"But you shall receive the power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses to Jerusalem, and all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8 (RSV)

Mission Projects

The Virginia Conference United Methodist Women support two mission projects within the boundaries of our conference:

• Henry Fork Service Center is a multipurpose mission outreach center with a year-round ministry to children, youth and adults residing in the Henry Fork community, including preschool and after school care; summer program for children and youth; adult classes and family activities.

  
   Contact:    Susan Putnam

                  PO Box 888

                  Rocky Mount, VA 24151

                  Phone: 1-540-483-2819

 

• Wesley Community Service Center serves those in need through acts of advocacy, and with programs for children, youth and adults designed to effect reconciliation, collaboration, self-sufficiency and economic justice.

  Contact:     John G. Hatcher, Jr.

                    1701 Elm Ave.

                    PO Box 1396

                    Portsmouth,  VA  23705

                    Phone: 1-757-399-0541

  United Methodist Colleges - Is There a Difference?

  Yes! There is a huge difference in the relationship between United Methodist Women and the several United Methodist related colleges in the Virginia Annual Conference. Ferrum is the only one actually initiated by the Methodist Women's Missionary Society as a mission project for mountain children. That was in 1913 and Ferrum has gone through many stages in 90 years but United Methodist Women and the Virginia Annual Conference are still represented on the Board of Trustees and would be recipients of the proceeds should Ferrum College ever cease to exist.

  That's the reason that Local Units are urged to continue giving $19.13 per month (or as often as possible) through regular UMW channels designated for the "Miriam Jean Gruber Christian Ministries Scholarship," which will provide scholarships for Ferrum students preparing for careers in mission and/or ministry.
  
  Channels of Mission Giving

  Mission Giving is mission money given with no strings attached, to be used for any part of the mission work of the Women's Division. The first and most important financial responsibility of United Methodist Women is basic support of all mission programs through Mission Giving. There are five official channels of Mission Mission Giving:

      1.    Pledge to Mission

      2.    Special Mission Recognition

      3.    Gift to Mission

      4.    Gift in Memory

      5.    World Thank Offering

  The Candle Burning Program is offered by the Virginia Conference as a 6th channel of Mission Giving. Persons may donate funds in honor and in memory of loved ones. Each year at Annual Meeting, a candle is burned for the number of hours funded through this channel of giving, @ .57 per second.
  
  Mission Today Campaign

  Giving. Growing. Living. VAUMW is encouraging all Local Units to participate in the Missions Today Campaign.

  Click here to download and print out the Mission Today Checklist.
  
  Mission Today Units

  The purpose of the Mission Today Unit is to:

  • Energize United Methodist Women to be more involved in mission through prayer, study and action.

  • Increase contacts between units and mission personnel and mission projects so that United Methodist Women understand where their money goes.

  • Encourage use of mission resources through United Methodist Women.

  • Expand concepts of mission, including social justice as mission.

  Units with fewer than 15 members may complete the first required item and a minimum of four of the other items including two starred items.

  To be a Silver Mission Today Unit a unit must complete at least 12 of the items. To become a Gold Mission Today Unit a unit must fulfill all of the criteria. The time period for qualifying is September 1st to September 1st.

  Mozambique

  In August 2005, Christine Cole, Coordinator for Education and Interpretation, and Betty Whitehurst, President, Virginia UMW, visited Mozambique with a Virginia conference Leadership Team. There they met with Maria Z. Garrine, President of the United Methodist Women's Society;  Nocia Madonela Machado, wife of Bishop Joao Somane Machado; and Ilda Suzana, Administrative Secretary for the Women's Society. They also attended a Women's Conference at the Pagula United Methodist Parish, and net women from a number of districts and local churches.

  During their time there, they participated in the dedication of the Girl's Dormitory, built for Cambine High School with funds from Virginia Annual Conference offerings, and of the Girls and Women's Training Center at Tinga-tinga, also built with funds provided by the Virginia Annual conference. Click here for a translation of the speech given by Maria Garrine at the Tinga-tinga dedication ceremony.

  Go to Mission Today to see the requirements.
  
  This page was last updated on Wednesday, January 24, 2007.