We are a church where people of all cultures, all nations, and all ages can come

together to love and serve God and neighbor. We will work for justice, practice peace, and give generously of ourselves in this community, throughout the world, and

for all creation!

“Peter got out of the boat and was walking on the water toward Jesus.” – Matthew 14:29

Are you ready to stick your toe in the waters of mission and social justice at University UMC? Do you want to go deeper in building relationships and making a difference in the world? Jesus calls us to get out of the boat – these are our baptismal waters!

At University UMC, everyone — regardless of age or physical ability — can grow in their discipleship and make a difference in the lives of others. The following pages describe many mission opportunities. You’ll read examples of different entry-points in mission, ways to grow in relational service, and opportunities to lead others in mission.

Whether you are taking your first steps in mission or are growing and deepening your passion for mission, come with us as we live a missional life together.

Steps Into Mission and Social Justice at University UMC

University United Methodist Church universityumc.com 6901 Washington, St. Louis MO 63130 314.863.8055

Taking the First Step in Mission How you can serve:

Bring donations year-round: Non-perishable food and personal hygiene items to the Church Door food pantry

Help with seasonal donations/drives:

Festival of Sharing kits (August-September)

UNICEF Trick or Treat coin collection(October)

Children’s gifts wrapped in brown bags for clients of Kingdom House (December)

Get your hands dirty at a day of service, U City “Make A Difference” Day, or one of UUMC’s quarterly work days. Support the U-City Microcredit Club - Contribute $25, and provide small loans to entrepreneurs in need. Make a donation to UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) in response to natural disaster (100% of your gift goes to relief response). Contribute financially to provide safe water to a village in Mozambique. Give to the offering each Sunday and/or arrange for regular electronic giving. Join special classes that connect the Bible to mission and social justice (for example, adult Sunday School classes on immigration or simplicity). Invite friends to participate in fundraisers like Trivia Night for the Appalachia Service Project, Vacation Bible School children’s mission project, and special events by UUM Preschool.

How you can serve: Lend a hand with our summertime Vacation Bible School at UUMC. Prepare and serve meals at The Bridge – UUMC helps prepare and serve supper on the second Monday of the month. Help staff our church booth at the annual St. Louis LGBT Pride Festival. Provide hospitality and resources to immigrants at one-time events for the Migrant and Immigrant Action Project (MICA). Volunteer on Saturday mornings at the Health Protection and Education Service (HPES) health screening clinic. Volunteer at Epworth Family and Children’s Services, Kingdom House, Shalom House or the Bridge Help at a Safe Housing for Elderly and Disabled (SHED) work day. Attend bi-monthly meetings or internet sessions to make new loans with the U-City Microcredit Club. Talk with family members, especially children, about the percentage you commit to giving away financially each year. Commit to growing toward a tithe (the first 10% of your income). Teach children to share, save, and spend. Share your joy in serving with your friends and online communities.

Building Relationships in Mission

How you can serve: Volunteer regularly (weekly/monthly) with one of our UMC agencies or other local social service agencies in ways that allow you to form relationships with those you are serving. Participate in SHED work days on a regular basis. Volunteer with MICA one hour a week for filing, data entry, citizenship examination tutoring or English tutoring. Join our youth for a week of summer mission with Appalachian Service Project. Assist weekly in the thrift shop at Kingdom House. Reach out to children and youth at Epworth by becoming a weekly tutor or twice-monthly mentor. Help to supervise the computer room at The Bridge for a few hours each week. Use your professional and personal gifts in regular relational service with one of the UMC agencies, or another area social service agency. Volunteer weekly or monthly with the UUMC church office. This helps us to free up resources that we can spend in mission! Go beyond tithing to give away as much of your income as you can. Simplify your home and your life.

Living a Missional Life

How you can serve: Invite a new person to an entry-point/building relationships activity and encourage them to participate. Serve as a delegate (voting member) of SHED, Inc. board Serve as a liaison between UUMC and our sister church, Central of Beira, and the Missouri Mozambique Initiative. Communicate and interpret happenings and opportunities to serve. Serve on the Mission & Social Justice Ministry Team at UUMC. Lead a short-term Entry Point or Building Relationships project. Work with UUMC’s mission’s leadership teams to create and implement new mission ministries that help make a difference for Christ in the world. Join the advisory or working board of one of the UMC agencies. Lead a mission trip or plan a fundraiser for a cause you care about. Remember charities, non-profits, faith-based organizations, and University United Methodist Church in your will. Create a charitable gift annuity that will provide you income in retirement and then roll any remainder over to the church. Testify about your experiences in social media, in person, and/or worship. Teach a class about a social justice issue (like migration or race relations), or bring in a one-day speaker to help raise awareness.

