God’s ARMY in ACTION!
By Darlene Thomas, Regional Director, Northeast Mid Atlantic U.M. ARMYFour churches from Susquehanna Conference heard the call to join U.M. ARMY this past summer! U.M. ARMY (United Methodist Action Reach-out Mission by Youth) is a youth mission organization celebrating 40 years of ministry across the United States!
Christ UMC, Mountain Top, sent 14 adults and youth to a mission week in Massachusetts.
“Our youth group joined several other groups from the Susquehanna Conference the first year we went in 2013,” said the church coordinator. “I was impressed by how the week was orgaized and the youth loved the total experience of fellowship, service to others, and worship. We have participated each year since. I have enjoyed not only bringing this experience to our youth, but also love what it means to me personally.”
Shiremanstown UMC (SUMC) traveled to Virginia this past summer, along with Grace UMC, Mechanicsburg. SUMC took their first group in 2006 to a mission week in Connecticut. The next year, attendance doubled and today averages between 20-25 participants each year.
Because of their strong leadership, SUMC has been recognized as an “anchor church” and has been asked to lead “start-up” mission weeks in Pennsylvania (Williamsport First UMC), Virginia, and Kentucky.
As one of their adults puts it: “U. M. ARMY is an outstanding organization that not only provides training to all its participants, but also encourages youth to develop leadership skills that will be beneficial throughout their lives. It welcomes groups of all sizes and encourages participation from all ages – middle school through adult.”
New Creation Community Church, Dover, has been going to U.M. ARMY since 2014. This past year they traveled to Virginia. One of their youth served on a handicap access ramp team and expressed his experience as: “The feeling you get when you see the smile and sometimes, the tears, that come from the people we serve is unexplainable. To know that we gave her back the ability to leave her house unaided because we built a ramp. To know that we gave her something greater than all of us, we gave love.”
For more information on U.M. ARMY mission opportunities for your youth group, please email Darlene Thomas, Regional Director:
darlenethomas@umarmy.org. Or visit the U.M. ARMY website at umarmy.org.
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Thank you Audrey!
The Susquehanna Conference Connecting Ministries staff would like to extend our gratitude to Audrey Wilder, Director of Christian Education and Young People’s Ministry. Sensing a change in her call to ministry and with two future youth in her own home, Audrey stepped down in October. For four years, Audrey has faithfully served our youth and young adults. She has a passion for raising up the young leaders of our conference, guiding them in their journeys, supporting their ministries and helping them realize who God is leading them to become.Please join us in praying for Audrey’s future endeavors!
