In an effort to fulfill Jesus' call for us to love our neighbor, we participate in a variety of missions. Our congregation and small groups participate or support the following ministries and missions:
Fayetteville First Mission Projects
Fayetteville First collects donations to support Fayette Samaritan Food Pantry on an ongoing basis, but in April and October we make a concerted effort as a congregation to restock the food pantry. Please check out their website for more information on what to donate and leave your donations in the "Fayette Samaritanss" box located in the Welcome Center in the hallway behind the Sanctuary.
Sack Lunch Program
During the summer break, Fayetteville First coordinates with four other faith-based organizations to deliver a well balanced meal to the children of Fayette County who are dependent upon the free lunch program during the school year. The cost of the meals for our three weeks of sponsorship is $2,400 and requires the effort of more than 20 volunteers. If you would like to volunteer your time washing fruit, making cookies, putting lunches together, or delivering the meals, please contact Lindsay Blythe. If you would like to make a financial donation to this ministry, please contact Joyce Mucha or place a gift in the offering plate marked "Free Lunch Program".
Angel Tree
During December, we bring Christmas to the foster children of Fayette County by working with the Division of Family and Child Services (DFCS). Through the Angel Tree, members or small groups in the congregation “adopt” a children and purchase clothes and toys to be delivered for Christmas. If you are interested in adopting a child for Christmas, look for the Angel Tree in the Welcome Center beginning the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Foster Family Christmas Party Foster Family Christmas Party
Each December the church, under the leadership of some of the adult Sunday school classes, hosts a Christmas Party for the foster families on Fayette County. We invite each of the families to bring the children to our Family Life Center for food, games, crafts, singing, and pictures made with Santa. Each child is also presented with one gift ($10) from Santa Claus. The party allows the children and the foster families to directly feel the support of our church family as well as gives our members the opportunity to shower the children with the love of Jesus. If you would like to make a cash donation or volunteer your time or services to the party, look for information in the November or December "Connections" newsletter.
Great Day of Service
This annual church-wide outreach day is a way for our church family to serve Fayette County and the metropolitan Atlanta area through a variety of service projects. If you are interested in participating on the Steering Committee or as a Team Captain, please contact Lindsay Blythe, mission chair, at lindsay_blythe@hotmail.com or at 770-306-8648.
Global Missions
Among the financial contributions we make to the organizations below, Fayetteville First UMC sent a mission team of adults to Cuba in January of 2008 as well as a group of adults and youth to Belize in July of 2008. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their eye opening experiences and look forward to making additional impacts abroad in the future.
Advantage Haiti
Since 2001, this Christian ministry aims to meet the physical and spiritual needs of persons with disabilities in Haiti. The goal is to provide long-term sustainable assistance to those who need it, regardless of religion, creed or ability to pay. Since 2001, the Advantage Program has been providing. In August of 2009, the Prosthetics/Orthotics facility was recognized as one of the premiere clinics in the country. June Hanks, our missionary to Haiti, is on staff at Advantage Haiti.
Local Missions
Square Foot Ministries
Square Foot Ministry is a Christian based home repair and construction ministry located in Fayette County, Georgia. Their goal is to serve the Lord our God through serving those in need. The Board of Directors, friends, and volunteers come from all denominations of faith and walks of life. Square Foot Ministry provides an opportunity for people to put their faith and love into action. Diverse groups of people work together to make affordable housing and better communities a reality for everyone, creating a community where bonds between individuals can grow. They work to identify families and non-profit organizations that can benefit from their ministry. When a need is identified they formulate a plan to meet that need through the combined efforts of their members, local churches and volunteers in the area. The goal is to employ God's gifts of resources, talents, and wisdom for the purpose of providing shelter and home repairs for the needy in Fayette County and surrounding areas.
For more information, e-mail: sfm@squarefootministry.com.
