A Day in the Life….Stop Hunger Now
January 28, 2011
Day and night. That’s how different it seems to no longer be fully engaged in the life of Stop Hunger Now’s board of directors. Following our by-laws, I rotated off the board after two three-year terms. While I still poke my head in their door and let them take me to lunch (!), it’s a version of being in mourning.
For lo, these eleven years, we have affectionately referred to Stop Hunger Now as “the upstairs neighbor.” Seldom have we had to bang on the ceiling for quiet, or answer calls about late night carousing. A two year old upon arrival here, Stop Hunger Now is becoming a teenager (at the same moment as the Fairmont Gospel Revue, apropos of, well, who knows?).
As I am now an entire month removed from being in the thick of things, I went to the web site to bone up on what’s up. In a word, much! The marvelous new site revealed that:
- 215,406 meals have been packaged this week
- 37,118,629 meals have been packaged so far
- 72 countries have been served
Let the people say, “Wow!” or “Amen!”, whichever falls first to hand.
It was also good to see reiterated on the web site Ray Buchanan’s honor as Tarheel of the Year…not week but year! As a usual thing, Tarheels this close to North Carolina State University are eyed with at least a modicum of suspicion, but those who do not bleed pastel blue have also embraced this as mighty good news. What an opportunity to share the story of Stop Hunger Now and the vision “to end hunger in our lifetime.” The story appeared in the December 26 edition of the Raleigh News & Observer, which might have gotten a closer than usual reading due to its being a “snow day.”
What has it meant for us to journey with Stop Hunger Now for more than a decade? In the early years, we became acquainted with the work in crisis relief and an unusually effective way of partnering with existing agencies in far flung places, of leveraging gifts, of low overhead and of rapid response. At the mid-point of our decade plus, we began to package meals.
I said “we,” and by that I do mean to include our congregation. My memory claims December 8, 1995 as the first meal-packaging event, held “in house” at the warehouse in north Raleigh. We were there in good number. As the news spread, some used that venue for birthday celebrations, corporate team building, and expansion through the vast network of possible allies around the area. Now meals are packaged in at least ten locations around the country and in South Africa, with more sites coming on line year by year.
There have been many pivotal moments in the life of SHN, but two are on my mind. The tsunami of late 2004 in the Indian Ocean was the first, the earthquake in Haiti in early 2010 the second. Both unleashed a torrent of response. In those intervening years, the difference in Stop Hunger Now’s capacity to respond is mind boggling, to say the least. How fortunate, how blessed we have been to see close up how all that came together, and how that response continues in the face of hunger,
It has been good to tell the story of Stop Hunger Now having partnerships already in place in Haiti before the earth shook–and shook and shook some more. 1.5 million meals were delivered in mid-December and had not yet been distributed. That asset allowed SHN’s partners to feed 50,000 people a day, surpassing even the earliest response of the United Nations. That is grace abundant, grace at work. Millions more meals have been delivered to this broken place, millions more are in the pipeline.
I am thankful for the opportunity Stop Hunger Now has given us to see and touch the faces of some of the world’s most vulnerable citizens. May God richly bless this movement “to end hunger in our lifetimes.”
Pastor Steve
A Day in the Life….Unity
January 21, 2011
Have you ever “searched” a particular month? Week? Day? I hope you will, as it’s an interesting exercise in who finds what important enough to devote said time frame.
I begin with that thought in light of our being in the midst of “The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.” I recognize that may not have been on your radar, and I admit that this column will likely be my only nod in that direction.
As I reflect on my career as a Christian, the theme of “unity” has been something of a hit-or-miss. I mean really–in my home town, a Methodist marrying a Baptist was talked about for years to come. And it was a rarity. I seemed to have more Catholic friends than any other, and I have no idea why that was. On Sundays when we wanted to go somewhere, I got to experience mass with them…usually at Mercy Hospital, run by the Sisters of Mercy. The Sisters still have my tonsils, by the way.
I was intrigued to learn that the forerunner of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was developed by Father Paul Wattson, SA, at Graymoor in Garrison, NY, January 18-25, 1908. The set of prayers was “The Church Unity Octave,” an effort to gather together the vast scattering of Christians around the world. By some estimates, there are 25,000 identifiable Christian denominations in the US alone! One certainly might begin to doubt the efficaciousness of the prayers for unity. As certainly, the prayer of Jesus stands, the prayer “that they all may be one” (John 17:21).
