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Susquehanna LINK - April 2016


Bits & Pieces: Serving Jesus by Serving Others


By Morgan Robinette Young People’s Ministry Council


“The best part of Serving Jesus by Serving Others was getting the youth involved in something


bigger than our own church!” — Pastor, Williamsport District


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n Sunday, March 13, 2016, over 150 youth and adults came together at five different locations


throughout the conference to serve in mission. The Young People’s Ministry Council partnered


with Mission Central and


four HUBs: Altoona, Covenant Helping Hands, Shoemaker, and Gethsemane, to offer an afternoon of hands-on service for youth groups in the conference. There was definitely an atmosphere of enthusiasm in all five HUBs, as dozens of young people formed connections and friendships as they served alongside one another. Each location offered a variety of ways for the youth to be in service, including packing UMCOR health and school kits, assembling home relocation supplies, and even some painting. In between projects, the youth also participated in games and


activities, which offered some newer perspectives on the act of serving others. The youth of the YPMC led a time of devotion and reflection, encouraging attendees to consider the challenge found in James 2:16-17, “What if one of you said, ‘Go in peace! Stay warm! Have a nice meal!’? What good is it if you don’t actually give them what their body needs? In the same way, faith is dead when it doesn’t result in faithful activity.” The youth shared personal experiences of both meeting the needs of others, as well as having their needs met during a time of trial. Different ways for young people to serve in everyday life were also discussed and before leaving the youth were presented with a challenge to make any place a mission field. A video of photographs taken at all locations throughout the event can be found on the Young People’s Ministry Web site, igniteyoungpeople.org. The final Bits & Pieces event,


“WHAT’S NEXT?” was held Sunday, April 24, 2016, at St. John’s Newberry UMC, Williamsport.


Gethsemane HUB PHOTOS COURTESY OF YOUNG PEOPLE’S MINISTRY Altoona HUB


When you are finished reading Susquehanna LINK, please give your copy to someone else who might be interested.


Covenant Helping Hands HUB


Mission Central Warehouse PHOTO BY ELIZABETH LESH


Pictured front (l-r) are Creative Plantscapes’ truck driver Eric Ludovico, Mifflinburg UMC representatives Shirley Curry, Sally Broyles, Judy and Paige Hicks, and Pine Grove UMC representatives Sheila Yorks and Karen Stouffer; (Back, l-r) Scott and Abby Fohringer of Mifflinburg UMC.


Truckload of shoes will help fight poverty By Shiela Yorks


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n March 12, 2016, Mifflinburg United Methodist Church and Pine Grove UMC, Mifflintown, shipped 1,897 pairs of shoes to the mission project Soles4Souls, a not-for-profit global enterprise committed to fighting poverty through the collection and distribution of shoes and clothing. (soles4souls.org) Both churches gathered the slightly used shoes over the past year to make their collection such a success. Creative Plantscapes’ owners, Mike and Stacy Derk, supplied the truck to ship the shoes to Doylestown, Pa., one of the mission’s drop- off centers.


2019


Shoemaker HUB


Begin the process of evaluating the results of the current plan Design a strategy to listen to our churches and their needs


Develop the appropriate guiding adaptive questions to be considered as we look ahead


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