Where Can I Serve?
Jesus told us, his disciples, to make disciples of all nations. One of the most important values of this church is our mission to the world. It begins in our own community, and spreads overseas to every nation.
Church members are involved in a variety of ministries from things as simple as cutting grass and harvesting the garden of a sick loved one, to working for Habitat for Humanity to build houses for those in need. The United Methodist Mission Statement is ‘Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World’. Such a strong and telling statement.
The Vision Statement of the Brazil United Methodist Church is:
To be a Church that grows in God’s Love,
Builds Strong Relationships,
and Serves in the Community
Coats for Kids Coats for Kids is a program that our Mission Team directs. It provides winter coats for school aged and younger children living in Clay County. Brazil First United Methodist Church began the Coats for Kids program to help insure that the children of this county are kept warm in the winter. We work with the schools, Cradles, and the County Child Welfare office to ensure that any child in need of a winter coat is provided with one. Children are identified thru the schools, cradles, and the county child welfare office and then passed to the Mission Team here at Brazil First United Methodist Church. There are several steps in the process of identifying each child and that is done to protect each child’s privacy. Thankfully we are lucky enough here at Brazil First United Methodist Church to have some church members that are willing to shop for the Mission Team and purchase the needed coats with donations received throughout the year. We are also fortunate to have some members that shop throughout the year for coats. They find coats on sale or at end of season close-outs to add to our inventory of coats. Once the coats are brought to the church, members of the Mission Team group them according to school and deliver them to the school nurses for distribution using coded forms that will identify the recipient. We insert a business card sized note that indicates the coat was provided by Brazil First United Methodist Church into the pocket of each coats.
Throughout the year many of our church members designate a portion of their weekly contributions to this Mission Team Program. Once the Coats for Kids program has begun in the late summer we ask our members for additional donations to help ensure this program is a success. There are also fund-raising events to help with the financing of the program.
Because of the contributions made by the people of Brazil First United Methodist Church, and the hard work of everyone involved, it is insured that every child in Clay County has a proper warm winter coat to wear. If you are interested in more information regarding Coats for Kids please contact Ellen Packard.
Scholarship Program
Our First United Methodist church family is so happy to be able to award scholarships to high school seniors and other students enrolled in post secondary education. There are records showing College scholarships have been awarded from our church since 1987. The money awarded may be used for tuition, housing or books at an accredited school or university.
Many students have scholarships renewed each year they attend full-time programs and maintain a 3.00 grade point average. The applicants will be given preference when they are active members of our church, children of active members and active constituents.
Donations from our congregation and special offerings are the base of these scholarships. Please consider making a special gift to the scholarship fund. If you are interested in more information regarding the Scholarship Program please contact the church office.
International Missions
In July of 2016, Pastor Rick Koch, Darci Chambers and Emily Sands from Brazil FUMC spent two weeks in Paraguay, South America. Pastor Rick has been to Paraguay several times on missions during his ministry in New York, but Brazil FUMC has not had connections with Paraguay until this year. One purpose of the trip was to build relationships with the United Methodist churches, pastors, and missionaries in Paraguay and to see the projects that have been completed and those that are underway. As the team traveled to 5 different cities and visited about 8 churches around Paraguay, they offered hope and inspiration to the Paraguayans, but were equally inspired by the strong devotion and faith the Christian Paraguayans lived out. The team also visited an Indian tribe (the Tobas) with the senior class from New Horizon Methodist School who performed a Christian program with skits, singing, and games for the Toba families. There is an abundance of both rural and urban poverty in Paraguay, and the country is in need of much economic improvement in general. Rick, Darci, and Emily were able to make strong connections with several people there to establish a relationship between Paraguay and Brazil, Indiana, and they look forward to growing those relationships with more mission opportunities in the years to come!
Something’s Cooking
The First United Methodist Church Somethings Cooking opened in 2004. A hot, nutritionally balanced meal, including fresh vegetables and fresh fruit is served every Wednesday evening at 5:00.
There are no requirements to attend the Somethings Cooking. Guests include singles, couples, and families who fellowship with each other. Many are struggling to stretch limited income.
Somethings Cooking is funded by monetary donations.
The Somethings Cooking Crew is made up of four or five women/men who come in on Wednesday afternoon to prepare the meal. Interested in becoming a volunteer?Come and experience a rewarding ministry and have fun along the way. Teens are welcome to come in to help cook/serve meals. To volunteer, contact Marilyn Bowers, kmbowers@frontier.com.
Members and friends of the church furnish the dessert each week. To donate dessert, bring a dessert that can be frozen to the office Sunday – Friday 8:30-12:00 or Monday – Thursday 1:00-3:30.
Pantry Blessings
We have been able to start a new food pantry for Clay County and the surrounding area. With many hours of planning and working Brazil First United Methodist Church has opened its doors to helping our community by hosting a food pantry.
With aid from Catholic Charities, the committee from Brazil First UMC and their strong leadership we have been passing out food to the local people that already attend our Something’s Cooking soup kitchen, however Pantry Blessings (the name of our food pantry) is open to anyone wishing to come in and ask for some food.
Pantry Blessings is open every first and third Wednesday of each month beginning at 4:30 p.m. When stopping by for some food why not grab a try and pull up a chair for some of the best food you will ever find at a soup kitchen. If there are any questions please call the office at 812-443-2231.
Caring Ministry
The sole purpose of Caring Ministry is to care for the members of the Brazil First United Methodist Church. Greeting cards are sent out daily to uplift people who are over 70 years old and still having birthdays. In addition the ministry sends greeting cards for anniversaries, sympathy, thinking of you, get well, and congratulations on the birth of a child.
Another privilege of the of the Caring Ministry is to prepare a dinner for the families who have lost loved ones. The ladies of the ministry are there to comfort the families as well as show them the loving atmosphere at Brazil First United Methodist Church.
Something’s Brewing
Something’s Brewing is Brazil First United Methodist Church’s small version of a coffee shop. The brewing starts around 9:30 with the intent to serve both first and second worship service guests. The excitement of all who attend has been overwhelming! Many have donated financially as well as volunteering to bring snacks-which has been amazing. There is a relatively new chalk board in the north west corner of the Pine room where Somethings Brewing is held. We would like to encourage everyone to write on the board. The goal is for the board to become a communication to the congregation of upcoming events in the church as well as the community. This time of coffee and fellowship has proven already to connect people, and that was the idea…to encourage personal relationships with others in a relaxing, fun environment.
So please continue to join us in the Pine room every Sunday from 9:45 to 11:00 and invite a friend.
All are welcome!!!
Prayers for Meridian Street Elementary School
We, as a church have been asked to be a faith based prayer partner for Meridian Street Elementary School. We have been asked to pray regularly for the staff, the students, their learning direction. We want to lift them up and pray for their home life and situation as well as their school life.
This is a county wide initiative and should be entered into with prayer and support. So, please join us in prayer.
