The history of Christian mission begins with Jesus’ final command. As Jesus ascended into heaven, he said to his disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes to you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
Based on this final command of Jesus Christ, the Missions & Outreach of First & Wesley United Methodist Church has supported worldwide mission projects through our connectional United Methodist Church, such as World Service and U.M.C.O.R. These have provided disaster relief following such catastrophes as the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2004, the earthquakes in Japan, and New Zealand and China and Haiti. U.M.C.O.R. stays long after the initial trauma, so the areas can get back on “their feet”. This can last for many years.
Our church includes projects in our immediate community, as well as those that encompass the entire world. Many of our local activities revolve around our liaison with a DCF social worker and her clients. Covenant to Care allows us to partner with this social worker, and hopefully, help provide necessities, as well as special gifts for these clients and their families—backpacks stuffed with school supplies to return to school, food to enjoy for Thanksgiving dinner, gifts that answer holiday wishes, etc.
Our church also supports other local charities, such as W.H.E.A.T. (West Haven Emergency Action Taskforce), Project Hope and its Thursday night soup kitchen, the New Haven Diaper Bank, Beth El Shelter in Milford, the Hill Heath Center, and Columbus House in New Haven, Native American Ministries, and United Methodist Committee On Relief (UMCOR). UMCOR assists United Methodists and churches to become involved globally in direct ministry to persons in need. 100% of all donations to UMCOR go to humanitarian relief and development.
The connectional United Methodist Church also provides scholarships to students who are in need of financial support in order to make a better life. There are also several homes and hospitals that we support, such as the Brooklyn Hospital and Wesley Heights in Shelton, CT. Many of our members also volunteer or contribute to various other organizations, and by doing so, encourage other members to volunteer outside of our congregation as well. As you can see, we are a very active church fellowship in the mission field. May we experience the Lord as we practice Jesus’ final command! Amen.
Lenten Calendar
For Lent, our Missions committee has a Lenten calendar with a Bible verse for each day of Lent and a suggested donationa amount for things to be thankful for. Use a jar.container to put in the coins each day and at the end of Lent (Easter), count up what you have in the jar/container and make a check out to First & Wesley United Methodist Church. All monies collected will be donated to WHEAT – West Haven’s food pantry.