a member of our church is instrumental in organizing this project. After he spoke to our church, a special offering was taken to help fund the work. Here are some pictures of the project. Notice the school in the back of the middle picture.

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