Leading Others in Mission

UUMC’s Covenant Partnership with Mozambique UUMC has had a mutual partnership with Central of Beira UMC in Mozambique since 1998. The partnership is through the Mozambique Initiative of the Missouri Annual Conference. To learn more about the Mozambique Initiative, visit www.moumethodist.org/pages/detail/749. To learn more about UUMC’s unique partnership with Mozambique go to universityumc.com/mozambique or UUMC member Tom Mitchell (TomM8132@gmail.com). UUMC and SHED SHED, Inc. (Safe Homes for the Elderly and Disabled) is a cooperative effort of nine churches in University City to support the older adults and those with disabilities in maintaining the safety and comfort of their homes. SHED volunteers provide services at no (or little) cost to those who are in need. SHED matches persons needs to workers with energy and abilities. UUMC has held all-church work days to assist 6 to 10 home owners with brush removal, lawn mowing, painting and other low-skill jobs. SHED also schedules work days throughout the summer where members from several churches come together to provide those services. For additional information, see www.SHEDVolunteers.org or UUMC member Rich Wymore (richwymore@hotmail.com). UUMC and The Bridge UUMC has a long tradition of volunteering at The Bridge on the second Monday of the month. Volunteers help to prepare and serve supper to people experiencing homelessness at Centenary UMC, located at 1610 Olive Street in downtown St. Louis. Volunteers work for 2-3 hours starting at 4:30 p.m. For more information on volunteering, contact UUMC member Rich Wymore (richwymore@hotmail.com); for information on the work of The Bridge, see http://www.bridgestl.org/.

Mission at University UMC - Volunteer Opportunities

UUMC and the Appalachia Service Project (ASP) ASP is a ministry of the United Methodist Church that seeks to make homes warmer, safer, and drier in Appalachia and to provide youth with opportunities to grow closer to God and their human family. It is an annual tradition for a group of UUMC high school students and adults to travel to Appalachia and work with ASP for one week during the summer. To learn more about ASP visit www.asphome.org or contact UUMC member Alice Mohr (amohr123@sbcglobal.net). UUMC and the Migrant and Immigrant Community Action (MICA) Project—A Ministry of Hospitality and Social Justice University UMC is collaborating with the Migrant and Immigrant Community Action Project (MICA) to educate our congregation and the community on issues of immigrants and the related social justice issues. We also seek to connect with, support, and provide hospitality to local immigrant communities, with an emphasis on facilitating legal assistance through MICA and its legal staff. The Migrant and Immigrant Community Action Project, located at 9300 Olive Blvd, is a community organization committed to working with low-income immigrants to overcome barriers to justice. The MICA Project utilizes legal services, organizing, advocacy, and education to promote the voice and human dignity of immigrant communities. They have two full-time lawyers specializing in immigration law on staff and are a 501(c)3 organization. For more information see www.mica-project.org or our church MICA page www.universityumc.com/mica or contact UUMC member Tom Mitchell (TomM8132@gmail.com).

UUMC’s U City Micro-Credit Club: Making a Difference One Small Loan at a Time The U-City Micro-Credit Club is led by UUMC members Tom Mitchell and Rich Wymore, utilizing the www.kiva.org system of making small loans to entrepreneurs otherwise unable to get credit throughout the world. The club has bi-monthly meetings or internet sessions to make new loans. For more information and to donate visit www.ucitymicrocreditclub.weebly.com or contact UUMC members Rich Wymore (richwymore@hotmail.com) or Tom Mitchell (TomM8132@gmail.com). UUMC’s Vacation Bible School (VBS) VBS is an annual one-week journey during the summer for children to learn more about God through singing, arts and crafts, games, and more. Each year has a different theme and is open to the community at large. For more information contact UUMC member Mark Brown (mark.brown@lowenglo.com) or the church office. Opportunities abound to teach or serve that week, to invite children to participate, to help underwrite the cost, or to support preparations for the event. UUMC’s Church Door Ministry and Food Pantry Our doors are open, providing assistance to those in the community. We offer food from our pantry, bus passes, and a list of local resources that provide help in the form of utility assistance, clothing, housing, and more. Our food pantry, located in the Fellowship Hall, is open Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. We accept donations of non-perishable foods as well as personal hygiene products such as soap, lotion, and shampoo. Seasonal clothing is accepted on an as-needed basis. Volunteers are needed weekly to sort and organize our donations; contact Abbi Telander in the UUMC office at officeadmin@universityumc.com if you are interested.

