Grace Church is at work in missions with several projects each year. All such work is rooted in scripture. For example, see Jesus' parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:31-46 or the admonition in James 2:14-26 regarding faith and deeds.

Below, we offer a description of the Grace youth “Sock it to Me” that immediately preceded a missions trip to Red Bird Mission; a report from 2007’s summer feeding program, plus glimpses of a house-building project under the auspices of Habitat for Humanity; a summer 2005 mission trip by Grace youth; and Grace's spring 2004 trip to Red Bird Mission. See also our How You Can Help page for other opportunities.

Sock it to Me!

“Last year, when we went to Red Bird Mission in late October, it was very cold,” said Grace member Carol York. “I saw children going to school wearing bread bags on their feet, because they had no socks.” Carol saved bread bags all year to remind herself to help these children to have socks for the coming winter. Red Bird is a United Methodist mission center in eastern Kentucky’s Bell County, the third-poorest in the United States. (See below for glimpses of Grace's spring 2004 trip to Red Bird.)

In turn, urban youth at Grace Church are learning about children in rural eastern Kentucky and are eager to give what they can to help. In the September 23 photo below, the youth are preparing for “Sock it to Me” Sunday -- September 30 -- when they distributed plastic bread bags to Grace worshippers, each with a cardboard sock inside, to remind us to fill the bags with new socks.

On Sunday, September 23, 2007, Rev. Marla E. Brown looked on as Grace youth prepared for “Sock it to Me” Sunday. -- photo courtesy of Larry Ramey

To say that this collection of socks was a success is putting it mildly. Nine hundred and thirty-seven pairs were donated altogether (and quite a number of shoes, too), a few of which are shown in the photograph below.

On Sunday, October 21, youth leaders Carol York and Larry Ramey posed with some of the youth who participated in the “Sock it to Me” project -- and some of the socks they collected. -- photo courtesy of Larry Ramey

Red Bird Mission, October, 2007

The items collected in the “Sock it to Me” project were carried to Red Bird by a work team of members from Grace and Fairview United Methodist Church that left Grace immediately following the 10:30 worship on Sunday, October 21. The team delivered 950 pairs of socks; they went to Red Bird’s medical clinic and school, for free distribution to children; and to Red Bird’s DeWall Senior Citizen Center for free distribution to elderly folks served both at the center and in the center’s meals on wheels program. They also took ten pairs of new shoes to the school (again, for free distribution) and several pairs of used shoes to the thrift store. They brought 380 “box tops for education” (for Red Bird’s participation in the General Mills program known by that name), 1,100 “labels for education” (for Red Bird’s use in the Campbell’s program), and several boxes of blankets and clothing collected by the twelve-year-old daughter of a friend of team member Carol York.

The Grace-Fairview team posed for the photographer during their trip to Red Bird Mission in October, 2007. From the left, team members included Rev. Marla E. and Len Brown, Jack Bish, Fairview’s Barbara Rowlands and Jan Patterson, Eldean and Jane Gilbert, Carol York, and Susan Nordyke. -- photo courtesy of Jane Gilbert

During their week at Red Bird, Jane Gilbert and Barbara Rowlands, joined by a volunteer visiting from Pennsylvania, clipped 3,200 more Campbell’s UPC labels and 830 more General Mills box tops, above and beyond those brought from Dayton. Other team members worked at the home of local couple Orva and Emmitt, replacing a section of flooring, laying linoleum, cleaning and painting the kitchen, washing scads of dirty dishes, repairing light fixtures and installing switches, and installing two windows. Before departing, the team left Orva and Emmitt with a prayer shawl. Because they finished their project a day early, on Friday the 26th they were able to assist a team from East Peoria, Illinois with whom the Grace team have become friends over years of trips to Red Bird. The combined teams worked on East Peoria’s project at another home, installing insulation, electric service, and drywall. The same day, Marla, Jan, Carol, and Susan worked in the Red Bird “Christmas Store,” preparing Christmas gift items for area residents, while Barbara and Jane continued their clipping.

The week’s only casualty was Len Brown, who was treated at the Red Bird clinic after suffering a finger cut down to the bone!

See below for a record in pictures of a previous trip to Red Bird.

2007 Summer Feeding Program

Grace’s summer feeding program provides free lunches to young children during the summer when school is not in session. Program Director Jackie Borda wrote this report in late August, 2007:

This summer’s feeding program was a huge success. I am so happy to have had all of our “regulars” back and ecstatic to see the number of new faces we had. At the end of our six weeks (the shortest we’ve ever gone) we had served over six hundred lunches (the most we’ve ever done). That’s about twenty lunches per day. This summer’s feeding program could not have been possible without the generous donations of plastic ware, paper plates, napkins, and ranch dressing from the congregation. Also, the help of Donna Johnson, Pastor Leo, Pastor Marla, and the older children who attended were vital to its success. Thank you so much for your prayers, support, and time. I hope the feeding program can continue to grow in the next few summers.

God Bless,
Jackie Borda

Raising the Roof!

Youth Mission Trip to Tyrone, Pennsylvania

Following mission trips in recent summers to Chicago and Mobile, Alabama, Grace youth and adult sponsors traveled in summer 2005 to Tyrone, Pennsylvania. They left Grace after the 10:30 worship on Sunday, June 19...

photograph courtesy of Stephen Jones

... and spent the following week in Tyrone, a town of about five thousand in west-central Pennsylvania.

