Stephens City United Methodist Church

From Matthew 25:35-46 we learn that we are unmistakably God's people when we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and share our gifts with those in need. The following data explains some of the ways our church is involved in intentionally doing for others. We focus on trying to help with as many projects as we can so that our members might know of the scope of United Methodist mission opportunities.

Scroll down to learn about some of the projects and missionaries church members and friends support.

SCUMC sponsors two food drives a year for the Winchester Union Rescue Mission. Its purpose is to collect canned goods and monetary gifts. Rev. Stone’s mission caters to men who need shelter and rehabilitation. Bible study is an integral part of this mission, and three meals a day are served.

Two sites within the church facility make contributing to those in need hard to forget. The boxes containing food and clothing are filled and emptied weekly. C-CAP volunteers from our church work at the facility, serve on committees, and transport food on a regular basis. Further, C-CAP is included in the church budget. (Fact 71% of those seeking assistance do not receive food stamps.)

We participate in Gleaning, a project sponsored by the Society of St. Andrew. Local farmers choose to leave a portion of their crops so that church groups can gather what is left of the harvest. This is taken to area food banks, pantries, and CCAP. One project involves bagging sweet potatoes brought in from another locale. The potatoes are then taken to food banks.

Now serving approximately 160 famlies a month in Stephens City, Frederick County, Winchester, and Front Royal. Our pantry is unique in that it offers three meats and three cleaning and hygiene items to all familes in addition to the many canned and boxed items and seasonal produce. With the help of our 24 volunteers the Stephens City Food Pantry is currently on Tuesday's from 1:00-3:00pm and in the evening on the 2nd & 4th Tuesday from 6:30-8:30pm. To learn more about the food pantry, please click here.

A collection of warm clothing and blankets was transported to Christ House in Washington, DC. The mission provides health care for homeless men who have been discharged from a hospital, but still need medical, emotional, and spiritual support. It also provides shower facilities and a change of clothing for other homeless men. Christ House is included in the church budget.    Our church often participates with and supports Amor y Paz Iglesia Metodista Unidas. An important outreach is with the children. Sometimes we help with afterschool classes that help with homework. For several days in the summer, we provide enrichment activities as well as Bible study. Shown here in the picture to the left is part of the group of 25 boys and girls at a field trip to Dinosaur Land. We have a Covenant Relationship (a monetary pledge of support for 3 years) with John Elmore in Iquique, Chile. John's responsibilities for the last ten years have been the coordination of work teams and construction projects in the northern part of the country. Prior to 1955, when a Volunteer in Mission program led him to full-time service, he was a self-employed carpenter in Alabama. Among other endeavors, while in Chile his work teams have built two churches, and helped in the completion of a hospital. When the Hodges arrived in Sneedville, TN with three young children, there were few employment opportunities for those who resided in the five counties of northeast Tennessee due to the demise of tobacco growing. Steve and Diantha's girls are now grown and independent. That could be said for many in the counties served by the Hodges who have assisted the microentrepreneurs in starting, stablizing, and expanding art & craft businesses. Economic well being has also resulted in helping to make healthy connected communities.Check out the website Shown in the picture to the left is of a recently restored church in Russia. Some of the labor was done by Volunteers in Mission from the Virginia Conference. In the spring of 2009, a VIM team from SCUMC will go to an area of recent devastation in the U.S. to help rebuild the community.

Heifer Project makes multiplication easy. A young pregnant animal is given to someone in an impoverished area. When that animal conceives, the recipient promises to give its first born away to another family and so the process continues.