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THE AMBASSADOR “So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians
5:20).”Volume 13, Issue 9 A newsletter for the Pastors and Lay Leadership of the Charlottesville District September 2015
Contributions
$47,323 as of 8/31/15
$400,000 Goal
Heart Havens Donations
The above donation button is located on the home page of the Charlottesville District website. http://charlottesvilledistrictumc.org. This is a secure website, through PayPal, where you can go to donate to Heart Havens.
The School for Children’s Ministries is On The Road again! Three more locations this year. Learn Extraordinary Lessons from Ordinary Objects offers three more workshops. .5 CEU offered as well as certificates for preschool teacher accreditations. Please encourage your children’s ministry team to attend. Only $20 per person. Brochure and Registration online:
http://www.vaumc.org/Events?cid=3&ceid=1272&cerid=0&cdt=5%2f30%2f2015
Fall dates and locations:
September 12, 2015 Timberlake UMCLynchburg
October 17, 2015 Thalia UMC VA Beach November 7, 2015 Good Shepherd UMC Dale City
Children's Ministry GatheringThe Charlottesville Area Children's Gathering will resume on Wednesday, September 23 at 9am at Panera (on Community Street). For more information, feel free to contact me at [email protected] - Julie Nitzsche, Director of Children's and Youth Ministry, Stanardsville United Methodist Church
Men’s Retreat: Faith at Work The one day retreat, called "Faith At Work" will begin at 8 AM on Sat Sept 26th with registration and breakfast. Our program begins at 9 AM and includes some fun, high energy music time to kick things off. We will spend some time led by Rev. Tom Frost together and in small groups. The theme is "Ordinary Guys Doing the Extraordinary".
Lunch will be provided with an inspiring speaker detailing how God is at work in the Middle East though the lives of Christian men (and their challenges) in a Muslim world.
Our afternoon program will be one of learning about opportunities in our local community where we can put our energy to work, plus actually completing a project to support our deployed troops in a real way.
This will be followed by an inspirational songfest; an outstanding dinner prepared by the Zion UMC women; and our dinner speaker highlighting the good news and challenges of reaching our unchurched youth through the Young Life program; and some closing remarks to send us on our way.
Wives or significant others are invited and encouraged to join us for the songfest and dinner.
We are excited about what the possibilities are to reach the men in your church and have them participate in a day that will have significant meaning for them. Please help us get the word out! If you have any questions, you can contact Stan Yackel (cell 540-894-7120) or [email protected].
Cunningham UMC Vacation Bible SchoolJuly 13 – 17, 2015
First UMC launches new ministryI am very excited to share that First U.M.C. in Charlottesville is preparing to launch a new ministry program called First@5! This program will build upon our existing Sunday Night Alive programming by inviting entire families and others in the community to engage in Upward, Inward, and Outward relationships in new and participatory ways. Through music, prayer, fellowship, and food - we will work to foster a community of Christ that will focus on discipleship within the family.
I think most of us understand that there are a number of other commitments that draw people, especially families with children, away from church on Sunday mornings. Even those who have children on non-travel sports teams can find themselves spending most of their weekend on the road or winding down from a game or tournament. The First@5 program will feature an alternative and interactive worship service that invites parents and children to come together in
song, prayer, and fellowship in a relaxing and open environment. Of course, there will also be a free meal (we’re Methodists after all… ) once a month.
If you find that your own Sunday mornings are too busy for church, or if you know of someone who could use a good meal and a community of believers then there is room at the table for you. Listed below is the basic information for this ministry program and if you have any questions about First@5 please contact Phil Woodson at [email protected]. Your positive thoughts and prayers are also welcomed and appreciated as we set out to answer God’s calling for our church.
First@5 Information: Who: Everyone is invited. This program is designed to
create a community of faith that will connect families and friends at all stages of life. There will be opportunities for strengthening existing relationships and creating new ones.
What: The First@5 program will feature food, music, prayer and focus on our Upward, Inward, and Outward relationships. One of our goals is to create an environment similar to that of your own kitchen and allow room for the Spirit to move amongst the hearts of all who come together in fellowship and grace.
When: October 4th at 5:00pm (our launch date) – and the first Sunday night of every month to follow (hence the name: First @5). There will also be additional programing for adults and children on the other Sunday nights as well.
Where: First United Methodist Church, 101 E Jefferson St, Charlottesville, VA 22902.
In Christ,Phil WoodsonWorship Leader – First U.M.C.