Much of their work revolved around Tyrone's Church of the Good Shepherd United Methodist Church. There was a Vacation Bible School for children in a housing project. The brainchild of a Good Shepherd member who lived nearby, Grace youth made it happen.

three photographs above courtesy of Brother Mark Edwards

In Vacation Bible School, the children learned about Daniel and the lion's den ...

... and "God, God, Jesus."

three photographs above courtesy of Adrienne Palmer

Everyone at Vacation Bible School on Friday gathered on the grass for the photographer.

For the church itself, the team from Grace built five picnic tables. They also picked strawberries ...

photograph courtesy of Brother Mark Edwards

and made jam for the church at the home of a member.

Led by Jack Bish, they crafted a Meditation Garden for the church. This task entailed visiting the homes of four church members who had offered plants for the garden, digging up the plants, and replanting them at the church. Jack himself didn't finish until 11pm!

At a nearby United Methodist Church camp, they finished the floor for an outdoor stage, scraped and repainted a spring house, painted playground equipment, and operated a log-splitting machine. Back at Good Shepherd, the youth and adults put on a talent show on Thursday night for Good Shepherd's youth and youth minister. In consequence, we now expect Good Shepherd's youth to visit Dayton in summer 2006 for a mission trip of their own!

There was work, but not every minute. The bonfire (left) was fun, and the amusement park was, too.

three photographs above courtesy of Adrienne Palmer

Every day there were morning prayers, and devotions and prayer every evening. Sonia Zennie, one of the adult sponsors, reports that this was "the most wonderful spiritual group I have ever been with."

Pastor Marla shared with us kind words of appreciation from Good Shepherd's Pastor:

Dear Rev. Brown,

I am writing to you on behalf of our entire congregation who are so elated and overjoyed in the Lord for the blessing you presented to us during the week of June 20-25, 2005.

[Brother] Mark Edwards and the Youth Mission Team were indeed a blessing to our congregation and Tyrone community as well. Although I was not present, the feedback I received on my return from vacation was incomparable to any since 1971. I was informed of how creative, industrious, supportive and benevolent your leaders and youth were. They assisted in constructing wares for our outdoor feeding ministry, worked diligently on our first-ever Meditation Garden, and supported a youth ministry program that evolved from this local congregation. Moreover, God richly blessed our workers and residents of our Townhouse Ministry having your staff and 'missionaries' drawn in.

It is certainly with "Jesus Joy" that we thank you for not considering it "robbery" to share with us your love and faith in Christ. We only pray that you would afford us the privilege to bless you and your congregation during a time that you so designate -- our youth have already claimed next summer! I am informed that they have already pledged a prayer covenant, to be in prayer with your youth and congregation. May God sweetly bless you and your ministry there in Dayton. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of assistance to you in realizing God's visions for Grace UMC, Dayton.

Serving Christ in the Holy Spirit,
Andrew T. Bradley, Sr.
Pastor, Church of the Good Shepherd, Tyrone Pennsylvania

Finally, we quote from an additional thank-you written to Brother Mark Edwards from Pastor Bradley and Laura Stine, on behalf of the Roaring Lambs Youth and the entire Good Shepherd UMC:

... the church seems a little empty this week without your group around, brightening every corner with your joyful, willing hearts. We wish you could have stayed to hear all the praises lifted up for you on Sunday morning ...

Red Bird Mission -- March-April 2004 Over the years, folks from Grace have journeyed many times to the Red Bird Mission, part of the Red Bird Missionary Conference in southeast Kentucky. This photo essay documents some of the accomplishments and fun from Grace's trip to Red Bird, in late March - early April, 2004. Except as noted, photographs are courtesy of Eldean and Jane Gilbert.

Spring break was well-spent at Red Bird with Grandma Jane and Grandpa Eldean.

The parsonage at Beverly, Kentucky needed a new handicap access ramp. Ryan (above left) and Jane (right, with power sander) were among those who tackled this task.

Eldean (left) got in his licks on the ramp, too -- and there was still more sanding for Grandma (below).

The Red Bird Clinic provides medical care. There, the sign cites Proverbs 3: 6: "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

The doctor's house needed attention. Here, Ryan and Eldean went to it.

Eldean put his eye on the work at the doctor's house.   This operation took two sets of hands.

Labels! According to a Faith in Action report of the United Methodist Church, "For more than 30 years, United Methodist churches have supported Red Bird Mission by donating Campbell's Soup labels. Through the Campbell's Soup Company's Labels for Education program, Red Bird Mission is able to exchange soup labels for much needed equipment and supplies that help support mission and ministry." Over the decades, Red Bird has acquired seven minivans and fifteen passenger vans through the program, plus a host of school supplies such as an aquarium, library books, balls, videos and cassettes. One and a half million labels were turned into a van in 2003, and nearly that many were donated to Red Bird in the same year.

Who cuts out and sorts all those labels? United Methodist Communications has produced a video "Cutting Out Poverty" that provides one answer. Grace's volunteers are another! At left, Jane snips away at a pile of labels.

Here are thirty thousand cut-and-sorted labels and some of the hands that did the deed.

Waiting for the evening's program to begin

Going home after a hard week's work