Olivet United Methodist Church
Robbinsdale, MN

Creating a Community at Church that Kids Can Call Their Own!

Community United Methodist Church is a rapidly growing church in the I-94 corridor between Minneapolis and St. Cloud that strives to provide uplifting spiritual opportunities for people of all ages. At least 452 households live within a half-mile of the church, and 292 additional apartment units are set to open nearby this summer. For families in that area, CUMC’s small playground is the only one in the neighborhood.

Currently, more than 30 children regularly attend Sunday School at CUMC, and the church welcomes more than 100 each summer for Vacation Bible School. Its playground is well-used, but to fully serve the need, the church wants to upgrade and add to its playground equipment.

CUMC believes that a safe place to play is fundamental for the development of healthy children. By providing a proper playground, congregants are showing children that church can be a safe and fun place to be. They hope this will open doors to all the other wonderful things the church has to offer.

Vacation Bible School at CUMC
supports the community by offering fellowship
to more than 100 children each summer.

Where We Have Been

Community United Methodist Church was founded in Monticello in 1855. Our church has a long history of service, including helping to shelter freed slaves as part of the underground railroad and feeding lunches to U.S. Army Aircorp glider pilots being trained during World War II. In June 2000, our congregation moved to a new location, southeast of downtown on a hill that is the highest point in Wright County.

We have always been proud of our church and its continued tradition of helping and serving those in need. Many people in Monticello have said that if you want some help or you want something done, “Call the Methodists.”

CUMC wants to expand and
enhance its small playground.

Where We Are Now

CUMC houses a Christian preschool serving almost 100 children weekly. Our church provides a Wednesday night community supper (free-will offering), which draws people from throughout the community.

We also organize volunteers for the Help Center, Food Shelf, Meals on Wheels, Feed My Starving Children, and nursing home birthday parties. As part of a unique program, members of the congregation act as greeters and hall monitors at the local middle school. Annual CUMC sends groups of adults and youth on mission trips throughout the country to help others and to build better relationships with Christ.

The Spring Call proceeds will help CUMC
build inviting spaces where
children can have fun as they grow.

Where We Want To Go

As our congregation grows and we serve more people from the community, our playground needs to provide additional safe and inviting areas where children and teens can play and make positive memories.

CUMC is committed to creating special spaces that will ignite the interests of children from toddler to high school and encourage them and their parents to join us.

This summer we plan to purchase and install new outdoor playground equipment for children who currently come to your church and those living in the surrounding community.

Our congregation has pledged to match the funds raised through this Spring Call, but we need your help to make this vision become reality!

Please help us provide new playground equipment
for our church and community.
Thanks much!!
Larry

Important Notice!

Due to low registration numbers,
the Minnesota United Methodist Builders
has decided to postpone the Annual Meeting and Celebration Dinner
scheduled for Sunday, October 11th at Recovery Church.

We will keep you informed about our future plans.
Thank-you again for your continued support of MnUMB!!

In 2012, lightning struck the Walker UMC building, causing it to burn to the ground. United Methodist individuals and congregations, in addition to the Minnesota United Methodist Builders, stepped forward to support this critical ministry serving a very diverse, transitional community in south Minneapolis.

For two years, the Walker congregation worshipped in community spaces, purchasing a portable sound system to use until their new building was completed. At that time Walker’s dream called for a state-of-the art sound system to be installed in the sanctuary. Recognizing that such a system was just too expensive for the construction budget, the congregation voted to only install the conduit runs – and kept using their small, portable sound system.

However, the portal system is extremely inadequate for the current sanctuary and community needs. Funding a new sound system for Sunday Celebration, led by over a dozen musicians and singers; community meetings; and neighborhood dances, concerts, and recitals will greatly benefit both the congregation and the rental options by the community. Additionally, the portable sound system will still get used in the dining area/coffee house space where a free meal is offered to people in the community every Wednesday night (in fact, students benefiting from the Fall Call at the Wesley Foundation Center serve meals at Walker one Wednesday every month).