Region Ten Community Services Board Hosting 2015 Mental Health First Aid TrainingsWHAT: Mental Health First Aid is similar to First Aid and CPR. Mental Health First Aid helps individuals to support those experiencing mental health problems and aids in getting people professional help and support. It is an interactive 8-hour course that teaches a 5-step action plan to offer initial help to people with the signs and symptoms of a mental illness or in a crisis,
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and connect them with the appropriate professional, peer, social, or self- help care. For more information on Mental Health First Aid, please visit www.thenationalcouncil.org or www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org.We offer two versions of Mental Health First Aid: the Adult Version and a Youth Version for Adults who work with adolescents. Choose the one that is right for you.WHO: Local citizens, families, school personnel, police officers, corrections staff, nursing home staff, hospital staff, government staff, faith communities, employers, teachers, front desk staff, nurses, resident advisors, social workers, lawyers, Scout leaders, coaches and more. WHEN:
September 18, 2015 8:00 AM-5:00 PMAdult Version
October 16, 2015 8:00 AM-5:00 PMAdult Version
November 13, 2015 8:00 AM-5:00 PMAdult Version
December 11, 2015 8:00 AM-5:00 PMAdult Version
WHERE: Region Ten Community Services Board500 Old Lynchburg Rd. Conference Center
Room 500A, Charlottesville, VA 22903COST: Classes will be $25 per person for materials and lunch.REGISTER: Contact: Jane Lewis, 434-970-1282 or [email protected] Ten provides mental health, intellectual disability, crisis and substance use services for adults and children living in the City of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Greene, Fluvanna, Louisa and Nelson. Since Region Ten's inception in 1969, we have grown to more than 500 employees working to enrich our community one life at time.
Stanardsville hosting Youth GatheringCommunity Youth Gathering: Rock the Block will be Sunday, Sept. 20th at 6pm at Stanardsville United Methodist Church. I hope that this will be a time for the youth in our churches and community to come together for a time of fellowship and worship and bonding. Our time together will start with some ice breakers/ getting to know you games/ activities, simple supper and conclude with worship and Holy Communion.
You are all invited to join us. It would be helpful to have an idea of how to prepare food, so if you could let me know an idea of how many youth by Sept. 16, that would be great! Also, please be aware that SUMC has a child protection policy, therefore the parents of your youth can either sign them in at 6pm using our parental consent or you as the church/ minister can assume responsibility. Don't hesitate to call with any questions.
Blessings to youJulie Nitzsche, Director of Children's and Youth MinistryStanardsville United Methodist Church
UMW EventSEPTEMBER18-19th..Young Womenʼs event at Blackstone
OCTOBER3rd.........Charlottesville District UMW Annual Meeting 23-25th..Virginia Conference UMW Annual Meeting
Save the date:C’ville District Conference and Training- Saturday, November
14 at Aldersgate UMC from 9:30-1:00 p.m.
Cunningham UMC Mission Trips
CUMC maintains a Covenant Relationship with Becky Parsons, the Director of the Community Outreach Program in Roanoke, VA. A team of 10 people from CUMC pitched in to help paint, clean and prepare for another school year. This trip was July 30 – Aug. 2.
CUMC Youth participated in the Love Your Neighbor event in Waynesboro, VA on 8/01/15. They painted an out-building, railings, mulched, and power washed her house.
Mt. HorebMt. Horeb just bought our cow for the children at St Joseph's school for special needs in Kenya and she is with child.
Rev. Dr. Judy Janelle DeBres
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Youth MinistryConference EventsNovember 13-15, 2015: Middle School Retreat
December 4-6, 2015: High School Retreat
NOMINEE FORMCHARLOTTESVILLE DISTRICTAt-Large Lay Delegate Annual Conference 2016
Name: ______________________________________________ □Young Person (Between ages of 18 & 30)
Address: ☐ Youth(Between ages of 12 & 17)
Phone: _ E-Mail:
Gender:
Ethnic Background_:
Name of Local Church:
I have held the following position in my local church:
I have held the following position in the Annual Conference: I have held the following position on the District as: I am presently serving in my local church as: I am presently serving on the District as: I am presently serving on the Annual Conference level as:
I hereby give my consent to have my name placed on the ballot for election of the 2016 Annual Conference.
If elected, I will be able to attend.
