Christ Centered Mission & Ministry in Michigan
Give to at least one Conference Project or a Conference Special Sunday. In these Conference Projects we connect to:
* Share God's Love with Others
* Build the Beloved Community
* Develop Leaders
Follow the links below to learn about District Projects
Central Bay District
East Winds District
Greater Detroit District
Greater Southwest District
Heritage District
Mid-Michigan District
Midwest District
Northern Skies District
Northern Waters District
Special Sundays
Special Sundays are designated Sundays throughout the year that provide opportunities for giving. These special offerings are earmarked and support designated ministries.
On these Sundays, we empower our congregations to give toward causes and organizations that promote sustainable life change.
These offerings help offer refuge in times of disaster, promote peace and justice, provide scholarships, reach out to the community, teach skills to encourage self-sufficiency and share the love of Jesus Christ with God’s people everywhere.
Asbury Community Development Corporation
CCMM#3003
Asbury CDC is a unified ministry of the East Winds District and Flint Mission Zone with a vision of creating a community where residents enjoy safety, good health, and educational opportunities. They distribute more than 300,000 meals each year through the FeedFlint, Asbury Farms (one of the largest urban farms in the country), Asbury Cafe, South Flint Soup Kitchen, the angel closet, Asbury Help Center, and the Sizzling Culture! Youth program.
Baldwin Center
CCMM# 3036
The Baldwin Center’s mission is to feed, clothe, educate and empower the men, women and children of the Pontiac community. It offers more than 25 programs including a soup kitchen, clothes closet, laundry, after-school program, summer enrichment camp, and hygiene items. They are connecting and training partner agencies to increase client empowerment through ‘Innovative Frameworks’.
Blue WATER UNITED METHODIST FREE STORE & MINISTRY CENTER
CCMM#3061
The Blue Water Free Store’s mission is to provide free household needs to anyone requiring some extra assistance. The store accepts donations of gently used clothing, furniture, household goods, etc. and then offers them to clients in a respectful, judgment-free shopping experience at no cost to the client. The Ministry Center offers space for meetings, worship, Bible studies, and finance classes free to the community. The Blue Water Free Store is a collaboration of several UMCs and other community partners.
CAMPUS MINISTRY IN THE MICHIGAN CONFERENCE
CCMM#3056
Gifts to this fund support all of the campus ministries in the Michigan Conference through the Division of Higher Education and Campus Ministry.UM campus faith communities nurture bold and effective young adult leaders by promoting healthy spiritual and social development on campuses.
Cass Community Social Services
CCMM#3005
Cass Community Social Services offers programs to people living in areas of concentrated poverty in Detroit. Each year 700,000 meals are served, 300 men,women and children are housed, 125developmentally disabled adults participate in a skill building program, hundreds get medical care through a free clinic with the help of WSU and up to 85 people are employed in their Green Industries program. In addition, Cass is developing a neighborhood of Tiny Homes adjacent to the main Cass Campus
CENTRAL FAMILIAR CHRISTINAO - SUMMER CHILDREN'S PROGRAM, SUGAR CRASH
CCMM#3052
This summer program at Centro Familiar Christiano UMC seeks to provide an opportunity for educational and spiritual growth for children of the Melvindale community within a safe, supportive multi cultural experience at the church. The children gather each weekday for educational and spiritual programs and lunch during the month of July.
CHILDREN DEFENSE FUND FREEDOM SCHOOLS PROGRAM
CCMM#3049
Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools is a six-week summer literacy and cultural enrichment program designed to serve children and youth in grades K-12 in communities where quality academic enrichment programming is limited. Using an integrated reading curriculum, songs and chants during the ‘Harambe’ (come together) opening assembly and field trips children engage in reading, community involvement and multi-generational leadership development. Current Michigan Conference sites include: Detroit: Second Grace and Conant Ave UMCs; and Flint: Bethel and Calvary UMCs.
