Lisa Landis - Fickes, Mission Central Director of Development and Communications
At this year’s Annual Conference, the churches of the Susquehanna Conference set out on a mission: to gather enough supplies to assemble 1,000 Activity Kits for Mission Central. These kits, filled with school and art supplies, are distributed to children facing hardship - both locally and around the world - offering hope, encouragement, and a sense of care during difficult times.
Thanks to the incredible generosity and coordination across the Conference, that goal wasn’t just met, it was exceeded.
Churches from all five districts rallied to collect specific items - pencils and sharpeners, pens and erasers, notebooks, rulers, scissors, crayons, and colored pencils. In addition to gathering thousands of these essential tools, many congregations stepped up to sew handmade fabric bags to hold the kits, following a shared pattern. The result was an outpouring of support that filled and overflowed four massive Gaylord boxes, each capable of holding up to 5,000 pounds.
The items poured into the Grand Ballroom at the Genetti Hotel during the Conference, creating a vibrant visual reminder of the collective impact churches can have when they unite around a shared purpose. From smaller rural congregations to larger suburban churches - and communities in between – we saw every district show up. Pastors and lay delegates arrived with carloads of donations. Volunteers and staff from Mission Central were on site to help receive, sort, and begin preparing for what came next.
The first wave of kit assembly began immediately. Volunteers from Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Enola, Pa., were among the first to roll up their sleeves and begin packing kits. Their joyful energy reflected the heart of this mission - service rooted in love and a commitment to putting faith into action. Dozens more churches and groups will follow in the coming weeks, helping turn this mountain of supplies into hundreds of neatly packed kits ready for distribution.
Each Activity Kit will go on to serve a child who might otherwise go without. Whether used in disaster response, refugee outreach, or local school partnerships, these kits become more than just supplies - they become tools for healing, creativity, and connection. They let a child know that someone cares.
Mission Central is deeply grateful to the Susquehanna Conference for its overwhelming dedication to this cause. As a mission hub, Mission Central relies on the partnership and support of communities of faith like yours to meet urgent needs both near and far. This was a true Conference-wide effort - and a testament to what’s possible when we come together in service.
To everyone who donated items, sewed bags, encouraged participation, or drove supplies to the Conference - thank you. Your efforts are already making a difference and will continue to ripple outward in ways you may never fully see.
And as we look ahead, we invite you to mark your calendars for our biggest event of the year. Thanks & Giving: An Evening with Mission Central will take place on Saturday, November 15th. This annual gathering is our largest fundraiser - and a celebration of the impact we create together. More details will be shared soon, but for now, we hope you’ll plan to join us for an evening of gratitude, generosity, and shared mission.
Together, we did more. And together, we’ll keep connecting God’s resources with human need.
