Meet our new Creative Ministries Mission Intern, Cameron Ward. Cameron will serve with us through the first week of August 2013 developing poverty simulation experiences around the conference. Poverty simulations provide the experience of living in poverty and understanding in a tangible way the struggles and barriers that individuals living in poverty face on a day to day basis. For more information on poverty simulations and how to schedule one in your area contact Cameron at ward@umocm.com.

Right now there is a team of Missouri Conference leadership in Mozambique visiting with local church leadership to discuss future plans for the Mozambique Initiative (MI) partnership. While there, the leadership group with have meetings for the purpose of strengthening our conference to conference partnership, and visit some of the MI sustainability projects. For more information on how you and your congregation can partner with our brothers and sisters in Mozambique contact the MI coordinator, Sarah Bollinger, at sbollinger@moumethodist.org.

Missouri Inter-faith Power and Light (MO-IPL) had it’s official launch on March 7th in St. Louis.  Inter-Faith Power & Light is a national committee to address climate change by activating faith communities to advocate for reduced energy consumption and renewable alternatives of energy resources.  Learn more about MO-IPL at MOIPL.org.  Pictured are steering committee members (left to right) Susan Mlynarczyk, Rev. Kristen Koch, Caroline Kory, Tracey Howe-Koch Sabine McDowell, Front Carla Kline Jeanne Clauson & Polly  Rutherford.  The Mo-IPL Steering Committee members not able to attend are Sr. Barbara Jennings, Kathleen Engel and Terri Williams. For more information contact Terri Williams at williams@umocm.com.

The American College of Surgeons has honored and recognized Dr. Abraham Thomas and the Ludhiana Christian Medical College where he performed the first human face replant.  The College of Surgeons has posted a “Timeline of Improvements in Surgery” listing milestones during the past 100 years which you can view at http://timeline.facs.org/. For more information on how the Missouri Conference supports the Ludhiana Christian Medical College and Hospital contact Max Marble at marblelcmc@gmail.com.

Festival of Sharing 2013 promotional materials are here! Share the message of "Beyond Charity. . .Reaching Where Needed Most" with your congregation and community by ordering posters, bulletin inserts, and booklets. For more information contact Terri Williams at festival@socket.net.

The flooding of the Limpopo River in southern Mozambique continues to affect hundreds of families. The Mozambique Initiative has reached out to communities separated from necessary resources to provide for those needs. February 7th Mozambique Initiative staff provided rice, instant porridge, corn flour, and cooking oil to 50 displaced families. Food was provided through the Missouri Conference/Mozambique Initiative pledge to raise $15,000 to provide food, clean water and other supplies to those surviving this disaster. For more information on how you can help visit http://www.mzinitiative.com/FLOOD_RELIEF__.php.

Last week the Limpopo River in southern Mozambique flooded displacing 150,000 people who fled their homes for camps at higher ground. Aid organizations are working to meet the overwhelming needs of these displaced Mozambicans. The Missouri Conference through the Mozambique Initiative plans to raise $15,000 to provide food, clean water and other supplies to at least 600 people. For more information on how you can help visit www.mzinitiative.com/FLOOD_RELIEF__.html.

From the stage at Missouri Theater in Columbia, Missouri Andy Crouch shares with a gathered group of United Methodist and Lay speakers his message of being image bearers reflecting Christ's love throughout the world.

Christmas was alive at the Carolyn Belshe Orphanage in Mozambique on Christmas Morning.  These wonderful children were given the opportunity to feel a little of the Christmas Spirit through gifts and a meal provided by the Mozambique Orphanage Fund on Christmas Day.  Planning and preparing starts in August and packages are sent in September to ensure they arrive in plenty of time for Christmas Morning.  If you are interested in shipping a gift to a child in 2013 or donating to Christmas presents you can contact Chris Sams at csams@arkbild.com or 816.806.7758.

