At the 2015 Susquehanna Annual Conference in June, Mission Central launched a $2 million capital campaign called, “An Unfolding Story.” The goal of the campaign is to eliminate the mortgage on the Mission Central warehouse, make improvements to the warehouse, and expand the ministries of Mission Central.
Mission Central is the mission warehouse of the Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church. Since it’s beginning in 2002 Mission Central has had three points of focus: disaster response, mission outreach and mission education.
When creating Mission Central, the main goal was centralization and unification of the mission work of the various churches in the conference. Mission Central now has five ministry partners that share the warehouse, and partnerships with more than 80 other ministries throughout Pennsylvania and around the world.
Mission Central is host to thousands of volunteers who come to experience being “the hands and feet of God” in service. Volunteers help process United Methodist Committee on Relief kits of various types (school, birthing, health, sewing, etc.) for use all around the world, as well as sorting and packing supplies of all types needed for local, national, and international ministries, ultimately sending God’s love around the world.
The foundation of the year-long capital campaign is prayer. Every week for 52 weeks a devotional will be published at missioncentral.org/news-events/weekly-devotionals. People are invited to devote time to prayer for Mission Central every Wednesday at noon.
“When we began planning for the Mission Central Capital Campaign, it was obvious that we needed to begin with prayer, for ‘prayer has been and is the engine that runs Mission Central,’” said Rev. David Norris, Vice President of the Mission Central Board of Directors.
Every Wednesday at noon for a year (June, 2001 - June, 2002) the original task force that Bishop Irons called together to explore a possible mission center in our conference, prayed together for discernment. The answer to those prayers was the unexpected … a warehouse already built and ready for the amazing mission ministry that God was calling our conference to undertake. It was the first “God moment” to unfold that the 2002 Annual Conference overwhelmingly approved the purchase of the warehouse.
“None of us can describe God exactly, but we know when we have God moments ... They are moments of recognition when we know what is true, realize what is real, and experience what is good. God moments are rare glimpses into eternity.”
—Jeremy Langford
God moments happen so often at Mission Central, its HUBs, and its partners. The committee has been asking for God Moments to be written and shared as part of the Wednesday prayer vigils for June, 2015 - June, 2016. Early in the morning every Wednesday, a new devotional is posted on the Mission Central website at www.missioncentral.org telling the Unfolding Story of God’s movement in and through Mission Central. “What a blessing to hear the stories, listen to the witnessing, and experience God’s Spirit anew.”
You are invited to join in the Unfolding Story Prayer Vigil every Wednesday at noon or anytime during the day. God has entrusted us to support Mission Central in all ways, starting with prayer,” said Norris.
Mission Central (Conference Advance Special #7050) annually connects nearly $10 million worth of donated material to nearly two million people. Mission Central’s annual operating budget is approximately $500,000 to operate a 48,000-square-foot facility and manage nearly $10 million of inventory with six staff members. Obviously, the support of volunteers (over 8,000 annually) and you and your church’s financial support is vital to its success.
Mission Central does not receive funding from Shares of Ministry, but depends solely upon your gifts. Please prayerfully consider gifts, in addition to current donations, that you or your congregation can make toward this campaign. It can be a one-time donation, or can be spread over several months.
You are invited to join the Unfolding Story that is Mission Central.
