Author Archive for FieldDirector – Page 2
Spirit River UMC is first church in the Minnesota Annual Conference to be officially chartered, and you had a pivotal role in making that happen. Spirit River was the recipient of a $250,000 grant from our new church development fund to purchase a former events center in Isanti. Through their vision and hard work, it has come to house a congregation that is growing! They will hold their Chartering Service on May 18 at 10am. When a congregation reaches enough worship attendance, it moves from being a new church start to a chartered congregation. Spirit River UMC address is: 1320 County Road 5 NE, Isanti, MN 55040. Come and celebrate with them!
Walker Community Church has ‘risen from the ashes’ of the fire that burned their building. The MW Builders and our partner donors contributed the largest amount ever for a call, over $27,000, which was matched by a donor 10-1, for a total of over $270,000. They will hold their grand opening service on April 13 at 10am. On April 15 at 5:30 a free community meal will be served, followed by a town hall meeting with Bishop Bruce Ough at 7:00pm. On April 17, the first Passover Seder will be held in the new building, and on April 20, Easter Sunday Sunrise services will be held at 6:15am at Powerhorn Park, followed by breakfast at the church from 8-10am. Easter worship will be held at 10am. On April 25, the first Walker musical will be held in the new sanctuary at 7:00pm. Walker Community UMC address is: 3104 16th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407. Come and celebrate with them!
Discovery United Methodist Church is bursting at the seams. As the Chanhassen congregation reaches out to the families and children of their community, they have run out of space in their gathering area and nursery.
Discovery was selected to be a part of the Heatlhy Church Initiative process of the Minnesota Annual Conference. As a result of their process of self and community study, and visits by ‘mystery’ worship visitors, two recommendations were made.
The first recommendation would take down walls to create a large gathering space where the library and narthex were located in order to provide a warm, welcoming and friendly space to welcome visitors and build community.
The second recommendation is to upgrade the nursery to provide age-appropriate, separate spaces for infants and toddlers and designate a private space for mothers to nurser their children.
Making these changes will enable Discovery to more fully offer Christ to all who set foot inside their doors. You can be a part of these exciting changes which will enable Discovery to more effectively reach their community. They have been designated as the 2014 ‘Spring Call’. To make a donation, send your check to Metro West Builders, 122 W. Franklin Ave. #400 55404. Note on your check ‘Spring Call 2014’. Be a part of what God is doing through DIscovery United Methodist Church!
The Metro West Builders held their annual Celebration and Dinner at the newly opened Walker United Methodist Church in Minneapolis. The new church building, which replaced the former building burned by fire, was funded, in part, by donations from the Metro West Builders. Over $27.000 was raised, which was matched by an anonymous donor, for a total of $270,000. The program was opened by the ‘Joyful Noize’ singers of Park Avenue United Methodist Church Rev. Judy Zabel, Twin Cities Superintendent, spoke on ‘Building For a New Day’, challenging us to move into the future by following the dreams that God places on our hearts. And a taco fiesta was served by La Puerta Abierta. A check was presented to Simpson United Methodist Church, recipient of the Fall 2013 Call, for $9075. Discovery United Methodist Church, recipient of the Spring 2014, shared how the renovation of their building would help them provide open space to better serve the children and families in their community of Chanhassen.
“Meet” our new Board of Directors elected at our 2013 Annual Meeting
You can learn more about our Board Members HERE.
First Row: Becky Jo Messenbrink, Phil Griffin, Julia Philips, Karen Andrew
Second Row: Judy Zabel, TC District Superintendent, Phil Worrell, Marilyn Christiansen, Steve Adams, Ginger Sisco, Margaret Osborne, Carol Nemitz, Eric Hyde
Simpson United Methodist Church
Simpson United Methodist Church has been selected for the 2013 Fall Call. Simpson has a long history of ministry and service to it’s neighborhood. Founded in 1882, the congregation expanded rapidly as the population of Minneapolis grew. In the 1950s the inner city housing boom came to an end, and poverty began to increase in the Simpson area. The church re-focused it’s attention and energy into social outreach ministries.
Currently, the building houses a men’s shelter, a women’s shelter, a food shelf, the Simpson Center for Servant Ministries, and a worshipping congregation at the beating heart of it all. Hundreds of families are served by the food shelf. 66 men and women are sheltered every night in the building. And 1500 volunteers, many from United Methodist churches serve those in need.
And now the congregation is in need. The walls, they are a crumblin’. Cracks in the stucco are causing damage to inner walls and ceilings. They proclaim “Our walls are cracked, not our mission!” The total cost for repair of the stucco exterior of the facility comes to $22,000. An anonymous donor has stepped forward to match your gift, dollar for dollar, up to $10,000.
Be a partner in their ministry. Your gift will make the difference! You can send your donation, marked “2013 Fall Call” to Metro West Builders, 122 W. Franklin Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55404.
The fellowship hall at Walker Community Church will be filled with tables and chairs set for a Taco Fiesta at the 2014 Metro West Builder Annual Celebration Dinner and Program. The Taco Feast will be served by the members of La Puerta Abierta, whose building was built with the help of a loan from the Metro West Builders. The theme of the celebration is “Building A New Day”, and our speaker is Twin Cities District Superintendent, Judy Zabel. Watch for more information about registration!
Through your generosity and that of over 100 others, the new Walker Church is rising from the ashes. Construction is nearly complete, and the congregation anticipates worshipping in the new facility on Christmas Eve. Walker UMC will also be the site of the Metro West Builder Annual Celebration to be held on February 23. Save the date on your calendar now. You won’t want to miss the opportunity to see what your gift has made possible!
Spirit River Community UMC in Isanti was able, with your help, to purchase a building for their fast-growing community. That building has become a mission center for their vital ministry in the community, which includes a monthly Matthew 25 food distribution which serves up to 550 people, free community dinners twice a month, and a Christian based recovery group.
Their most recent outreach is ‘Ask A Lawyer Day’. The event brings together lawyers from many different practice areas. Anyone can seek answers for legal questions free of charge. The annual event serves over 100 persons, with the help of 14 community lawyers.