Fayette Youth Protection Home
Fayette Youth Protection Homes is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to providing a safe, nurturing environment and supportive services to children and youth who have been the victims of abuse, neglect or other tragic family circumstance. In 1986, a group of Fayette County citizens recognized the need for children to have a safe place protected from abuse and neglect and formed Fayette Youth Protection Home, Inc. FYPH built and opened the Jim Friday Home in North Fayette County in August, 1989. FYPH contracted with Georgia Baptist Children’s Homes to provide the clinical services and staff for the children. A second facility, the Asden Johnson Home located in Brooks, GA, opened in August, 1998. In July of 2005, the two homes were consolidated into one home, the newly-named and renovated Friday-Johnson Home in Brooks. FYPH offers several services to these in-need children including: Grace for Children - placement of children ages birth through 21 into loving private foster care homes; Friday-Johnson Home - a residential group home located in Brooks, GA, school-age children receive protection and healing through a structured and homelike environment, comprehensive services, and most importantly, lots of hugs; and Gracie’s Closet - Fayette County foster children shop for clothing, baby gear, books, and school supplies all at the low, low price of nothing! For more information, visit their website at www.fyph.org.
Southwest Christian Hospice
Southwest Christian Care serves the metro Atlanta area and is dedicated to providing the highest quality care and support for terminally ill patients, children with special needs, seniors and their families. Their services are provided at no cost to the patients or their families. For more information on Southwest Christian Hospice, visit their website at www.swchristiancare.org.
Promise Place
Promise Place [formerly known as The Fayette County Council on Domestic Violence] was established in 1989 as a private nonprofit organization to serve domestic violence victims and their families in the Griffin Judicial circuit, which include Fayette, Spalding, Pike, and Upson Counties. They are a non-governmental agency and is the sole provider of comprehensive services to adult victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. In just fifteen years Promise Place has grown from a small, grassroots organization to an active, community recognized agency with 5 paid staff members and over 50 active volunteers. They promise to provide: counseling, a 24-hour hotline, case management, community outreach, children's counseling, a transitional residence, date violence education, legal advocacy and assistance, domestic violence response team, emergency food and transportation, group counseling for victims and abusers, and individual counseling for victims & abusers. For more information, visit their website at www.promiseplace.org.
SafeHouse Outreach is an urban outreach committed to affecting real change in the lives of those in the margins of society, by providing a hand up, not just a hand out. They provide practical, emotional, and physical assistance to those living in the margins, and help integrate them back into society – to lead healthy, functional lives. For more information, visit their website at www.safehouseoutreach.org.
United Methodist Missions
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)
To aid in extending Christ's love, United Methodists have established the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) as a channel for sharing the compassion of their Lord wherever God's people are in need. Today, UMCOR's ministries — aiding refugees, providing relief in disaster areas, and confronting the challenge of world hunger and poverty — are helping to heal the hurts of humanity in more than 100 countries. UMCOR maintains a corps of trained disaster response specialists for quick reinforcement of local efforts, and it keeps a supply of relief materials in warehouses for dispatch when and where required. When a disaster strikes, United Methodists start asking what they can do to help. UMCOR responds by using its experience to show local churches and annual conferences how they can get involved in the most constructive way and by reinforcing local relief efforts with resources provided by the whole church. For more information on getting involved, please visit the UMCOR website at www.gbgm-umc.org/umcor.
United Methodist Children's Home
The mission of The United Methodist Children's Home is to serve the needs of children and their families in crisis. An agency of the United Methodist Church's North Georgia Conference, the Children's Home is dedicated to meeting needs with love, concern, and a high level of professional and administrative competence. Their services are family-centered, reality-based, and goal oriented. Services are provided at the Columbia Drive campus, in off-campus foster care, and throughout North Georgia from satellite offices. The Children's Home is committed to growth in the number of people served and continued improvement of services offered. They also seek to develop new approaches to meet needs. You can get more information at their website www.umchildrenshome.org or call 404-327-5820.
Aldersgate Ministries
Action Ministries
North Georgia Housing and Homeless Council
