Faith in Action

On January 28 it was a nice day in Columbia, with a high of 74 degrees. The next day there were severe thunderstorms. Two days later it was down to 4 degrees. For most people, extreme swings in weather mean you’d better check the forecast so you grab the right coat before you leave for work in the morning. For the homeless, changes in the weather can be fatal.

Fifty one college age persons travelled to Stilwell, OK Jan. 7-12 for a mission trip. We worked with Cherokee Nation on homes, churches and community centers in the area.

New Horizons United Methodist Church sits at the corner of El Chaparral Avenue and Highway WW and is at the entry point into the El Chaparral subdivision in Columbia, MO. Church members have long been concerned about the children and youth in the development as nearly 60% of the children at nearby Cedar Ridge Elementary School are on the free or reduced lunch plan.

First UMC Lee's Summit, aka The Summit, recently extended it's mission arm to one of its members in a radical way.

It’s not uncommon for a church to open its doors to accommodate an occasional group of overnight travelers. It is uncommon for those doors to stay open for more than a year. Byers Avenue UMC in Joplin first offered shelter to a vol- unteer team coming to assist the community with tornado recovery on May 26, 2011, just a few days after the tornado hit.

The Harrisonville youth and children visited a local nursing care facility to deliver Valentine Day cards and share the good news that God loves them.

Our Vacation Bible School was July 12 through July 16. During that week we raised money to be distributed in Random Acts of Kindness around the community of Peculiar, Missouri. Much to our surprise, the Vacation Bible School raised over $400.

Have a great example of how you are putting your faith in action? Let us know! Submit your Faith in Action story to us and share it with the rest of the Missouri Conference!