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EngageMI helps you transform the world

Posted on by DeMoss
Engage MI
B.J. Copeland loads boxes of bananas into the back of his truck for the Society of St. Andrew. Copeland is one of a group of volunteers who help haul produce to centers that are able to get the food to churches and food banks. Society of St. Andrew is an EngageMI partner. Photo courtesy of B.J. Copeland.

EngageMI 2020-2021 is a new mission resource that will guide engagement with neighbors near and far in the new year. Two copies have been mailed to each local church and full details are now online.

KAY DEMOSS
Senior Content Editor

As COVID-19 rages in the state, Michigan remains in ministry with neighbors across the street and around the globe. The Rev. Paul Perez, Michigan Conference Director of Connectional Ministry, reports, “Most of our EngageMI projects continue to provide essential humanitarian assistance in the midst of the pandemic.”

EngageMI is now entering its third year as the model to build connections between local congregations and ministry partners.

Food distribution to women and children
Gifts from the Michigan Conference have enabled food distributions around Liberia in 2020. ~ photo courtesy Muriel Nelson

The EngageMI webpage has all mission leaders need to shift from transactional ministry-to approaches to relational ministry-with vulnerable people and communities.

The Conference Board of Global Ministries explains further. “Ministry with is grounded in Jesus’ practice of ministry, and our Wesleyan heritage … Ministry to is defined as mission and ministry programs that merely ‘give to’ or ‘do for’ people … In contrast, ministry with seeks not only to meet immediate needs, but, also, to foster mutual relationships where all participants are met with dignity, engaged in shared leadership, and growing together in God’s love.”

The EngageMI program consists of three focus areas: Learn, Give, Act. Congregations that meet the requirements in all three areas will be recognized as EngageMI Congregations.

The 2020 EngageMI annual report form can be used to detail how your congregation learned, gave, and acted this past year. The form must be submitted no later than January 10, 2021.

EngageMI supports disaster recovery
Disaster Recovery ministries in Michigan are supported by the dollars from generous donors and the muscle of caring volunteers.

Two copies of the EngageMI Book for 2020-2021 were mailed Dec. 11, 2020 to each local church. Publication was delayed by COVID-19. We thank mission leaders for their patience.

A downloadable version of the new EngageMI is available online. Not only that, each project in the book has a tile in the Ministry Partners section of the website. The tile is your window to more detail about the ministry partner, a link to give through PayPal or the General Board of Global Ministries, and contact information to arrange deeper involvement.

We live and minister in uncertain times. Rev. Paul Perez offers these words of encouragement. “I encourage you to hold fast because God’s call to mission is steadfast. God’s love for those whose lives are truly precarious is truly faithful. God’s connection of complex, messy, conflicted relationships is a sure foundation for whatever dream God may be dreaming for what comes next.”

Last Updated on October 23, 2023

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The Michigan Conference