Posts by admin
Project Mustard Seed: A new program for micro-funding community outreach ideas
The PPUMC Administrative Council has approved a new initiative called, Project Mustard Seed. This program is designed to encourage PPUMC members to propose and engage in activities that further the church’s mission through specific funding requests. PPUMC’s mission states, “We seek to be an inclusive Christian community that affirms faith in God and spiritual growth with a commitment to justice and stewardship of God’s creation.” Named after Jesus’ well-known parable, Project Mustard Seed is designed to grow new and exciting…
PPUMC Service Projects Update: Supporting Afghan Refugees
A big THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to the February campaign to support Afghan refugees via the Minnesota Council of Churches Refugee Services. PPUMC collected three carloads of goods. The MCC was especially grateful to receive two car seats and a wheelchair. Most of our donations were household goods: kitchenware and cleaning/laundry supplies to help newcomers set up their new homes. Givers also contributed gift cards and a cash donation of $882. In prior months, we raised over $1250…
Project: Let’s Help (Afghan Refugees)
Over the past months, the PPUMC community has been incredibly generous in helping provide support to Afghan refugee families making their way to a new home in Minnesota. (See our previous post about this service project here.) As the re-settlement efforts continue throughout February, we will be collecting a variety of household items, specifically kitchen and cleaning/laundry supplies, as well as accepting monetary donations to be delivered to the Minnesota Council of Churches Refugee Services for final distribution. There are…
Service Project Update: Afghan Refugees in MN
Did you know? 578 people have arrived in MN since September, that’s 163 families. The state of MN houses new arrivals at a hotel in Bloomington where they await placement in apartments or houses. 499 individuals have stayed at the hotel. 211 are currently at the hotel. 288 people have moved out and are in permanent housing. 55% of the people at the hotel are children. At any given time of day you can find someone wanting to play Uno…
UMC Creation Justice Tips: Thank You, God!
Thank You, God!In the midst of the incessant onslaught of bad news, it’s time to give thanks for all that is good. Challenge family and friends to swap out a traditional meat-based dish for one from plants. In a four-person household, making the change just once a week is the equivalent of removing the emissions from driving a car for five weeks. You’ll have more to celebrate and be thankful for. Are you regularly in a queue to pick up…
UMC Creation Justice Tips: Are you a consumer or a citizen?
How you think of yourself matters. We’ve repeatedly been told we are consumers, but to consume means “to use things up.” Rejecting that label and seeing ourselves as citizens—ones who care for the welfare of the community—makes a difference in our actions. Which one aligns with our faith? Who do you want to be? Fall is another planting season, this time for perennials. Choose native plants that bloom in the fall, such as asters. They give us a pop of…
Creation Justice Tips for Going Plastic Free
You don’t have to look far to see plastic pollution. You don’t have to look far to find alarming research or scary statistics about the harm plastic, especially single-use plastics, are doing to our air, land, oceans, marine life, and even our own bodies. With this Special Edition of 35 Tips, you also don’t have to look far for ideas or inspiration for changing the outcome.Start with love. John Wesley’s General Rules: Do no harm, do good, and stay in…
Holiday Service Projects Update
Holiday Service Projects for the Violence Free MN Women’s Shelter Thank you to everyone who contributed to our two holiday projects for the Violence Free MN women’s shelter. This Christmas 68 people (32 women and 36 children) spent the holidays living in a hotel since all the shelters in the state were full, and safe, affordable housing (especially for families) is hard to come by. To create some holiday cheer, PPUMC took on two projects. Our first project was creating…
United Methodist Creation Justice Tips for Christmas
The holidays are wonderful in many ways, but they have an environmental cost. Americans throw away 25% more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. The waste from each of those weeks adds up to one million extra tons of discards going into landfills. These Tips can help you and your family enjoy the season and care for God’s good creation. With COVID more of us will be doing our Christmas shopping online. Turn your shopping green by exploring companies that…
Worship Service: Be the Light, Live Hope
A clergy covenant group within our conference has created a gift in the form of a pre-recorded worship service around our 2020 Annual Conference theme (“Be the Light, Live Hope”) that’s available for all congregations to use Aug. 30 or after. Thank you to Revs. Shawna Horn, Jay Jeong, LaQuaan Malachi, Nate Melcher, Kate Murphey Payton, Whitney Sheridan, and Mariah Furness Tollgaard for developing this great resource. Prospect Park UMC streamed this service on August 30 during our 10am worship time.…
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