Rev. Tom Hazelwood, UMCOR Assistant General Secretary for US Disaster Response shares this information regarding United Methodist Response to Hurricane Sandy: "There will be a lot of needs as a result of this storm," which meteorologists have referred to as "near historic" in size. "There are many ways you can help, but the most important right now is by giving to UMCOR US Disaster Response, Advance #901670, which will also cover needs in the Caribbean region," he said. Be sure to choose "Hurricanes 2012" from the drop-down menu. For up-to-date Hurricane response information check the Creative Ministries site at www.umocm.com/disaster or contact our Disaster Response staff person, Dan Steska.

The Festival of Sharing this past weekend was a wonderful experience with people coming from all over Missouri and a variety of faith and denominational backgrounds to give of their time and resources to alleviate hunger and poverty. In the photo above Dora Thackery of Creative Ministries explains the importance of "Backpacks of Love" to a group of serving youth. For more information regarding the Festival of Sharing contact the coordinator, Terri Williams, at festival@socket.net.

The Festival of Sharing, which seeks to alleviate hunger and poverty, is hosting it's annual ingathering this Saturday October 20th in Sedalia, Missouri. The photo above shows a hand painted door which is just one of the many items that will be for sale at the "Work of our Hands" booth. Proceeds go to the Festival of Sharing "where needed most". For more information contact the Festival coordinator, Terri Williams, at festival@socket.net.

Creative Ministries welcomes a new Disaster Response Coordinator, Dan Steska. Dan will coordinate Disaster Response efforts for the Missouri Conference so for more information on his ministry and how you can help please contact steska@umocm.com.

Last week there were three Festival of Sharing quilt shows showcasing quilts that will be auctioned at the Festival of Sharing on October 20th. At the Festival quilts will be displayed starting at noon and pre-bids are accepted for those who are not able to attend the auction.  The final quilt show will be in Stover MO on Friday October 12th.  For more information on pre-bidding or Festival of Sharing in general please contact Terri Williams at festival@socket.net.

Hundreds of churches and thousands of volunteers reached out to make a difference in Missouri communities in September 8th and 9th. To see a gallery of photos from SERVE2012 click on the photo above. And don't forget to share your story!

The children at Wilkes Boulevard UMC in Columbia, MO raised $150 to make Pastor Meg Hegemann live up to her  promise to kiss a pig!  Funds will help send a Pig to Haiti through the Heifer International project “Pigs for Hope and Health in Haiti” for Festival of Sharing 2012.  For more information on this project visit www.umocm.com/heifer or contact the Festival of Sharing Coordinator, Terri Williams, at williams@umocm.com.

The St. Francisville UMC youth get prepared for SERVE2012 during their summer Vacation Bible School program. August 1st is the final day to order SERVE2012 event t-shirts!!! Shirts are $6 each and sizes available include Youth Extra Small-Extra Large and Adult Small-4 Extra Large. To order register your event or contact Audrey Phelps at phelps@umocm.com or 573-474-7155.

SERVE2012 Youth Extra Small t-shirts are now available! Little helping hands want to feel included too so order this size and more when you register a project at SERVE2012.org.

Jim Bryan and a team of nine others from Missouri UMC were in Chokwe, Mozambique helping to build a guest house that will provide income for the local UMC to become more financially sustainable.  This is one of the first triad partnerships with Missouri UMC’s partner church Malhangalene and Chokwe UMC.  Jim Bryan made fast friends with this young boy in the market at Chokwe. For more information on Mozambique Initiative Partnerships contact Sarah Bollinger at sbollinger@moumethodist.org.

United Methodist Churches from all over the Missouri Conference brought food boxes to be distributed through the Festival of Sharing through local food pantries. The youth at Annual Conference helped to load more than 1,000 food boxes. For more information on Festival and how you can help contact Terri Williams at festival@socket.net.

The 2012 poster for the Festival of Sharing is now available to download online. Go to the Festival of Sharing website to download the poster and learn more about this wonderful gift sharing event which will take place on October 20th, 2012!