Mission and evangelism (sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ) are at the center of God's heart. The Bible is one big story about God's heart for all of God's creation! It is all about how to bring creation back into right relationship with God. If mission and evangelism are at the center of God's heart, they should also be at the center of every Christian's heart, but often times they are long forgotten. Sometimes it is assumed that everyone in the world has had the opportunity to hear about Jesus, and sometimes we are just too busy to think about the needs that are half-way around the world. One of the goals of teaching about mission is to ensure congregations understand God's heart; and God's heart is for every human that God created. We are all part of God's good creation. God desires to bring all of creation back into right relationship with Him!

We at Calvary UMC use the biblical mandate found in Acts 1:8 as our model for mission.

[The Risen Christ is speaking] "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8 NIV

Our goal is to share Christ holistically in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. We must systematically look at our mission field to ensure that we are serving needs in our own backyard (Jerusalem), the surrounding areas of our backyard (Judea), the people that we do not want to touch or feel uncomfortable around (Samaria-The Samaritans were loathed by the Israelites), and to the ends of the earth. We not only tend to the spiritual needs of people, but we also tend to their physical and intellectual needs as well.

As Christians, we are called to reach out in love. Jesus had a "preferential option" for the poor, the lost and the marginalized. (In Luke 4:18 see His self-proclaimed job description.) We, too, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, must also have solidarity for the lost, the poor and the marginalized.

Finally, we have been blessed to be a blessing to others. Our blessings are all gifts from God that need to be shared, not kept to ourselves.

Calvary works hard to be good stewards of our mission dollars, time and talents with our mission programs. A partial list of our missionaries and mission projects are listed below:

Jerusalem...

Mt. Airy Net

We host the Mt. Airy Net office and food bank, which is a community supported organization to help families who are in need. Mt. Airy Net provides services for those who are struggling to make ends meet. Donations of food, money and clothing from individuals, churches, businesses and service organizations are collected here, and distributed to those who are in need.

Latino Ministry

We at Calvary support the Frederick District Latino Initiative which is a new church plant to serve those who speak Spanish in our Frederick area. Currently, we as the Frederick District of the Baltimore-Washington Conference have hired Pastor Milly Rivera to be the pastor for this group, which meets at Trinity UMC for worship every Sunday at 2:15pm. For more information check out their web site at: www.hispanicumc.org

ESL (English as a Second Language)

ESL has four different language skill levels taught by our own members and members from other churches. In 2007, our ESL program helped close to 30 people become more proficient in the English language from many countries. Our program is FREE and open to anyone interested in learning English. Volunteers are welcome. Click here for more information.

Volunteers are needed to provide snacks and babysit for students' children on Tuesday evenings when ESL meets. (We have one babysitter who would like to trade off every other Tuesday night.) Volunteers are also needed to help in giving placement tests for newly enrolled students. If you would like to help, please contact Carol at carolp654@gmail.com.

To the ends of the Earth ...

Mission to Namibia, Africa

Eighteen members of Calvary spent two weeks in Namibia, Africa this summer. They were volunteers in a mission at Children of Zion (website), home to 55 children orphaned by AIDS. One of the team members, Kevin Meadows stayed until September. (Read Kevin's blog - Kevin is now in Costa Rica serving as a teacher for one year.) Nearly six years ago, Children of Zion Village (COZV) was founded by Rebecca and Gary Mink, missionaries Calvary has supported for 15 years.

Before Namibia they were at Ankasa Hospital in Ghana, Africa. Our mission team went as representatives of our congregation to share faith, hope, and love with the 55 children, the 20 African staff at COZV, and the Mink family. The team cared for children, taught in the school, helped build a building, taught Bible lessons, cared for animals, served food in Mafuta Village feeding station, and more. It was a very busy time. The team got a taste of African life along the beautiful but wild Zambezi River inhabited by crocodiles and hippos. Read more and see pictures.

The missionary team thanks you for your financial and prayer support. Without your financial help some team members would have been unable to serve. Your prayer support unleashed God's Grace that under girded the whole experience. Jeff Taylor has posted a blog which includes pictures.

God is at work to bring healing and wholeness to those at Children of Zion Village. More mission trips to Namibia will be planned for the near future. To offer your financial support to this mission, please contact Clydia at the church office clydia@calvary-mtairy.org.

