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Give generously to EngageMI partners

Posted on by James Deaton
Campers singing
Lake Michigan Family Campground, located in Pentwater, Michigan, is home base for many family and group camping experiences. Jackson: First UMC has hosted a family camp here for generations. This campground is one of three camping/retreat sites operated by Grace Outside (a program of Michigan Area United Methodist Camping), an EngageMI Ministry Partner. Give to Grace Outside or other EngageMI projects that tug at your heart on Giving Tuesday. ~ photo courtesy Grace Outside

On Giving Tuesday, December 3, choose to support our EngageMI Ministry Partners. Several of them have special incentives for this global day of giving.

JAMES DEATON
Content Editor

The season of gratitude is upon us, although we’re encouraged to live with generous hearts daily. Our gracious God demonstrates this and has created us to reciprocate that openness.

Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving held on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving each year. It’s December 3 this year, and many of our EngageMI Ministry Partners are participating in this movement that “unleashes the power of radical generosity around the world.”

The Michigan Conference welcomes the support of our many partners. EngageMI is the mission engagement program of the Michigan Conference, challenging United Methodist congregations to comprehensive missional learning, giving, and action.

Rev. Dillon Burns, chairperson of the Michigan Conference’s Board of Global Ministries, encourages everyone to follow their hearts and give generously.

“As Christians and United Methodists,” says Burns, “we have long lived our faith through mission with the world around us. This Giving Tuesday, you’re invited to live into this practice of our faith by supporting one of the vetted partners through EngageMI. Consider letting this one-time gift grow into an ongoing commitment to partner with this mission in the coming months.”

Click the button below to visit the landing web page for our EngageMI Ministry Partners. Search for the partner project you’d like to give to and click the GIVE button. You can pay by credit card or through PayPal. Save the acknowledgment for tax purposes. Some partners have special incentives this year, including dedicated giving links. Find those later in this article.

Created in 2012 as an independent nonprofit, Giving Tuesday is dedicated to inspiring millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. The generosity they hope to inspire is “radical generosity,” seeing the suffering of others as intolerable to us as our own suffering. According to their mission, “radical generosity invites people in to give what they can to create systemic change.” It moves people beyond giving to working together to make a lasting impact.

At the heart of its mission, Giving Tuesday hopes to “inspire generosity worldwide, with a common mission to build a world where generosity is part of everyday life.”

Several EngageMI Ministry Partners are joining the Giving Tuesday movement this year. This movement allows faith-based organizations to join other nonprofits, amplify their voices and reach, and make a difference for the greater good.

Here are a few examples to consider. This list is not exhaustive. All Michigan United Methodists can participate in Giving Tuesday, even if your church doesn’t participate in the EngageMI program. Click to learn more about how your church can become an EngageMI Congregation.

Michigan Partners

Gifts to the Campus Ministries (CCMM#3056) umbrella fund support all the campus ministries in the Michigan Conference through the Division of Higher Education and Campus Ministry. The eight campus faith communities throughout the state nurture bold and effective young adult leaders by promoting healthy spiritual and social development through various activities.

University of Michigan students
Rev. Tim Kobler (left), chaplain at the Wesley Foundation at the University of Michigan, and students explore calling with Rev. Katie Fahey (right) from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. ~ photo courtesy Cora Glass

Several of the individual campus ministries in the state have special incentives and giving opportunities this year:

Grace Outside (CCMM#3017), the programs offered by Michigan Area United Methodist Camping, offers life-changing experiences year-round for all ages at Lake Huron Retreat Center, Lake Michigan Family Campground, and Wesley Woods Camp and Retreat Center. Participants experience God’s Love, find Rest, engage in Adventure, share in Community, and are Empowered to change the world! Since the Michigan Conference ceased funding Grace Outside directly three years ago, a significant gap has emerged in the cost of these experiences as fees no longer cover expenses. This year, an anonymous donor will match financial gifts to the Camp Affordability Fund. Other opportunities to give are available. Click to donate.

United Methodist Community House (CCMM#3029) in Grand Rapids offers early childhood education, youth programs, and human services for older adults. Their overall mission is to create more equal opportunities for success in a diverse community. UMCH is the only United Women in Faith National Mission Institution in Michigan.

Husband and wife impacted by United Methodist Community House
Rev. Nathaniel and Laura B. Moody and their family have deep gratitude for United Methodist Community House and its impact on their lives. In a written testimony they said, “It’s impossible to say where we would be if it weren’t for the role UMCH played in our lives. All we can say with certainty is that if it wasn’t for UMCH, we wouldn’t be where we are now. . . . When you give today, you could be helping someone else fulfill a lifelong goal, or setting them on the path to success and leadership. You’re helping them become the kinds of people who want to give back.” Click to read their full testimony. ~ photo courtesy UMCH

Read the testimony of Rev. Nathaniel and Laura B. Moody, whose lives were impacted by the mission of UMCH. Their story of how UMCH strengthened their family across generations is included in UMCH’s Giving Tuesday and end-of-year appeal. Click to donate.

National Partners

Red Bird Mission (General Advance #773726), located in the mountains of southeastern Kentucky, is the most diverse of all United Women in Faith National Mission Institutions, reaching more than 12,000 people in three of the poorest counties in the nation. Red Bird Mission also includes Red Bird Christian School (General Advance #773728) and Red Bird Clinic (General Advance #773724).

Dentist at Red Bird Mission
Dr. William Collins (left) came to the rescue eight years ago when there was no dentist at Red Bird and over 200 patients waiting for care. The dental clinic has been a godsend for many in rural southeastern Kentucky. ~ photo courtesy Red Bird Mission/Facebook

This year, Red Bird’s Giving Tuesday will focus on supporting the overall mission, Community Aid, and Student Tuition Support. This is Red Bird Mission’s eleventh year participating in this global day of gratitude.

Kevin Wilson, a graduate of Red Bird Christian School, a Christian musician, and a traveling evangelist, will join staff during the day on Giving Tuesday, December 3, to stream Facebook Live Events. He will share his music, testimonies, and highlights of Red Bird Mission’s program ministries. The day’s schedule is posted on Red Bird’s Facebook page. Click to donate.

International Partners

Haitian Assets for Peace International (HAPI) (General Advance #3020490) is driving sustainable change in southeastern Haiti through health care, education, and employment.

In rural Haiti, many families face challenges accessing even basic healthcare. For just $25, you can provide a single health care visit (for an average of $125 per person for one year of health care). Your support means life-saving doctor visits, essential medicines, and preventive care are available to help families stay healthy and thrive.

Health nurse
Florence Jacques (left), a community health nurse, takes the blood pressure of an older adult. HAPI makes house calls to persons with a disability once a month for a routine health exam or personal care. ~ photo by Doris Prevost, courtesy HAPI

HAPI’s doctors and nurses meet people where they are, whether delivering a baby at Felisane Health Center or managing hypertension on a patient’s front porch. HAPI’s dedicated team engages in online professional development and embraces new technology to expand services, reducing the need for costly and risky trips to the city. Their mission is simple: to enhance the health of their friends, family, and neighbors because, after all, health is wealth.

Let’s bring hope and health to these communities for less than the cost of a dinner out. Give the gift of health today and help us build a brighter future for Haitian families. Click to donate.

Editor’s note: Giving Tuesday news items were compiled from announcements provided by EngageMI Ministry Partners and their leaders.

Last Updated on November 27, 2024

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The Michigan Conference