Based
on the “Great Commission”, one mission of Shady Grove United Methodist
Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of
the world. Shady Grove does this through various means and we hope you
will join us as we take direct responsibility for people of the world
around our church, the community in which we and others study, work,
shop, and play.
If interested in joining the planning of global missions at SGUMC, please EMAIL Teresa Gagliardi.
Operation Christmas Child
Through a simple shoebox gift with Operation Christmas Child, our congregation members can
help change the world, one life at time. Shoeboxes are filled with
school supplies, toys, hygiene items and a note of encouragement for a
child overseas suffering due to disaster, disease, war, terrorism,
famine or poverty. More information about Operation Christmas Child is available at their WEBSITE. In November 2019, Shady Grove UMC packed and wrapped 555 shoeboxes! Heifer International
Heifer
International's mission is to work with communities to end hunger and
poverty and care for the Earth. It all started with a cow and we are
thrilled to support this great mission by purchasing animals to give
families a hand-up, not just a handout. We hope to empower families
around the world to turn hunger and poverty into hope and prosperity. To
read more about this great outreach go to their WEBSITE.Unicef
I
n October the
children and youth of Shady Grove UMC, as well as SGUMC Preschool and Center for Creative Arts, trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, the United
National International Childrens' Emergency Fund. Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF began in 1950 as a way to help kids who need more than candy. Since then, children all over America have gone door-to-door on Halloween with UNICEF collection boxes, calling out, "Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF!" They have raised more than $170 million for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF since 1950. Funds collected will help provide children around the world with clean water, nutritious food, medicine, vaccines, and education. To see how pennies add up, $5 can buy a soccer ball for children in a refugee camp, and $30 can provide 100 children with a measles vaccine. The Power of Kids Helping Kids.Missionaries
Shady Grove supports the following missionaries, working around the globe:
Nico and Natacha Chantel serving in Europe
Nico and Natacha serve in Kiel, Germany. Nico provides this update:
Because of your faithful prayers and financial support we are able to work in God’s vineyard here in Kiel. In 2017, God’s providence led us to minister here in Kiel, the northern part of Germany. God gave us the privilege to start an International English speaking Church, the only one in a radius of 100km/62miles. Starting with only one person at our first Sunday Worship Service, a year and a half ago, we are now close to 40-45 people from all over the world. So far people from 54 different countries. Our missions organizations are: TMS Global and People International Updated July 2019 View pictures in NEWSLETTER
Kris and Kip Fisher serving in the Dominican Republic
Kris and Kip and their family seek to connect the people of the Dominican Republic with solutions to both physical and spiritual needs. They offer help by meeting their material needs, while presenting the hope we have been provided by the gospel. By removing the barriers presented by physical needs and building genuine friendships, minds are opened and spiritual discussions can happen. Their outreach includes clean water programs, construction, education, and Discipleship/Bible studies. Kip provides this update:
1. This year, we have been able to distribute about 75 filters to families in the Palo Alto community. Several of these were provided by Shady Grove and its members, and we thank you deeply for them. Each filter provides up to 10 years of clean water for a family that doesn't have it otherwise.
2. We have wrapped up our English classes in the school for this year. We have been able to provide basic understanding and reading skills to 75 students this year, and over 200 altogether these past 3 years. By getting to know the kids, we can establish connections with the parents and are able to visit them in their home and share the faith as well as provide a filter, pray with the family, etc.
3. When we visited Shady Grove last year, we were just putting together a prevention program for youth in the high schools around Santiago. The genesis of this program was that our friend William (a Dominican pastor) had a similar program in the prisons for 8 years, and realized that the inmates were constantly telling him that if they'd had this faith based program as teenagers they would likely never have ended up incarcerated. So, we thought we should try and get the program into schools.
4. We also have various one-off projects with other ministries around the area (I help out on occasion with a local pastor and his ministry, an orphanage, etc.), but those above are our regular items.
Eva and Lindsay Gilliam
Eva and Lindsay Gilliam and their two sons are currently in Richmond preparing for their next assignment. They are preparing for their next journey to South Asia. They recently visited South Asia and feel this is where God is calling them to serve. While they are in the U.S. they have been very involved in ministering to Veterans at the VA Hospital among other ministries. They continue to serve daily wherever they are located. You may send them an EMAIL with questions, prayers, and words of encouragement.
Laura and Timo Harkonen
Greetings from rather cool Finland,
We hope and pray all of you are doing well even in these crazy virus world circumstance.
The month of July was a month of seeking the Lord for us and AIM leadership as we took the time to discern and confirm that the Lord is calling us to be in Finland for this period of time. Originally, we thought that we would be here only less than a year before continuing on to Africa. However, as we have been sharing, God has been orchestrating things in such a way that it has been clear that He actually wants us here for this season. This was the topic of our two big meetings last week. AIM leadership also feels very confident that this is where God wants us right now. They are also excited about the need that God is showing here, and how AIM will be able to serve the needs of the African Diaspora. None of us knew when we headed this way, the incredible unmet need that is here.
We are now in the process of shifting from the Eastern Africa Region into the European Diaspora Region. The AIM Diaspora Region Team will be partnering with us and the work that we will be doing in Finland. For example, we have already received a long list of books to read about the work among Muslims and work among Muslims in the Diaspora. We will also be taking a few seminars to be more equipped to reach out and work with Muslims in Finland. Most of the refugees coming to Finland are Muslim, and the majority of African refugees are Somali Muslims. This certainly wasn’t what we expected to be doing these next few years, but we are excited about it!
My trip to southern Finland is coming up the week of the 17th to meet with Operation Mobilization Director for Finland, as well as their whole team in Finland. It will be very exciting to connect with OM on personal level and get a better glimpse and understanding of their work here. After this visit, the official partnership arrangements with OM will be finalized as long as we all get along. ;-) Please do pray that the Covid-19 virus situation stays calm enough I can make the trip. It is under very good control, but cases have been on the rise a little in southern Finland, mostly due to the people who commute to Sweden to work. School is about to start, so the next few weeks may be very telling.
Here is a link to a website that explains a little about diaspora work. Updated August 2020.
Dave and Laura Shuping
Dave and Laura lead the East-Coast efforts of the Navigators First-Responder Ministry which reaches out to first responders like police, fire, and emergency crews. Many of the Navigators Military staff work with the First Responder team to advance the gospel in first responder families. Keep up to date with their efforts by clicking HERE and view their latest NEWSLETTER.
Heather and James serving in location undisclosed
This family is trying to reach the locals and bring them to Christ. James is reaching out to the men in the community by offering a service in the business community and opening doors for further conversations about Christ. Heather is ministering to women in the community in various ways, “Bringing one disciple at a time!"
Virginia United Methodist Conference Missions
For more information regarding the missions of our conference, visit their WEBSITE