Mission trip to the Dominican Republic

We are currently planning a spring mission trip on April 19th - 26th, 2008 to return to Yaguate, where we sent a mission team in 2005. This town is located in the countryside, about 45 minutes south-west of the capital city of Santo Domingo. Projects: We will be building a church to replace the church that was torn down to make way for a new highway. (This is not the church that we built the last time.) Pastor Nieves' congregation is currently worshipping in the streets. Details of the trip and applications can be found at Calvary Connection. The local congregation has purchased the land and cleared it. They are now ready to begin the building process.

Thanks to Susan Vette of MAYYA, we were able to donate over 50 slightly used soccer uniforms each to both the Children of Zion Village in Namibia and to people in Yaguate, in the Dominican Republic. Thanks to Susan who collected the gently used uniforms from the teams!

Sisters In Service

Calvary has teamed up with Michele and Daniel Rickett since their inception to help strengthen grassroots initiatives of health, education, economic and spiritual development through support and advocacy. Sisters In Service (SIS) (website) informs, mobilizes, and equips Advocates to extend God's love to women and children through local partnerships in the least- reached places of the world. Michele has lead several seminars at Calvary. Her book, Daughters of Hope, gives voice to our sisters persevering under the yoke of oppression and injustice around the world. SIS is currently working on many initiatives to help prevent the spreading of the HIV virus, which is rapidly expanding in China and India.

God is working in Kazakhstan

Our missionaries in Kazakhstan, who came to speak to us last year, have a need once again for medicine to be sent to their cell churches. We are collecting medicine, particularly cold medicines for children to be sent on February 10th. Please put all donations in the box at Calvary Connection. From our missionary, "We are running low of meds--it's already been a rough winter here! This week it has been in the lows of -40 degrees C!!! Today was the first day that the kids have gone to school since Christmas! It was negative 27 degrees C. We have had a terrible phone connection because of the weather and haven't been able to send out an update. We will do so as soon as we can. We handed out foodstuffs to over 30 families this past week and to an alcohol/drug rehab center that has over 20 people in it in our church building. It was a huge blessing to so many and we have some great stories of how God is working!"

Judea...

Katrina Relief Team

So far, we have sent two teams to Biloxi, Mississippi to serve in Katrina relief efforts. (See some of the pictures in the picture section.) The next trip is scheduled for May 18th - 24th. Applications are at the Calvary Connection and they are due on February 17th. Katrina needs are currently one skilled labor person for each 3 who are not skilled. If you are interested in serving on this team please contact Debbie at dbkeesey@aol.com.

Samaria...

Ray Newman: Good News Jail Ministry

"There are many common misconceptions about those involved in jail ministry. Some are convinced that Good News & Prison Ministry chaplains are soft on crime. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Bible is clear that sin has consequences, both in this life and in the life to come. As Christians, we are committed to helping people - outside as well as inside the jail, understand that sin has consequences both in the present and in eternity. We offer them the opportunity to receive an eternal pardon for sin and new life through Jesus Christ who is the only means of salvation from the eternal consequences of sin."

"Another common misconception is all criminals are lost causes. Good News chaplains know that unless an inmate is changed, he/she is destined to continue a life of crime. We also know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation. When he comes into a life, that life is changed from the inside out."

Kairos Ministry

Several of our congregants are involved in Kairos Ministry. The next Kairos weekend at the Hagerstown prison facility is March 5th - 9th. We could use your prayers, and financial support is welcome. If you previously participated in "Walk to Emmaus" or a prior Kairos weekend, we could use your help - contact Dave Meadows for details. Kairos Prison Ministry International, Inc. is the parent organization of a body of ministries addressing the spiritual needs of incarcerated men, women and children, to their families and to those who work in the prison environment. Kairos sprang from the Cursillo movement and is supported by volunteers from Cursillo and those other movements such as Emmaus. For more information about Kairos contact Dave Meadows dnmeadows@aol.com.

Jerusalem...

Pleasant View Nursing Home Visiting Volunteer(s) Needed

If you like to visit with seniors, play games and eat cake this is a wonderful opportunity for you! At this time we have two volunteers who visit once a month for 2-3 hours. They enjoy this mission, but would also like some help. If this is something you feel God has opened your heart to please call Cyndi at 410 635-7418 for more information.

Searching for a Way to Use Your God Given Gifts for Service?

Click here for the many opportunities available at Calvary.

Donations Toward Missions Projects

Donations toward our mission fund or our specific mission projects are welcome. It is a Calvary policy and a greater UMC policy that 100% of checks donated to a specific project will only be used for that project. Checks may be made out to "Calvary UMC" and sent to the church office at 403 S. Main Street Mount Airy, MD 21771, with the word "missions" or a specific mission mentioned in the memo line.