Asbury United Methodist Church
Thursday, February 23, 2012

Second Mile Missions                              

"If anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile"  Matt. 5:41

The Biblical word for second mile giving is "offerings".  Offerings are designated gifts.   They are also gifts that are over and beyond the first mile giving (First mile giving is "tithing" which is unrestricted and undesignated gifts to God for carrying out God's Mission.)  It is going the second mile and offers a valuable source fore developing sustainable funding for ministry and mission in the church. 

Below are the some of the Missions supported by Asbury with second mile givings:

Local Missions

 
  • Caring for Creation: Reduce, Recycle, Reuse,  (Ways to make a difference in our local community)
  • Carpenter Helpers: This is an emerging ministry which will ask men and women volunteers to provide home repairs and maintenance for persons not able to take care of simple home maintenance and wood cutting and/or delivery for needy persons in the community.
  • Holston Home High School Graduates: Holston Home is "home" to those young men and women who reside there.  When they leave "home" like all children they still need our support in a variety of ways.  www.holstonhome.org
  • Local Assistance: Now more than ever we need to help our struggling brothers and sisters in the Greeneville/Greene County area.  The economic crisis in our country raises our awareness of the tremendous need to help in ways that will supplement the work of the Food Bank
  • Prayer Shawl Ministry: This ministry provides prayer shawls for persons who are experience crises in their lives; significate highs and lows in their lives. We have prayed over and distributed almost 100 prayer shawls since the ministry began.  The average cost to make a shawl is $20.
  • Restoration Depot: The Restoration Depot is designed to restore hope to Greene County Familes in crisis by providing essential household goods and furniture.  The depot collects used furniture and other household items every Saturday from 9-12 at its location on Irish Street.  To qualify to receive assistance, please contact the Food Bank.
  • Soup Kitchen: Located in the Presbyterian Tabernacle Church on Wesley Avenue, Asbury has provided essential support to meeting the needs of those who need a hot meal.
  • Wood-cutting Ministry: The Wood-cutting Ministry meets every Saturday at 8 am at the old bomb factory down from the Bean Barn in downtown Greeneville. Everyone is welcome to come and help out in any way. They need people with trucks for delivery and people to work the wood splitters.  This ministry supplies wood to low income families that would otherwise be unable to heat their home during the winter.  This past year the team is delivering over 900 loads of wood to needy families per year.   See video ....
 

Regional Missions

 
For Lent 2012, the suggested Sacrifical Giving project for Lent in 2012 is the Hiefer project.
  • Hiefer Project International: The mission of the Hiefer project is to help end hunger and save the Earths's resources.  The gift is of an animal to a family who then donates the first born of that animal to another family.  What a great gift idea that keeps on giving!  www.heifer.org
  • Red Bird Missionary Conference: Red Bird Mission is the presence of The United Methodist Church in Beverly, KY.  Our gifts help to transform lives through rebuilding homes, providing medical care, school tuition, pastor and missionary support and much more. www.redbirdconference.org
  • Salary Support for Church & Community Workers: These individuals are devoted to uplifting the poor and disenfranchised in rural & urban areas.
  • Nancy Hobbs: Nancy serves in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. Donations will go toward camping scholarships for children and youth in this area; VBS Day Camp; Seeds of Bounty (farming project).
  • Steve and Diantha Hodges: The Hodges serve in Sneedville, TN through the Jubilee Project which works in various avenues; Farm-to-School programs; Community Kitchen; Appalachiam Spring Cooperative (selling food products & crafts), etc.  www.jubileeproject.holston.org
  • Upper Room Ministries: Support of chaplaincy work in prisions and the military.  www.upperroom.org
 
 
 

International Missions

  
  • VIETNAM: In October 2012, Asbury will be sending a team of missionaries to Vietnam.  There is opportunities for teaching and medical care.  If you are interested, please contact Jeannie Higgins.
  • Compassion International: For only $32 per month you can sponsor a child in almost any country in the world.  You can change the world one child at a time by offering opportunities for them to experience the love of God as they are connected with a church-based ministry.   www.compassion.com
  • Mercy Ships:This global charity operates a fleet of hospital ships in the developing nations briging healing and hope to the poor, mobilizing people and resources world-wide.  Dental clinics; medical clinics; surgical services; x-ray and laboratory services; community health education; HIV/AIDS intervention and more are a part of this mobile.
  • International Mission Scholarships:  International travel is expensive, but what hope it gives to the people in foreign lands when we go in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ.  Your support will help persons to participate in a transformational experience who might not otherwise be able to do so.
  • Nothing but Nets: For $10, the purchase of a mosquite net will help protect a family of four for up to four years.  A child dies every 30 seconds from Malaria.  To date, 2,375,015 nets have been purchased.  In Sudan alone, 48,000 nets are urgently needed.  www.nothingbutnets.net
  • Scholarship for Africa University: Africa University in Zimbabwe was founded by The United Methodist Church in 1992 to enable students of promise to receive an education in Africa and return to their communities trained to serve in various areas.  A portion of our Conference Askings goes to the support of this university, but we have the opportunity to provide a scholarship for a Sudanese student to attend.  www.support-africauniversity.org
  • Zion Park Methodist Primary School in Belize: This is Asbury's partnership with the Greeneville City School System.  We are looking for specific ways to support this Methodist School in Belize as we suppor this local partnership.