Missions

There is a collection area in the sanctuary lobby near the Saint Francis of Assisi window for various items, including the monthly mission collection item, non-perishable canned goods and hygiene items for Community Food Ministry, and clothes Open Door Klothes Kloset. Pick up a "Got Stuff?" brochure, and watch the bulletins for current needs.

Many of us feel that the problem is just too big, that there is really nothing that we can do to help all those hungry people. But there are ways for us to help the hungry, and many of these things can be done in our own communities. That's where the Society of St. Andrew steps in.

The Society of St. Andrew is a grassroots, faith-based, hunger relief nonprofit working with all denominations to bridge the hunger gap between the 96 billion pounds of food wasted every year in this country and the nearly 40 million Americans who live in poverty. They rely on support from donors, volunteers and farmers as we glean nutritious excess produce from farmers' fields and orchards after harvest and deliver it to people in need across the United States.

Their innovative and cost effective methods enable them to provide food to the hungry for just pennies per serving! That means that for under $100, the Society of St. Andrew can provide a person the USDA recommended requirement of vegetables and fruits for an entire year.

In 2010, 36 AUMC members participated in gleaning activities twice in Wichita and were able to glean 2446 pounds of fresh peaches that were donated to the Kansas Food Bank. To kick off the gleaning season for 2011, we are participating in the Hunger Ministry Weekend sponsored by the Society of St. Andrew on the weekend of May 14 and 15. We are asking families to bring fresh fruit and vegetables to worship. (Bring food that will hold, like apples, oranges, broccoli, and peppers, not grapes or strawberries. The food bank has plenty of potatoes, so they are requesting no potatoes.) If you do not wish to bring fresh food, canned food is OK.

Aldersgate has plans to continue to work with St. Andrew's this year to glean the crops of local farmers. All  food collected will help to feed the hungry in the Wichita area. If you would like your name added to the list to be contacted as gleaning opportunities arise, if you would like to learn more about this program, or if you know someone who would be interested in setting up this work, please contact Carolyn Janzen.

St. Andrew’s envision a world in which physical and spiritual hungers are met through God's grace and abundance. The mission of the Society of St. Andrew is to introduce people to God's grace in Jesus Christ through meeting their hungers: 

See more at www.endhunger.org.

It is important that our children have opportunities to make a difference in the world. Some of the ways they do this include:

Our Youth are very involved in missions, including:

Our adult Sunday school classes organize to feed the homeless every 5th Saturday of the month. This is an important way that the church takes place in hands-on mission.

Aldersgate participates in international mission trips on an annual basis. Previous trips have taken place in Russia, Ireland, and Costa Rica, to name a few. The church has also sponsored Medical Mission trips to the Dominican Republic and Cameroon. Contact a member of the Missions Committee if you are interested in participating.

Check out the Mission Bulletin Board to find out more about missions, and please share with us how you are in mission by printing and filling out this form, then turning it into the church office.

The Mission Committee is currently focusing its efforts on the following agencies: 

Read about 9-year old Kathryn Commale, who has raised $140,000 for Nothing But Nets, starting from when she was five years old.

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Read about the United Methodist Church response to the aids crisis in Africa, particularly Zimbabwe.