Missions & Outreach
"Yes. Here I am Lord. Send Me"
Outreach is a wonderful expression of our love toward others as we seek to serve Jesus Christ in the church, surrounding community and world. We are in ministry to provide food for the hungry, housing for the homeless and compassion to all God's people in many different ways.
Where is God calling you to serve? Please take the time to browse these opportunities to be in ministry as a part of First United Methodist Church of Winter Park. If you feel led to become involved in one or more of them contact us to get more information and become a part. You may also contact Carol Smith, Director of Lay Ministry, for more information about these and various other outreach opportunities, or utilize our ServantConnector to explore additional areas to serve and register your interest.
News
Agua Viva started in 2007 with a simple request. "We need clean water," something we so easily take for granted in our own homes. This request started a long journey for a motley crew of part-time missionaries. They wanted clean water, and through their training in their own world, they had a theoretical idea of how to get it. Over the next 4 years they refined their technique. The team was confronted with many seemingly insurmountable obstacles, but through God all things are possible. This was proven time and time again as things didn't always go as planned, but they did always seem to go. Read more about the Agua Viva ministry and learn how to get involved on the Agua Viva Website.
Through Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN ) the church will host homeless families March 3-10. There are many opportunities for service to those families during the week. Visit the IHN page for more information and to volunteer or contact Jean Brown at jean0877(at)msn.com or 407-951-6652.
Winter Park Art Festival Water Ministry
The church participates in the Winter Park Art Festival by providing bottles of water to festival patrons. If you would like to help hand out water, March 16-18, for more information and to sign up for a shift (or three) go to the water ministry page.
Perfect Gift Market
Through the Perfect Gift Market you can give a meaningful gift and contribute to a specific need within a charitable organization. Visit the Perfect Gift Market page, stop by the table in the courtyard Sunday morning, or come to the church office during the week for a catalogue.
Mission Trip Update
- An informational lunch for the Honduras mission trip, July 7-14, will be held on Sunday, February 19.
- A construction and repair trip to Trenton, GA, is planned for April 19-22.
- The next Costa Rica Agua Viva well-drilling trips are scheduled for April 14-21 and 21-28.
- There are a couple of spots left for the Kenya mission trip, scheduled for June 14-27. Sign-up deadline is now!
To sign up for any of these meetings or for additional information on trips, contact Jensie Gobel at 407-644-2906, ext. 256 or jensieg(at)fumcwp.org.
There are 2,500,000 orphans in Kenya, 10,000 of those live in the Naivasha region. First United Methodist Church Winter Park and Naivasha United Methodist Churches established Partners in Hope to serve the orphans and vulnerable children in Naivasha. Find out more about this ministry and how to get involved on the Panua Website.
Read the latest Panua newsletter as we celebrate the accomplishments of 2011 and look forward to the coming year with hope and excitement.
Find out what's happening with the South Street Ministry and how you can get involved on the South Street Page!
Serving Opportunities
For Women
Throughout the week, both mornings and evenings, there are many opportunities for both serving and enjoying the fellowship of other women. See the G.I.R.L.S. page for more information.Street Eat Bags
Each Sunday, between and after worship services, you can pick up Street Eat Bags from the Connecting Point table. Each bag has an assortment of nutritious, nonperishable food that can be carried in your car and distributed to those who are hungry. Stop by, grab some Bags, and help provide food to those in need.
Shepherd's Hope
Through the combined efforts of volunteer physicians and other health-care professionals, schools, hospitals, and churches, Shepherd's Hope Health Centers are able to provide quality, non-emergency medical care to those in need. Health professionals are always needed, but if you are over 18, there is a job for you. Orientations for new volunteers are scheduled on a regular basis. Please contact Heather Godwin, manager of Hungerford Clinic, by email or Rev. Gary Rideout by email or calling the church (407-644-2906). Serve on Thursday nights from 6 to 8:30 pm at the Hungerford Clinic, located at 100 East Kennedy Avenue in Eatonville.
Interfaith Hospitality Network
IHN is a ministry which hosts homeless families on the church property for one week on a rotating basis with other churches in the area. Contact Carol Smith for more information on how you can become a part of this important ministry.
Daily Bread
Volunteers serve the noon meal every day for one week at Daily Bread, a ministry of the Christian Service Center located in downtown Orlando. Daily Bread typically takes place between 11:30 am to 1 pm. For information about the next time FUMC, Winter Park will be participating as a community at Daily Bread please contact Carol Smith.
United Methodist Children’s Home Annual Picnic
Provide food and participate in the annual picnic for the children and staff at the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home in Enterprise, FL (approximately 40 minutes from the church). The picnic is an all day Saturday event every August and is a great opportunity for families to serve together.Giving Tree Ministry
Each year our church family generously supports this ministry to purchase toys for needy children in our community. The Giving Tree Ministry Team makes Christmas ornaments, decorates several trees around the church campus and administers the collection of the toys.Winter Park Art Festival Annual Water Giveaway
Share a welcoming smile and cool water at the “cooling stations” around the church campus during the Winter Park Art Festival weekend. Held in March, the time commitment is a shift of approximately three hours outside. The Water Ministry is a wonderful activity for children and adults of all ages.Perfect Gift Market
Instead of giving a gift to someone, this ministry gives us an opportunity to support those in need through donations to various missions around the world. The Perfect Gift Market Ministry Team works on the catalog, marketing and administration of the donations. The Market will be open again later this year, in plenty of time to purchase the "Perfect" Christmas gifts!Domestic Mission Trips
Be part of a team which travels to locations within the US for mission projects that include construction tasks, outreach for children and disaster relief. Be sure to contact us at the church office for various opportunities to be involved in these important missions.
Foreign Mission Trips
Mission trips are taken by adults and youth to other countries to help communities build houses, schools, churches and conduct Bible School for the local children. Be sure to contact us at the church office for various opportunities to be involved in these important missions.
Soul to Sole
Soul to Sole is a ministry of our church, begun by a generous donation of 400 pairs of gently worn running shoes in adult sizes. Cheryl Loft is working with area agencies, schools and organizations to let them know that if they know someone who could use a pair of shoes, Soul to Sole can help. We are receiving more shoes each month. Contact Cheryl Loft for more information.Helping Hands Projects
Take some time and do some projects around the community. The Helping Hands Ministry assists people with repairs and minor building needs such as hurricane recovery or wheelchair ramps for the handicapped or elderly.
Helping Hands On-site
This ministry team does simple repairs, paints and works on landscaping around the church and parsonages. Times will vary.Information Table Team
We would love you to serve at the information table in the courtyard between worship services to help direct people and answer questions about the ministry of the church.Ten Thousand Villages
You can serve at the Ten Thousand Villages store on Park Avenue. The retail store sells fair trade crafts made by people around the world. Help is needed at the cash register and stocking shelves. Following the provided training you will be able to set shift times.SHARES
The Florida Hospital SHARES Program's mission is having an impact by delivering and improving the quality of health care for needy populations in selected countries. By interfacing with local public health physicians, SHARES physicians share technical knowledge and skills.
These are just a few of the many outreach ministries that you can be involved with as a part of the community of FUMC, Winter Park doing the ministry of Jesus Christ.
If you are interested in finding an outreach ministry to become involved in, contact Carol Smith.