For the last decade, I have been privileged to be part of the North Carolina Council of Churches’ governing body. Eighteen denominations have found agreement in many areas, and have worked together in those areas, such as immigration reform, racial justice, environmental issues, worker justice, peace, and health care. In other areas, the denominations do not have consensus, and therefore do not attempt to address those issues together.
In 1966, the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches and the Vatican Secretariat (now Council) for Promoting Christian Unity began collaborating as a common international text for worldwide usage. Since 1968 these international texts, which are based on themes proposed by ecumenical groups around the world, have been developed, adapted and published for use in the United States by the Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute.
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2011 has as its chosen Theme: One in the Apostles’ Teaching, Fellowship, Breaking of Bread and Prayer (Acts 2:42). The theme for the annual celebration of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2011 has been announced by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches. For 2011, the churches in Jerusalem were the initial consultants to the Joint Working Group for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The Christians of Jerusalem call upon their brothers and sisters to make this week of prayer an occasion of renewed commitment to work for genuine ecumenism grounded in the experience of the early Church.
There you have it! I am gratified that there is an ongoing effort to help us to be “one!” At camp, didn’t we sing, “We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord?”
Pastor Steve
A Day in the Life…How are We Led?
January 14, 2011
As the new year is well underway, today completes a veritable triple play of moments of renewal: First was the Wesley Covenant Service, completed with Holy Communion. Second was the Service of Baptismal Renewal on the day known as The Baptism of the Lord. Those two include both our sacraments, The Lord’s Supper and Baptism. Today’s third act of renewal is the Dedication of the Church Council. The first connects us to our faith ancestor, John Wesley, and our fellow travelers of nearly three centuries. The second connects us to the gospel moment of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus, a baptism verified by the heaven-splitting Holy Spirit descending as a dove and resting upon Jesus, the same Spirit we reclaim. The third locates our life in the gospel lived out in this church, in this community, in this time in history.
So how is the Church Council formed? As United Methodists, it is the “charge conference” (elected leaders and clergy members) meeting annually that elects leaders and members to committees, boards, and ministry teams. We operate within the parameters as set forth by The 2008 Discipline of the United Methodist Church. Here’s what our governance looks like:
Charge Conference: (meets annually and as needed, ultimate decisions and accountability here)
Church Council: (meets monthly, establishes policy, direction)
MINISTRY TEAMS
Nurture Team, Outreach Team, Witness Team
(all three teams relate to church council)
SUSTAINING TEAMS
Committee on Finance / Board of Trustees /Permanent Endowment Fund Committee /
Committee on Staff Parish Relations / Committee on Lay Leadership
(all relate to church council)
Notes on Ministry Teams:
Nurture includes worship, music, Christian education, fellowship groups and events, caring ministries
Outreach includes ministries that address hunger, poverty, homelessness, social justice, and the annual work team
Witness includes welcome of guests inter-personally, communications (newsletters, web site, emails)
In my career, I have had the honor of serving as pastor of seven churches. In all of those settings, it is clear that this assemblage of leaders and team members is the very strongest. High levels of commitment and attention to detail are among the hallmarks of effective ministry, and these are abundantly present.
In our Discipline, a point is made that we are all ministers… some are ordained (set apart), but all bear the name of Christian minister. We have all committed to the same vows, so support the church with “our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service,” and in 2008, “our witness” was added.
I look forward to what God will do through us in the coming year. Thank you all for your prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness!
Pastor Steve
A Day in the Life…One Year Ago, January 12–more like week
January 7, 2011
A year ago today, January 9, life in Haiti was among the harshest in the western world. By January 12, suffering on this battered island would multiply immeasurably. The following material is provided by our United Methodist Committee on Relief. The website is below, should you care to see the entire timeline of the 2010 United Methodist response to the Haiti Earthquake.
Last year was one of challenges and tragedies for the people of Haiti, as well as for those throughout the world who lost loved ones, friends, and colleagues. But, it was also a year that glistened with hope as generous donations by United Methodists and others enabled UMCOR and its partners to effectively respond to the immediate needs of those affected by the Haiti earthquake…
(The main article offered a timeline of response for all of 2010. Here are the first eight days.)
January, 2010Â The Rev. Sam Dixon, top executive of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), UMCOR consultant, Jim Gulley, and Clint Rabb, United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) executive, travel to Haiti to attend meetings with…Église Méthodiste d’Haiti (EMH, the Methodist Church of Haiti), and other partners, including Sarla Chand, Rick Santos and Ann Varghese from IMA World Health to improve health ministries in Haiti.