Date _____________________________Signature_______________________________________
Hola! Greetings, Friends of Emanuel Youth Mission!September 2015 Page
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San Vicente Volcano near Taura , El SalvadorOpen the eyes of my heart is a popular spiritual song, the song Ely, a Salvadoran mission partner sang in Spanish for us, and members of our Virginia mission team sang for the Taura church congregation. It turned out to be a theme of this year’s trip. A group of 15 from Lovingston’s Calvary Baptist Church and Piney River Baptist Church went with us in July. They worked all year to collect donations of shoes, clothes, hygiene and first aid items and to raise funds for food sustainability projects. They helped more than 8 impoverished families have fish ponds to raise tilapia, enclosures and shelters for chickens and goats. They worked on those projects each morning and accomplished the relational component of our mission the rest of the day, doing activities with the children like face painting, animal balloons, making bracelets, a puppet show, playing soccer, living with and getting to know the children and adults of the Taura village. They signed up for this trip, stepping out in faith, into the unknown, because they already have big hearts, and then, the gracious people of Taura opened their eyes and hearts even more. Several have said that the Taura people are the most Godly people they have ever met, so giving, loving and joyful...despite the hardship of their lives. Their focus on relationship to God and relationship with each other is very evident. Virginia team members have said this trip changed their perspectives about what is important in life. Emanuel Youth Mission thanks all the kind people who donated to make this trip possible!
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Emanuel Youth Mission, John and Jonna Clarkson, P.O. Box 582, Lovingston, Virginia 22949
Yanci Aleman was the first Emanuel Youth Mission sponsored student to graduate from high school. She is now 20 years old and the very competent secretary/manager for our mission in Taura. After caring for her older brother, Freddy, who died after a several year struggle with leukemia, she felt the call to be a doctor. That means 8 years total of college and medical school, at $5,000 a year, a practical impossibility for a youth in impoverished Taura, but a dream nevertheless. Yanci assists the doctor in the Taura clinic and reads medical books to learn. While the Calvary team was in Taura in July, their church decided to sponsor Yanci for at least 2 years of college.WOW! That dream is coming true! We are excited to begin this fund for her remaining years; any donations will help her to complete medical school and become a doctor! Thank you Calvary for jumpstarting this miracle!
The week after the Calvary team left Taura, John, I and Marvin followed up on the remaining food projects, the distribution of donated
items, attended church services, and played with the children. Marvin, Ely, and John climbed to the top of that San Vicente volcano and went to a rather “wild west” type of animal market to get goats for one of the projects. It is always an adventure, and we always come home to Virginia so filled with love.
Here are the projects we need funds for now:
Irrigation systems: This is the rainy season and their planting season; however, they have not had rain and lost their annual corn crop, their food and income. Irrigation would help them to plant again. Approximately $1,500 each.
A 2nd
truck to be used for clean water delivery: the 1 community truck has so many other obligations, school bus, community transportation; it is not available for delivery to as many families as would like to have the clean water. Approximately $25, 000.
Support for the medical clinic: $600 a month provides doctor care and medicines.
School sponsorships for children from the poorest families: $300 a year.
Yanci’s college fund: $5,000 a year, any amount designated for her will go to this fund. Please help her become a doctor who will make a difference for her people.
Marvin, John and I would like to thank all of you who have been so faithful to partner with us in Emanuel Youth Mission. Your prayers and your donations are very much appreciated and ARE making a difference in Taura. The health official who monitors that zone told us this time that with the clean water, the clinic, and the fog machine to kill mosquitoes, Taura is like an oasis of good health. The babies are not dying, children do not have parasites and are not malnourished, people do not have gastrointestinal diseases or the mosquito borne diseases they have had in recent years. With your help and with God, we hope to not only continue
projects to address these issues, but also expand this help to more people.
Bendiciones, John and Jonna Clarkson, Emanuel Youth Mission P.O. Box 582 Lovingston, Virginia 22949
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The United Methodist Church
Charlottesville District Office 914 E. Jefferson St., Suite 104Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 http://CharlottesvilleDistrictUMC.org Email: [email protected]
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Newsletter Deadline - September 15Please send your submissions for the October 2015 issue ofThe Ambassador to Carol Frost at [email protected] by September 15.
The Ambassador by emailIf you would like to receive The Ambassador by email, or if your email address has changed recently, please send an email to the District Office with your request to [email protected].
September 15 Deadline for the October issue of The AmbassadorSeptember 18-19 UMW Young Women’s Event at BlackstoneSeptember 20 Rock the Block: Youth Gathering at Stanardsville UMCSeptember 23 Children’s Ministry Gathering at PaneraSeptember 26 Men’s Retreat: Faith at Work at Zion UMCOctober 3 Charlottesville District UMW Annual Meeting, Crozet UMCOctober 4 First@5 Launches at First UMCOctober 17 Scamper for a Camper at Westview on the JamesOctober 23-25 Virginia Conference UMW Annual Meeting
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Non-profitOrganization
U.S. POSTAGEPAID
Permit No. 180Charlottesville Va
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