Global Outreach


First United Methodist Church is involved with global outreach in many locations. Our benchmark ministry is called the "Russia Initiative," a program of the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church. Novgorod is one of over 100 locations in Russia and the Ukraine where Americans and Russians are working together to start and support Russian Methodist Churches.

Our church is blessed that God is using the Russia Initiative to establish and support our sister church in Novgorod, Russia. The Novgorod congregation is led by Nataliya Chernova, a graduate of Methodist Seminary in Moscow established in 1996. The United Methodist Church's mission is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ through the development and support of a Russian Methodist congregation and to reach out to the citizens and organizations of Novgorod with social ministries and humanitarian aid.


Trips
Each trip includes: home stays with Russian families in Novgorod, Bible study and worship with the Novgorod United Methodist Church, Bible lessons in an orphanage, visits to the agencies that the Novgorod United Methodist Church supports, and programs with school children. In addition, travelers enjoy a visit to St. Petersburg and Moscow, learning more about Russian history and culture.

Each team that travels to Novgorod returns inspired and enlivened by the experience. It is exciting to meet the pastor, Nataliya Chernova, to worship with her congregation, and to participate in Bible Study. Friendships and cultural exchange develop between host families and American guests. Team members share the joy of spending time with Russian families during a 4-6 day home stay. Groups are entertained by lively school children who frequently present programs of traditional songs and dances, eager to "show off" for the Americans. Each team enjoys visiting and learning more about the agencies supported by the Russia Initiative in cooperation with the Russian Peace Foundation and the Novgorod United Methodist Church.

Support
The Russia Initiative Committee meets monthly to discuss developments in Novgorod and to guide the ongoing support of the Russian church, its pastor, and various agencies in the Novgorod region.

Financial Support for the church in Novgorod is an ongoing priority. First United Methodist Church budgets moneys annually for this initiative, and in addition, members contribute generously on an individual basis.

Humanitarian Aid - the Novgorod church reaches out to a variety of humanitarian agencies within the city. We ask for your prayers to continue to undergird the work of God in Novgorod and Russia.

Ways That Individuals Can Participate
The Russia Initiative Committee is open to everyone, and you are invited to attend our meetings on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:00 PM. Call Rev. Sandi Johnson at 719.471.8522 x208 for more information.

Everyone is welcome to apply to participate on a team traveling to Russia - usually trips are scheduled twice a year. The two-week trip costs approximately $2,500 and includes a memorable introduction to the vast history, tradition, and distinctive culture of Russia as you visit St. Petersburg, Novgorod and Moscow.

Gifts and financial support are vital to the success of the ministry in Novgorod. You may contribute by contacting Rev. Sandi Johnson at 719.471.8522 x208. Financial contributions should be made payable to First United Methodist Church and designated "Russia Initiative."

Ways That Churches Can Participate
Every church may help in one or all of the following:
  • Inviting individual members to contribute financially
  • Encouraging individuals to join a team traveling to Russia. All United Methodists of the Pike's Peak region are welcome to apply.
  • Praying for the churches in Russia.
If your church would like to consider participating in this exciting ministry, please contact Rev. Marlene Urban-Funk at 719.471.8522 x208 for more information.





FUMC Mission to Meru Kenya
(Written by Tia Wieland)

What do you think when you think of Africa? A third world country? To some, "AIDS" might pop into their heads, or a picture of a starving child with a swollen belly from a lack of nutrition. And for others, they may think of genocide such as the genocide in Rwanda, or they may think of corruption. This is the case in much of Africa, but amidst all of this, one can seem to find God's beauty and grace everywhere you look. I fell in love with Africa after studying it for years in school and with the help of my favorite History teacher, an even deeper passion ignited in me when I realized God was calling me to make a difference there. With all that said, I bet you can imagine just how excited I was to find out that I would be going to Kenya, Africa this summer with thirteen others. Twelve of the fourteen members on our mission team were from FUMC, one from Hope UMC in Denver and a young man from a Korean Methodist Church in California.

After some patience building, flying moments and delay at the start of the trip, we finally made it to Kenya. Our first night in Kenya was spent at the Methodist Guest House in Nairobi. It is a beautiful hotel in the city that is safe refuge to travelers in Kenya. The next day we traveled to Meru, Kenya where we would spend most of our trip. But on our way we made a stop at Chuka Town Church to join their Sunday Service. Due to some rough, road travel, we arrived late. We were surprised when we were greeted by the congregation before we had even stepped out of the vans. Everywhere one looked, you'd see another smiling face and you'd receive a hand shake or hug, along with a "Jambo!" (meaning "Hello!" in Kiswahili, one of the more prevalent languages of Kenya). We soon realized that the church service had yet begun; they waited for us for two hours to start the service and no one had left. They just waited patiently for their much anticipated visitors from America to arrive.

We were soon ushered to a weathered rough wood building that was painted bright blue. It was smaller than our chapel and filled with benches where they held their Sunday services. We entered the sanctuary to hear Africa praise music along with clapping and drums. It was definitely one of those God moments. It was amazing to see how these people can be so happy and lift their praises to God when they have so little. We moved towards the two rows of benches saved for us, while other team members sat with congregation members. In front of us were all the children, smashed together on one bench. Their wandering eyes would occasionally glance back at us and smile. In those children, we all saw God.

After service, we had a tour of their new church building that's in the process of being built and enjoyed a wonderful lunch prepared by the church women in the outdoor, open fire cook shack. We left Chuka Town Church and moved onwards to Meru. For the duration of the week, we worked at two different mission sites everyday. One team worked at the Kenya Methodist University cleaning up the grounds of an abandoned Resort that they will soon use as a conference center. Many branches and wheelbarrows full of leaves were hauled to the massive burn pile. The other team worked building a workshop at Kithoka Polytechnic, a trade school for students who can not afford to attend paid high school where they can study subjects such as masonry, mechanics, sewing and catering. After graduating with a trade skill, they can find better jobs and build a future and better the economy of their country. We paid for, on behalf of our church, the building materials and cost of the workshop and delivered material and sewing items to the sewing students and helped them with some computer maintenance for their one computer.

While all of the work at the university was manual labor, we all soon found out after being "thrown" in chest deep trenches that at the Polytechnic, the work you did was more in making relationships rather than the manual labor. We all made many friends during the duration of the week and a few of us made very close friends. This made it very hard to leave at the end of the week but after many sad good-byes we knew we had done God's will and it was time to go.

In addition to the week's work at the two sites, we also visited and toured a school for the deaf, a school for the mentally challenged, an orphanage, a Methodist Farm, Maua Hospital, MAPP (Meru Association of Positive People), and a coffee farm. All of these visits brought a gain of knowledge and a life changing experience.

The mission trip to Kenya was a once in a lifetime experience. From seeing three year olds walking down the side of busy roads alone and seeing children and adults dying from HIV and AIDS at Maua Hospital to watching our new friends at Chuka Town Church run after our vans as we left, everything about the trip was life changing. I know for me, the trip made me really take a step back and look at my life and what I make priorities. In Africa, it's all about God and Family, which is the way it should be. I pray this wasn't my last visit to Africa because I know that I have only made a fragment of the difference I dream of working as a doctor or teacher in Africa. I hope that this article has given you an insight as to what our trip was about and has provided a view of just a fragment of the many life-changing things that happened on this incredible mission trip. Thank you for your prayers while our team was on our trip and God Bless!
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