UUMC and the St. Louis LGBT Pride Festival UUMC participates in PrideFest every summer, sponsored by Pride St. Louis, Inc., to celebrate and support the LGBT community. Volunteers staff our UUMC booth by serving drinks of cold water and smiles. For more information see www.Pridestl.org or UUMC member Dan Barrett (danwbarrett@yahoo.com). UUMC and Health Protection & Education Services (HPES) HPES provides free health screenings once a month at the U-City Library in the Delmar Loop, as well as education and treatment referrals. Additional free services include mammograms, sickle cell testing and free STD, HIV and AIDS testing. Health Protection Education Services (HPES) was born out of the vision of dedicated UUMC members who wanted to respond to the inequalities in our healthcare system. HPES relies on volunteer medical professionals, including doctors, dentists, nurses, medical technicians and health educator and medical students. Non-medical volunteers greet, keep records and help as needed. For more information see www.hpes-stl.org or contact HPES’s director, Diane Berry (diane@hpes-stl.org). UUMC and the Festival of Sharing The Festival of Sharing is an ecumenical effort across the state of Missouri in which churches share money and “kits” in an effort to end the root causes of hunger. UUMC participates in the Festival of Sharing’s annual October gathering by collecting items to build themed-kits. The themes change every year. For more information: www.umocm.com/page9/festival.htm or contact UUMC member Mickey Croyle (croyleml@wusm.wustl.edu).

UUMC and Alzheimer’s Faith Outreach Ambassadors UUMC is a Faith Partnership Congregation with the Alzheimer's Association St. Louis Chapter. Our Faith Outreach Ambassadors help raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and link families and individuals to Alzheimer’s Association services and support. For more information see http://www.alz.org/stl/in_my_community_63093.asp. To reach UUMC’s Faith Outreach Ambassadors, contact UUMC members Bev Braeske (bbraeke@sbcglobal.net) and Karen Greening (kgreening@sbcglobal.net).

The Bridge Guiding the way home

Located at Centenary UMC, The Bridge provides day shelter, meals and other essential services for those in St. Louis who are homeless and hungry. Ongoing volunteer opportunities include: helping prepare/serve meals, supervise the computer room, supervise the showers, assist in the family room, plus many others. Children, youth, and adults have regular opportunities to take part in a “Homeless Walk” through downtown St. Louis and learn about the city through a homeless person’s eyes. To learn more about The Bridge, please visit bridgestl.org or email Sara Lux at volcoordinator@bridgestl.org.

Epworth Where Kids Find Strength

For nearly 150 years, Epworth Children & Family Services has been committed to keeping families together, preventing abuse and neglect, and encouraging self-sufficiency in at-risk youth and families. Ongoing volunteer opportunities include: assisting at sponsored special events (dinners, birthday parties), serving as a mentor or a tutor, and more. To learn more, visit epworth.org or email Margaret Mahan at mmahan@epwoth.org.

United Methodist Partner Agencies

Shalom House Stabilizing and Rebuilding Lives

Founded in 1968, Shalom House provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, and aftercare services along with life-changing support for women to address the root causes of homelessness and break the cycle of homelessness. Ongoing volunteer needs include: serving meals in the emergency shelter, helping in the computer lab, leading a Bible study or craft, plus many more. For more information visit shalomhousestl.org or contact Julia Lucas at Julia@shalomhousestl.org.

Kingdom House Change Begins Within

Kingdom House provides spiritually-based social services to nearly 11,000 clients each year on the near south side of St. Louis. They provide clients with assistance to achieve self-sufficiency and gain economic independence. Ongoing volunteer opportunities include: assisting in the thrift shop, food pantry, or computer lab; serving as an after-school assistant; teaching a life-skills class; or lending a hand in the preschool day care; plus many more. University UMC collects gifts each Christmas that Kingdom House clients can “shop” for free as they prepare for Christmas. To learn more, visit kingdomhouse.org or email Kenneth Pruitt at kpuitt@kingdomhuse.org.

United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) Offering Help and Hope

UMCOR is the global humanitarian aid organization of the United Methodist Church. UMCOR works in more than 80 countries, including the United States. Our mission, grounded in the teachings of Jesus, is to alleviate human suffering—whether caused by war, conflict or natural disaster—with open hearts and minds to all people. University UMC encourages donations in response to natural disasters and collects a yearly offering called One Great Hour of Sharing. For more information: www.umcor.org.