On January 12, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocks the impoverished nation. The earthquake affects more than three million people, displaces more than one million, and kills about 300,000 people. The earthquake, which hit 10 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, is believed to be the worst disaster to hit the region in about 200 years. It was followed by several aftershocks, one measuring as high as 6.1 on the Richter scale seven minutes after the earthquake.
UMCOR channels its resources to respond effectively to people most in need by working with partners ACT Alliance, Church World Service, GlobalMedic, and EMH.
UMCOR and UMVIM lose their leaders, the Rev. Sam Dixon and the Rev. Clint Rabb, as a result of injuries sustained in the earthquake.
UMCOR receives more than $2 million in donations just eight days after the earthquake. The agency provides emergency grants to EMH and others to address immediate needs.
UMCOR grants* $20,000 to GlobalMedic to help distribute six million packets of PUR water packets donated by Procter & Gamble, along with Aquatabs and water filters. GlobalMedic deploys paramedics, water technicians, and a doctor to assist the sick or injured. A water distribution hub provides 65,000 people daily with clean drinking water. Working through local nongovernmental organizations, GlobalMedic also distributes 110,000 sachets of PUR water purifiers and 110,000 oral rehydration sachets.
UMCOR partner Church World Service distributes relief kits and blankets in Port-au-Prince, and GlobalMedic brings in water and sanitation equipment.
Eight days after the earthquake, Melissa Crutchfield, UMCOR’s International Disaster Response executive, leads an assessment team with UMCOR-NGO executive Sharad Aggarwal and Edgar Avitia Legarda, Global Ministries’ executive. The team gathers in the Dominican Republic before entering Haiti on Jan. 21 to assess emergency needs.
This is me again–think of what our church has done! For the full time line: http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/newsroom/releases/archives2010/haitiprogressingwithhope/
Pastor Steve
To All The Saints In The Making… All Things New
January 7, 2011
In the Book of Revelation, John the seer reports this:
And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” (Revelation 21:5)
It’s as if he captured the prophetic vision of Isaiah, who says of God,
Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about
to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? (Isaiah 43:18-19)
Not to dispute the Prophet, but to recognize the new, it seems good to “consider” things past– the recent past. Each of the things listed here might be thought of as “launch platforms” for our mission yet to come!
We Ate Well, We Did Good!
Our Sunday Luncheons offer fellowship, food, fun, and funds. A summary is in the Mission UPdate. Outreach will lead the next luncheon on January 9.
We Walked, We Ran!
… at the Race of Grace (April), at the NAMI Walk on Dorothea Dix campus (May), at the CROP Walk for Hunger (October). A special thanks to Fairmont Faithful Fitness for ROG and CROP support.
We Advocated!
… for people with mental illnesses facing loss of state support, for students and educators experiencing turmoil, for a strengthened environment, we hosted a NC Council of Churches “Immigration” event at which our NC Conference Bishop Al Gwinn spoke.
We Worked!
… with 21 families at Christmas, with food and gift cards
… and put together “a load” of gifts for our neighbors at the Robeson County Church & Community Center Christmas Store (as we have for decades)
… to raise over $10,000 for our neighbors in Haiti, and packaged thousands of meals through Stop Hunger Now to relieve suffering, as United Methodist Women went to MERCI in Goldsboro for a work day, as did another team assembling kits for Haiti relief
… with Urban Ministries, raising over $1,000 in direct assistance and thousands more in non-perishable food items (we did “bring our cans to church!”)
… to raise over $1500 for Blanket Sunday and Tools of Hope
… the Fairmont Work Team raised $7,000 to travel to and work through the
Hinton Rural Life Center, Hayesville, NC
We Grew!
Fourteen new members, we witnessed six baptisms. Our Lenten “home” meetings found new life in the fall with our in-home “financial round table” discussions. Parents’ Morning Out, Stop Hunger Now, Raleigh Wesley Foundation all carried out remarkable ministry!
We Learned!
Vacation Bible School – We walked like Egyptians (sort of), we learned more Bible, we took up the bishops’ call to address pandemic poverty and disease, environmental degradation, and the proliferation of weapons and violence–and began our response.
We Worshiped!
This is where it all begins. We sang, rang, prayed, played, week by week, morning and night, and in the high days of Lent and Advent.
Imagine that when God does make all things new, even those most wondrous things will be surpassed. Lord, we are in your hands! Bless us one and all.
Pastor Steve
January Mission Opportunities
January 6, 2011
January in the NC Conference is Project AGAPE month. Project AGAPE is a joint ministry with the Western NC Conference, proclaiming the name of Jesus in Armenia. (See Project Agape below)
January 15 is Human Relations Day–one of the UM six special Sundays. (Read more below)