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United Methodist Volunteers In Mission - North Central Jurisdiction

Advance # 901375

Facilitating teams and individuals to serve projects in the US and internationally

Partner : The UMC General Board of Global Ministries  
Location : Global, Global
Annual Goal : $10,000.00
Amount YTD : $3,764.00
Percent YTD : 37%

Background / History

Intersharing was the name of the first agency in charge of resourcing United Methodist Volunteers In Mission (UMVIM) teams from the North Central Jurisdiction. This agency operated for 12 years in this capacity before becoming known as United Methodist Volunteers In Mission for the North Central Jurisdiction (UMVIM-NCJ, approximately 1997) as mandated by the 1996 General Conference—for all such agencies in the five Jurisdictions to become "cohesively" organized at the national level.

The Advance number previously was 982425 (first funds came in January 1997), which changed to 901375 in 2001. All jurisdictions were given a similar number through UMCOR in 2001. What is the need? UMVIM-NCJ is charged with resourcing individuals, teams, leaders, and UMVIM projects for all those seeking this type of help in this jurisdiction.
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Mission

UMVIM-NCJ is charged with resourcing individuals, teams, leaders, and UMVIM projects for all those seeking this type of help in this jurisdiction. This office conducts UMVIM team leader trainings in any conference that we are invited to (approximately 5–6 per year), maintains a future teams list, sends out three newsletters per year, maintains the National Project List, and schedules Early Response Team (ERT) trainings in conjunction with conference Disaster Response and UMVIM Coordinators.

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Goals & Objectives

Linda Green (UM News Service) wrote an exceptional article (printed in the Michigan Christian Advocate, Feb. 2008). It is a synopsis of Bishop Robert Schnase’s book “Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations” Abindon Press, 2007. Three of these core practices can be directly associated with UMVIM activities: intentional faith development, risk-taking mission and service, and extravagant generosity.

Congregations/individuals actively participating in UMVIM activities and their associated mission outreach can be revitalized and fruitful! Congregations that are in mission (UMVIM being a mission activity) tend to be healthy congregations. Besides the sending congregations, the host congregations, conferences can be developed to be able to make new disciples wherever they are located in the world.
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Activities Plan

Health care professionals have been targeted for mission service through the Rx ConneXion since 2001. Each May we hold a consultation with workshops for medical people on different aspects of leading and taking teams into a world that needs their special services. We had over 70 participants in 2007 and many of them were newcomers! Each participant is put on the Rx-listserv that sends out information on opportunities for service and medical teams to join.

Reported medical team numbers have also increased: 2000, approximately12; 2008, 60+ listed so far in 2007. Jane Dunn, Northern Illinois, is our volunteer medical consultant and is starting to field questions from future team leaders and offer medical team leader training. She is also maintaining a medical blog for mission volunteers.
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Project Outcomes

Buildings will be built and relationships solidified. Each will lead to different and increased means of doing outreach, whether in the host community or the sending congregation. I.E., a community center in Haiti can be utilized for VBS, health clinics or start-up congregations. A teachUM team can help instruct Sunday School teachers on how to better prepare their students for Christian life. A health Care team can instruct local people in brushing teeth, purifying water and how cleanliness increases the health of the family.

Project Indicators

Increasing numbers of volunteers in each of the agencies of UMVIM-NCJ (Mission Discovery, teachUM, and Rx ConneXion) and construction teams will indicate that our goals and objectives are being met. We strive to make sure these teams and individuals have training and are prepared to go forth into the world to learn and serve.

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