How to Become an In Mission Together Partner
The Mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Local churches provide the most significant arena through which discipleship-making occurs.
United Methodist Book of Discipline
The need to revitalize United Methodist church buildings is urgent. Local congregations in the world and U.S. are joining hands and hearts to meet this critical need. As partners, they covenant to be in mission together by:- Listening to one another openly and without judgment.
- Understanding and becoming sensitive to each other's cultures.
- Exploring the "true connectionalism" of United Methodism.
- Sharing resources in response to spiritual and material needs.
- Sharing the love of Jesus Christ through ministry together.
How to Become a Partner Church
Commit 3 years to a partner congregation:
- Contribute each year in financial support (differs in each country, but typically ranges from $3600 to $4200).
- Send a team to visit and make friends.
- Learn about the culture of your partner church.
- Share stories of personal faith together.
- Work together on a mission project.
Possible Partnering Opportunities
- Evangelization: Provide aid for Bibles, hymnals, church literature, youth events, and speakers who visit hospitals, schools, prisons, and the armed forces to share a message of faith.
- Education: Provide assistance for seminary students, summer camps, vacation Bible schools, Sunday schools, and Disciple Bible Study classes.
- Social Outreach: Provide support for scouting, Teen Challenge (youth drug and alcohol rehabilitation program), centers that serve senior adults, services to help released prisoners transition back into society, community economic development projects, health-care services, and programs to address special needs among handicapped persons.
- Salary Support: Provide supplemental support for pastors' salaries.
- Building Support: Send Volunteers In Mission (VIM) to help with construction and renovation projects.
Pilzen, Czech Republic
From a Partner Church!
Thank you very much for your prayers and thoughts for our dedication service. The new chapel was totally full of people....We prayed, sang, read from the Bible...We are in the beginning. We pray and think about other activities. We are looking for possibilities...We see this new church as the first step -- God's gift for following service. We believe God will serve through our hands.
Once more, thank you very much for your service...Thanks to The United Methodist Church. THANK YOU GOD!...We all hope you will visit our church and Pilzen in the next year. God Bless You.
Your Sister in Christ,
The Rev. Ivana Prochazkova
United Methodist Church, Pilzen, Czech Republic
It was overwhelming!
We had no idea that we could tear down the entire building; but we did, and therefore saved the Freiberg United Methodist Church a lot of money. (This had to be done before they could build a new church.) Most important, besides the hard work...was getting to know the German Methodists. Their hospitality was so gracious, and we all felt so very close to our host families. They told us over and over again that by being there and helping them so much, we gave them great hope and encouragement for the future. They can see American sisters and brothers in Christ working so hard to help them. It was overwhelming.Gilda Gildemeister
Freiberg, Germany