CHRIST CENTERED MISSION & MINISTRY GIFT
CCMM# 3037
A general gift may be given in lieu of selecting a specific project. Funds given will be used to build capacity and sustainability of Conference Christ Centered Mission & Ministry projects in the Michigan Annual Conference.
COMMUNITY FOOD MINISTRY - JACKSON FIRST UMC
CCMM#3057
The mission of the Community Food Ministry at Jackson First UMC is to encourage, educate, and equip members and the community to build and sustain healing ministries and promote health in mind, body, and spirit. The food ministry seeks to reduce hunger and food insecurity with community partners and food center clients themselves.
Clark Retirement COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
CCMM#3038
The Clark Retirement Community Foundation gives opportunities to support the mission of Clark, primarily through gifts to Benevolent Care which provides financial support to those residents who, through no fault of their own, have depleted their financial resources. Other services include the Montessori Aging and Dementia program, Music Therapy, and many life enrichment activities.
Community Ministries Program (at Grand Rapids: Trinity United Methodist Church)
CCMM#3006
The Community Ministries Program creates a safe place in the community for children and families to learn and grow. They do this through engaging partnerships with local nonprofits,working closely with the local elementary school, offering a weekly after-school program,connecting various churches on shared mission projects and promoting special needs and disability inclusion in elementary school libraries through the “Seen” Project.
Compassion COUNTS FOOD PANTRY - THE GATHERING UMC
CCMM#3059
Compassion Counts Food Pantry serves over 275 families in the Clare county area who live in generational poverty. The Gathering was chartered as a Mission Congregation in 2009 and strives to serve those in need. Its outreach through the Pantry works to fulfill its mission of eliminating scarcity of basic needs - financially, physically, and spiritually. It relies on community, individuals, and churches as they seek to provide “Food for the Body and Soul.” The Pantry welcomes partnerships with other churches.
FREE STORE OF KALAMAZOO - SUNNYSIDE UMC
CCMM#3048
The Free Store of Kalamazoo, at Sunnyside UMC, is a place where all people are welcome, and all items are available free of charge. The Free Store redistributes clothing and household goods donated by the community to the community. It is a place where relationships are formed, where individuals can come to know and be known. With the help of a grant in 2020, The Free Store launched a new program, Chuma, an empowerment program for women of color in the Kalamazoo community
FRENCH UMC IN METRO-DETROIT AREA, MINISTRY WITH IMMIGRANTS
CCMM#3055
The French UMC welcomes a growing number of French-speaking African exiles in the Greater Detroit Area. Funds help immigrants reconnect with their faith and locate basic assistance as they navigate the immigration process. There is an urgent need for clothing, housing assistance,household furnishings, transportation,school supplies and access to African food.
Fresh Aire Samaritan Counseling Center
CCMM#3008
Fresh Aire Samaritan Counseling Center seeks to enrich lives and restore hope and vitality in a spiritually inclusive manner throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region. They offer licensed professional counseling to individuals, couples, children, and families; consultation and coaching to pastors and churches; and various workshops related to healing and wholeness of body, mind, spirit, and relationships. As a non-profit, Fresh Aire offers adjustable fees and seeks to be economically and socially inclusive.
God’s Country Cooperative Parish
CCMM#3044
Encompassing the greater part of four counties and Newberry in the Upper Peninsula, GCCP serves families living at or below the federally-established level of poverty. Circumstances of limited employment, transient population, long and harsh winters, proper clothing and significant distances to acquire adequate food and medical assistance are severe challenges. GCCP provides ministry to those who struggle to live by working together to provide connection, support and basic human services.
HAITI COVENANT PARTNERSHIP
CCMM#3035
The Michigan-Haiti Covenant Partnership works to support and extend the covenant relationship between the people of the Michigan Annual Conference and the people of the Methodist Church of Haiti.
