Missional Engagement

Urgent Needs

Learn

As our communities are facing this unprecedented time due to COVID-19, it is important we serve and love our community as best we can. Here you find ways to be a witness to the call of our faith to care for the common good.

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1) Our community partner Rising Hope Mission Church is in urgent need of food supplies, volunteers, and financial resources to help the most vulnerable in our community along the Route 1 Corridor.  You can bring food donations to the church and place in our brown bins or bring donations directly to Rising Hope. Please give in any way you can. Read this email from Rev. Keary Kincannon

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2) As schools are closed for the rest of the school year, many kids who depend on school lunches will go hungry. Donate to help keep students fed during this time and check out where in Fairfax County students can get grab and go meals during this time. 

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3) Help alleviate medical debt of health workers and first responders by giving to the Helping COVID Heroes Fund

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4) Support UMCOR Covid-19 Response Fund

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UMC Justice Webinar Series: COVID-19 Pre-Existing Disparities Exposed: Thursdays at 2:00pm. Click on the links to watch the recordings of each seminar

• May 21 - Systemic Racism and Discrimination During COVID-19 

• May 28 - Confined and Vulnerable: Detained and Incarcerated During COVID-19

• June 4 - From the Earth to the Table: Food Insecurity

• June 11 - A Just and Peaceable Response: Sanctions and Debt Relief

• June 18 - Imagining a Just Economy Post COVID-19

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Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival​

• Join the movement and participate in the virtual March on Washington

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Resources for Racial Justice

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Read

• Anti-Racism Resources

• Sojourners: For Our White Friends Desiring to Be Allies

Watch

• Systemic Racism and Discrimination During COVID-19 - UMC Justice Recorded Webinar

• Why We Need to Talk About Injustice - Bryan Stevenson

• Our worship service on May 31 on Psalm 13 addressing the sin of racism

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Connect

• UMC General Commission on Religion and Race

• Interfaith Immigration Coalition

• Faith in Public Life

Act​​

• Bishop Lewis' Call For Action Against Systemic Racism

• Online Course: Implicit Bias: What We Don't Think We Think

• Faith in Public Life Resource Page for Actions and Learning

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Connect to our Community and World

Virginia Interfaith Center ​

• COVID-19 Resources for Communities (English Version) (Spanish Version)

• Social Action While Social Distancing - Tons of great ideas for social action and advocacy for individuals and for churches

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Important Days Coming Up - For Yearly Giving Guide Click Here​

• May 17 - International Endangered Species Day​

  • Learn more here or download special bulletin​

• June 7 - Peace with Justice Sunday​

  • One of our Six Specical UMC Giving Sundays ​

• June 8 - World Oceans Day

  • Be a responsible steward of creation and help protect our oceans​

• June 12 - World Day Against Child Labor

  • Help fight against human trafficking and child labor​

• June 20 - World Refugee Day

  • Learn more and support refugees ​

• June 21 - World Giraffe Day

  • Caring for animals is a way of caring for God's creation​

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Support Rising Hope's Hunger Ministries

• January 30, 2021 - Empty Bowls Fundraiser at MVUMC

Act Justly

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Here you can partner with faith-based organizations to act and advocate for social change

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Join with Church World Service and support World Refugee Day on June 20th.

• Take action to support refugees

• Support refugees year round with CWS

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Virginia Interfaith Center

• Add your name - Support Essential Workers in VA

• Add your name - Ensure equitable access to health care during coronavirus pandemic 

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UMC Justice

• Call on Congress to reform prisons, jails, and migrant detention

• Join a Virtual Worship Service for a time of lament, healing, and renewal on June 3rd at 12:00pm in honor of Peace with Justice Sunday (See photo to the right)

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Join Our Annual Opportunities

January 2021- Day for All People with
Virginia Interfaith Center. A day of learning and advocacy in Richmond

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March 2021 - Rise Against Hunger - join us for our 3rd annual event to pack 10,000 meals in 2 hours!

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March 2021 - Hypothermia Shelter. Provide meals and help stay overnight for each Tuesday in March at Rising Hope

Every 5th Friday - Phoenix Rising: Partner with St. Stephens UMC to bring meals to people along the Rt. 1 Cooridor

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August - Back to School Supplies for United Community

Oct-Dec - We collect food items for Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets for Rising Hope

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Give Generously

We want to cultivate disciples who are generous. Throughout the year we have multiple opportunities to give and support important ministries in our community and world through community partners and our denominations global reach.

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You can give through:

UMC Special Giving Sundays - Find Out More Here

1) Human Relations Day - Sunday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day

2) UMCOR Sunday - Fourth Sunday in Lent

3) Native American Ministries Sunday - Third Sunday of Easter

4) Peace with Justice Sunday - First Sunday After Pentecost

5) World Communion Sunday - First Sunday of October

6) United Methodist Student Day - Last Sunday of November

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Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday Offerings:

In the past these offerings have supported UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief), United Methodist Family Services, and Rising Hope Mission Church

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Other Ways to Give:

You can find many different local, national and global ministries of our denomination to financially support through The Advance of the General Board of Global Ministries

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Be Inspired