Service and Mission Ministry Team Mission Statement: We cannot do everything, but we can do something and we can do something now for our family, our friends, and for those whose names we don't even know.

Grace Church encourages putting God’s Love into action by participation in monthly mission projects. All such work is rooted in scripture or in the Social Principles adopted by the United Methodist Church.

Below we will present current and up-coming mission projects, as well as report on past projects.

December 2012 Mission Emphasis

Nehemiah 8:10 “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord.”

This scripture reminds us of the upcoming holiday, Christmas. We enjoy family gatherings, bountiful meals, and gifts and the joy of the holiday.. Not everyone is prepared with enough food, or means to buy gifts for their children. Some families are not optimistic when thinking ahead to this “sacred day”.

We have an opportunity to share the true Christmas Spirit, by participating in Adopt-a-Family mission focus during the month of December. We will be supporting some families in need this year. We will coordinate with getting wish lists and providing information to you. If you are part of a Grace Church group and would like to take a family to support please let us know as soon as possible.

November 2012 Mission Emphasis

Well, it is not your typical Thanksgiving meal, but according to a representative from Wesley Center, it is easy to fix, makes enough for a family and it’s a filling meal. What is it? Spaghetti and meat sauce, of course. So beginning Sunday November 11, 2012 through Sunday November 25, 2012 we will be accepting donations of spaghetti/pasta and meat sauce/sauces.

Ongoing collections:

Collecting pop tabs is a great way to teach kids about philanthropy, support the importance of recycling, and raise funds to help children and their families at the same time.

Why?

Ronald McDonald Houses collect pop tabs. The program is an easy way for people of all ages to support Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) and know they are making a difference for families and children.

Where?

Our local Ronald McDonald House participates in the program, We will have cardboard collection containers in the shape of a house to collect pop tabs. You will find these on our mission tables at the Upper and Lower entrances.

How much?

After the tabs are collected, the local RMHC Chapter brings the collection to local recycling centers, where they are weighed to determine their value. The recycling center then sends the local RMHC Chapter a check for the total value.

Don’t think it can make a difference? While it does vary by Chapter, RMHC Upper Midwest raises approximately $30,000 a year through their pop tab program. Now that is a lot of pop tabs! Did you ever think it could be so easy to help families in need?

Coupons

Do you receive coupons in your mailbox, in your bushes or in your driveway? Can’t or don’t use them all? In these difficult economic times, there is probably someone who would be delighted to have some coupons. Therefore we will have baskets on the Mission Tables to accept your coupons. If you are in need of some coupons, help yourself, otherwise we will occasionally take them to St. Vincent’s or Wesley Center.

Thank you all for being active participants in our Service and Mission activities. God bless you, and may you have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

October 2012 Mission Emphasis

Immigration matters are complex; rules and regulations change constantly and are difficult to follow. The United Methodist Church addresses the rights of immigrants in the Social Principles in the section on “The Social Community”:

Rights of Immigrants -- We recognize, embrace, and affirm all persons, regardless of country of origin, as members of the family of God. We affirm the right of all persons to equal opportunities for employment, access to housing, health care, education, and freedom from social discrimination. We urge the Church and society to recognize the gifts, contributions, and struggles of those who are immigrants and to advocate for justice for all.

You are invited to our first “Lunch and Learn” on Sunday October 14th after worship in Fellowship Hall. Lunch will be provided. Our speaker will be Grace’s own David E. Larson. Mr. Larson has worked on a wide variety of legal matters during his years of practice as an attorney. He currently spends most of his time on immigration cases for businesses, employees and families. He is actively involved in the “Welcome Dayton” program that focuses on treating all people kindly, fairly and humanely.

Leviticus 19:33-34 “When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who resides with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”

We pray that you will come and listen to the issues and concerns regarding immigration and learn how we might embrace and minister to the needs of this population.

September 2012 Mission Update

Psalm 133: “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity.”

We rejoice as we expanded our family to include our neighbors. We, Grace Church, successfully hosted a neighborhood Block Party on Saturday, September 29, 2012, which included families from nine neighborhoods that surround Grace Church. We enjoyed wonderful food, fellowship and fun. We feel that through this event we have established & strengthened our relationships with our neighbors and hope to encourage collaboration.

Those who committed hours of their time to plan and execute this mission experience include the following.

William Pace brought this vision to the Mission Team and then accepted the challenge to lead the planning effort. Other members of the planning committee from Grace were John Bennett, Carol and Myrna Miller (the “Miller Girls”), and Pastor Sherry. Those from the neighborhoods were Donna Martin, from University Row neighborhood, Steve Makovee, from Jane Reece neighborhood and Fred Holley, from Dayton View Historic District.

Many thanks to all of our church family who gave their time and talents and passion to extend a warm welcome to those in our community -- and many thanks too to photographer Larry Ramey for his snapshots below.

Grillmeisters John and Susan Bennett cooked hamburgers and hot dogs for over three hours!		Good grief, would you look at all that food!