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We seek to bring all people to Jesus by being a friendly, Christ-centered community offering God's healing, help and hope.

Missions

Where do our apportionments go?

A “portion” of our apportionments goes to the World Service Fund. This is the primary avenue of support for the global mission and ministry of the United Methodist Church. It connects Good Shepherd to a long list of Christian missions and ministries throughout the denomination. Included in the list of General Church Agencies are: the General Board of Global Ministries; the General Commission on Religion and Race; the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women; and the General Commission on United Methodist Men. These are only a few of the ways that our apportionment money reaches out beyond our congregation to serve others in the world.

Five Simple things every church can do:

Special Sunday Offerings-sharing your gifts
Mission Minute-witnessing to the love of God
Covenant Relationships-supporting our missionaries
Mission Literature Distribution
Disaster Preparedness and Response-rebuilding homes and healing lives

Good Shepherd participated in these activities-can we do more?-of course!!! If you want to know how you can help, please see any of the mission team members.

Opportunities for Mission Involvement

Be a” Lunch Buddy” with Big Brothers/Big Sisters: Meet a child for lunch at school, eat with them, read with them, be their friend once a week. To apply, call 608-322-5105 or e-mail bbbsalex@ejourney.com
Volunteer for the Habitat Restore: Shop-volunteer clerks and stock people urgently needed. Also, help will be needed on housing rehabs. Call Misty Klatt at 989-366-6993. Occasionally there is also opportunity to use your money management ability to be a family support person (help with budgeting, etc.)
Read to an elementary school student: Contact your local elementary school and ask to help where needed
Friendship Shelter and Riverhouse are looking for volunteers to help with simple maintenance and repairs. They also can use helpers to work with budgeting, transportation, playing with the children, etc.
Be a Hospice volunteer: Visit with hospice clients (read, visit, transportation); call Hospice of Helping Hands at 1-800-992-6592
Offer your help to our Ministries Coordinator: Cindy Edwards knows about needs in our own congregation (people who need rides, visits, support, home repair etc.)
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!

Throughout the year, many activities reflect the generosity of Good Shepherd folks: donating to the food bank, Riverhouse, Friendship Shelter, the Animal Shelter and many others. In addition, people reach out to the Relay for Life, C.R.O.P. walk, and other worthwhile community projects. Rosco Ribs offer meals to the community. Market for Missions was just completed, with many hands helping to make it a success. Small groups quietly provide picnics for our Roscommon neighbors. Our projects are so numerous they cannot all be listed here. There is a niche for everyone—have you found yours?? All of the groups welcome helpers and there is always a spot for a new way to reach out to the community. This is the way we connect with God’s people. THE CHALLENGE IS YOURS: JOIN US IN MISSION! Make it Your Own…….

Are you interested in how our Spotlight money is being used to help people around the world?? Thinking that you might like to donate individually to an area of your interest?? Want to adopt a project and “Make it Your Own?” Here is the short story about each of the projects:

Friendship Shelter (MJ1163):
Provides a shelter for the homeless, families, veterans, men and womenserves counties in the Gaylord, Grayling and Roscommon areas.
Water for Life, Liberia (3020811):
Constructing wells to provide desperately needed clean water in convenient sites, preventing water-borne diseases.
Baldwin Center (MJ161125):
Shelter for the homeless in the Pontiac, Michigan area; tutoring; soup kitchen; counseling; clothing; laundry and more.
Camphor Clinic, Liberia (12548A):
Medical care, education, safe shelter, repair to war destroyed areas.
Haiti Hot Lunch (418790):
Hot lunch for school children in Haiti; for many, the only meal these children will receive.
Brenda and Alex Awad (10826Z):
Missionaries in Palestine; daily efforts to support Christians and offer relief in the Palestinian territories.

What’s in the gray tubs?

When you walk down the hallway between the gathering area and Fellowship Hall, do you take the time to look at the labels on the gray tubs?? Do you wonder what is in them?? Who fills them? Who empties them? These are the local community programs that we support with “in kind” items-not budgeted, but important. In Acts 2 we read that the believers and followers of Jesus lived in harmony, pooling their resources so that the need of every person was met. These gray tubs hold out a challenge to us to give a few of our many resources to meet the needs of others, even the lowliest animals.

River House Shelter: new pajamas, underwear (any size); toiletries (shampoo, etc.) and bedding.
Roscommon Animal Shelter: dog and cat food, blankets, towels (new or lightly used), pet toys, leashes, collars, etc.
Food Closet: nonperishable food items, paper products
Ganta Hospital, Liberia: prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses
Used ink cartridges: We recycle these back to Staples and receive discounts on our very necessary church office supplies.

Please search your hearts and your resources and see what you can share.

More information is available from the Mission Team. If you would like to donate individually through Good Shepherd, mark your check or envelope with the number of the project and place it in the offering plate or in the financial secretary’s mail box in the office.
Thanks for your consideration.
Martha Clapp, Chair

We are always open to supporting new programs; please let one of the mission team members know if you have a concern about a need in the community. Don’t know who we are???

Martha Clapp, Cindy Edwards, Alva Delleree, Teresa Dennings, Audrey Hunter, Dick Dimock, Pastor Eric, Paul Scheibner, Gordon Hassler, Judy Burkland, Walter Osmund, and our student representative, Alex Gaberdiel

Let us hear from you!

Matthew 25:40-the Message …”whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, you did it to me.”

For more information on these and other mission projects, please contact the church office or Martha Clapp.

Eyeglasses for Ganta Hospital, Liberia
Prescription glasses in good condition are needed. Cases not needed at this time. Please place glasses in the correct bin in the hallway.
Habitat Restore in Houghton Lake
They have everything from light fixtures to knick-knacks. Remodeling? You can donate appliances, building supplies, etc. The money goes to support Habitat for Humanity in our local community.
Local Food Banks
They need to be replenished continually. Please donate non-perishable food and paper goods are especially needed. Find tubs for your items in the hallway at church.
Pennies for Potatoes
Help to feed the hungry across our country by contributing the change in your pocket, or your hidden cache of coins. Give up your purchased treat for a week and put that money toward this project! Put them in the container on the table in the hallway.
River House
New underwear (any size) needed for women and children of all ages. They can be put in the bin marked for this in the hallway.