Missouri Union Presbytery

There are openings (i.e. ministry opportunities) to serve on MISSION TEAMS in our presbytery. These teams are not just for pastors–any church member, including youth, can serve. It's your chance to learn from others with like interests, share your God-given gifts and follow Christ more faithfully. The work of these groups varies widely, but the sense of contributing to the wider church is a common theme. Most meet quarterly; some as often as each month.

Mission Teams with openings are:
Media Promotions
Senior-Mid High Youth
Family Enrichment Ministries
Social Justice and Peacemaking
Church and Society
Hungarian Reformed Church Partnership
Disaster Assistance
Campus Ministry
New Church Development
Criminal Justice

Call the presbytery office (573)635-9221 or 1-800-635-3178 for more information or the person to contact for the Mission Team you'd like to know more about.

There are openings (i.e. ministry opportunities) to serve on MISSION TEAMS in our presbytery. These teams are not just for pastors–any church member, including youth, can serve. It's your chance to learn from others with like interests, share your God-given gifts and follow Christ more faithfully. The work of these groups varies widely, but the sense of contributing to the wider church is a common theme. Most meet quarterly; some as often as each month.

Mission Teams with openings are:
Media Promotions
Senior-Mid High Youth
Family Enrichment Ministries
Social Justice and Peacemaking
Church and Society
Hungarian Reformed Church Partnership
Disaster Assistance
Campus Ministry
New Church Development
Criminal Justice

Call the presbytery office (573)635-9221 or 1-800-635-3178 for more information or the person to contact for the Mission Team you'd like to know more about.

Is your congregation celebrating a special one-time event? Maybe your church have an awesome idea and the results exceeded your best hopes!

A primary purpose for this website is getting out the WORD–not just the Good News of God's Grace made real and personal in Jesus Christ, but also sharing information, opportunities and encouragement for ministry–ministry within congregations, among congregations and to others throughout and around the world.

When you have information or events to publicize, please post events yourself or contact Vicki at the MUP office (573) 635-9221 or vicki@mupresbytery.org

The 2007 Festival of Sharing held at the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia was a great success. Thanks be to God! Preliminary totals are that 44,000 Pounds of potatoes, 20,000 pounds of rice and 20,000 pounds of beans were bagged and packed for shipping. In adddition, 120 local agencies received support, one and a half (53 foot long) semi-trailers were loaded with school kits alone, the Quilt Auction brought in $34,000.00, and even more significantly, between 3,500 and 4,000 participated in the ecumenical worship service on Saturday, October 20, 2007.

This annual inter-faith, state-wide ingathering event, is held on the third Saturday in October each year. Mark your calendar for October 18, 2007 and invite others in your congregation to get involved in this inspiring event, where groups and individuals can personally join in sharing God's blessings with the entire world.

The Festival is really a two day event, with Friday used as the set up day for volunteers, and the overnight Youth Fest Retreat. For the full listing of events go to the website http://www.umocm.com, for more highlights of the 2007 Festival and plans as they are made for 2008.

The Quilt Auction: Churches all across the state of Missouri work to prepare and donate quilts for the auction. The Quilt Auction provides significant support for the “Tools and Blankets” program of the Church World Service (CWS). During the past 25 years, more than 2700 quilts have been made and sold during the Quilt Auction. Some have brought in more than $600.000 for the Church World Blanket Fund.

Backpacks of Love: These kits are used by children between the ages of 4-10 who have experienced a crisis and are being placed in foster care.

PURPOSES of THE FESTIVAL OF SHARING
*generate financial and material aid responses for hunger, poverty, and crisis
*meet and challenge injustice through advocacy and systemic change
*promote awareness of hunger and justice issues, local and *international outreach opportunities, and stewardship responsibilities
*encourage and enable hands-on experiences with mission projects

During August 2007, representatives from Missouri Union Presbytery visited Partner churches in the Cistibiscan Church District (synod) of the Hungarian Reformed Church. Other Hungarian congregations wish to form partnership relationships with churches in the Presbytery of Missouri Union. Consider this ministry opportunity for your congregation. For more information, please contact Rev. Robert Bailey at bobannell@embarqmail.com or (573)634-8660.

Partnerships are open-ended commitments; each relationship develops in a unique way. Your communication to a partner church may be carried out via email, exchange visits or regular mail, but the personal connection with other Christians is a meaningful, mutual blessing. As we hear and learn from other believers, especially those whose faith was forged under official repression, we're challenged to evaluate our own commitment. As Hungarian Christians continue to emerge from a controlled society to witness to God's kingdom in a materiastic, post-modern world, we can share and follow Christ together.

Those visiting included Bedford and Kathryn Knipschild (Covenant – Marshall), Dr. and Mrs. Robert Bullock (First – Fulton), Russell Greenhaugen, Karen Larvik, Dick Caplinger, Kent Burson, and Cecil Culverhouse (First – Jefferson City).

Pastoral Enrichment for Transitions in Ministry (PETM) is a professional development program primarily for pastors in
their first 5-7 years of ministry. It provides an opportunity to
strengthen role identity, congregational understanding, and necessary
leadership skills. Ministers in the Synod of Mid-america are eligible to attend–primarily (but not exclusively) those in their first 5-7 years of ministry. Contact Mary Sue in the Synod office at maryst@synodma.org or 913-384-3020 for information about plans for 2008.