Joy Southfield Community Development Corporation
CCMM#3012
Joy-Southfield CDC was founded by Second Grace UMC in 2001 and serves the far west side Detroit. Forty percent of the residents in the community live below the federal poverty level and many are single parents or elderly. Joy-Southfield is dedicated to providing primary health care (through our partnership with Covenant Community Care) to low income and uninsured families and individuals; preventative health care education; free or low-cost home repairs for low-income, single-family homeowners; youth and family mentoring; and local economic development including better business to community relationships and commercial corridor revitalization. Joy-Southfield works closely with ACCESS CDC which has an Arab American heritage and other local organizations to provide additional community-building and services to all those in need. Joy-Southfield hosts adult and youth work teams for housing repairs and other community needs and is always in need of operational support.
Justice for Our Neighbors – Michigan
CCMM#3013
Justice For Our Neighbors Michigan (JFON-MI) supports immigrant communities through legal services and social actions. The immigration system is complex, and many low-income immigrants cannot afford legal assistance, leaving them vulnerable to fraud and exploitation. The JFON-MI legal staff are trustworthy and highly skilled. JFON began as a ministry of the FUMC in Grand Rapids,then as ministries of UMCs in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Metro Detroit and Traverse City. JFON-MI merged the four clinics into one statewide organization in 2018.
Liberia Ministry Partnership
CCMM#3014
The Liberia Ministry Partnership works to support and extend the covenant relationship between the people of the Michigan Annual Conference and the Liberia Annual Conference.
LOOKING GLASS COMMUNITY
CCMM#3062
Looking Glass Community Outreach (LGCO) was started in January 2001 as a Church & Community Ministry Project under the GBGM. The focus was, and still is, addressing rural poverty in southern Shiawassee County. Much of the outreach is with three mobile home neighborhoods.Projects include: school tutoring,transportation, community garden,ramp-builds, emergency assistance,summer children and youth programs and parenting classes.
Maple Valley Community Center of Hope
CCMM#3015
The Center of Hope is a faith-based non-profit serving the Maple Valley communities of Nashville, Vermontville, and Woodland in south central Michigan. Maple Valley Center of Hope strives to meet basic needs of their neighbors through services such as weekly food distribution, a Free Store, Hope for Babies (diapers, wipes, formula), back-to-school backpacks, and coats for kids. They are supported by the South Central Food Bank, United Methodist and other area churches, businesses, and individuals.
Methodist Children’s Home Society
CCMM#3016
The Methodist Children’s Home Society provides individualized treatment, care,advocacy, and permanency to children and families impacted by childhood trauma.Through residential, transitional living, foster care, and adoption programs, as well as educational and clinical services, MCHS provides for and advocates on behalf of victims of child abuse and neglect
Michigan Area United Methodist Camping
CCMM#3017
Michigan Area United Methodist Camping creates transformative camp and retreat experiences that develop disciples of Jesus Christ. The need for the camp and retreat experience for people of all ages is greater than ever, providing encounters with creation outdoors, physical activities, thoughtful inspiration, and intentional community. This happens in three ways: 1) programs like summer camp led by staff and volunteers,2) hospitality for events planned and led by guest groups, and 3) partnerships with groups that share the same mission. To learn more and register go to umcamping.org.
Michigan DISASTER RESPONSE AND RECOVERY
CCMM#3007
Michigan Area United Methodist Camping creates transformative camp and retreat experiences that develop disciples of Jesus Christ. The need for the camp and retreat experience for people of all ages is greater than ever, providing encounters with creation outdoors, physical activities, thoughtful inspiration, and intentional community. This happens in three ways: 1) programs like summer camp led by staff and volunteers, 2) hospitality for events planned and led by guest groups, and 3) partnerships with groups that share the same mission. To learn more and register go to umcamping.org
MICHIGAN VOLUNTEERS IN MISSION
CCMM#3058
Michigan Volunteers in Mission, a ministry of the Michigan Conference, encourages and assists churches to organize and lead volunteer mission trips. Michigan VIM works with both individuals and church groups,both experienced teams and those just getting started, and with all ages. VIM teams focus on everything from relationship building to construction, even medical and wellness. Michigan VIM provides scholarships for first-time participants,helps with emergency health insurance, and organizes training for trip leaders.