The monies raised through this Call will bring the gift of full sound back to Walker UMC:

• Speakers that will work with both voice amplification and a variety of musical styles will be installed;
• A digital control board for ease of use by many different community groups will be added;
• Wireless microphones will be connected so the modular space can be set up in a variety of ways;
• Assisted listening devices will be fully functional;
• Speakers will be installed in the foyer and in the street-level conference room (child-care space).

Members of the Walker congregation will provide the labor to install this new sound system. But we need your help also!! Music and performance are a vital part of the Walker worship experience and integral to the cultural groups residing around the church.

Support Walker Church’s mission to “nurture spirituality, build caring community, and work courageously for peace with justice and mercy” by contributing to the 2015 Spring Call.

To make a donation toward a quality sound system for use by both the Walker UMC congregation and groups they reach out to support within their community, simply click below, or send your check to Minnesota United Methodist Builders (MnUMB), 122 Franklin Avenue, # 400, Minneapolis, MN 55404. Please note on your check “Spring Call 2015”. Thank you.

Wesley at the University of Minnesota is a restarted United Methodist campus ministry in its 4th year.  As one of the approximately 200 full-time Wesley Foundations, they minister to the third largest students body in the U. S.  Students are at an age of major personal development, and their focus on them now builds church leadership for the future.  The foundation is pastor led, student run, with the oversight of a Board of Directors.  The Foundation maintains physical space across the street from the campus.  The gathering space and pastor’s office allow them to welcome students from all faith background and provide an open environment for inclusive community.  In addition to Sunday night worship, students have an opportunity to engage with questions of faith be active in service and social justice work.  They practice radical hospitality through community dinners, book and Bible studies, and mission trips.

The ministry moved into a larger space in their building to welcome more students – and discovered that the new space while much more welcoming was far too cold to be hospitable.  The current radiator is at the end of the line in their rented space.  But you can help!  They plan to increase the warmth – and the warmth of their hospitality be installing a gas insert to keep the space comfortably warm during the long and cold winter months.  It will offer an inviting, homey gathering space for campus ministry year-round, and bonding by the fire will become a cherished part of life at Wesley.  You can help!  Wesley Foundation has been designated as the 2014 fall call.  To make a donation, simply click below, or send your check to Metro West Builders, 122 Franklin Ave  #400 55404.  Note on your check ‘Fall Call 2014’.  Don’t miss this opportunity to provide warm welcoming space for future United Methodist leaders!

This year’s annual celebration and dinner was held in junction with the annual meeting on October 19th at Prairie Church in Eden Prairie.  The Jumpin’ Jehosafats got us off to a rousing start.  The theme of the evening was ‘Let’s Connect’.  Cindy Gregorson, Conference Council Director led a panel of pastors in a discussion of ‘Innovative Community Ministries’.  Rev Rachel Morey told the story of Mosaic’s beginning and their partnership with Brooklyn Park to build a homeless shelter for youth.  She also updated us on the work of the Center for Servant Ministries at Simpson UMC.  Rev. Gloria Roach Thomas of Camphor Church spoke of their church’s focus on health and wellness ministries, particularly in the area of diabetes prevention and Alzheimer’s care.  Rev. Sarah Lawton of Northeast United Methodist Church described their community garden and how it is impacting their community and transforming their church.

For 126 years, the Metro West Builders and its predecessor organizations have been in a ministry of resourcing new and existing churches. A part of that legacy was the new church development fund. It was a designated fund that gave dollars to new church starts for land and buildings. Because the Builders works closely with the Annual Conference in all decisions about the new church start grants, a decision was made to entrust that legacy of funds to the Minnesota Annual Conference in their work in starting new churches. At the annual conference session in June of 2014, the Metro West Builders made a gift of $200,000 to the ‘Reach, Renew, Rejoice’ campaign, which will launch a congregational development initiative to start new churches and grow existing churches. Bishop Bruce Ought observed, “It is first and for most a spiritual renewal movement.” It is a privilege to be a part of what God is doing in and through the Minnesota Annual Conference.