Reaching outside the walls

Take a look at how you, the congregation, have touched the lives of others through acts of love, compassion, service and giving outside our walls. You have offered yourselves, your money & your stuff to help reach out to the people in our community and beyond, expressing the love of God for them.  Read the stories and see who was impacted this year by your love and generosity in reaching out to others in our community and our world. You can read or download the report by clicking on the link below, or get one in the lobby at the info center.

REACHOUT2011

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” – Matthew 25:40

MRSA, Mice and Lice

By Lois DeRosa

MRSA, mice and lice-Those are the three words that “Joanne” (name changed) used to describe her life in Lancaster County Prison. Her spirits were better as she was taking the proper medication for her bipolar illness. So now that her mood was stabilizing, she was trying to get more involved and had joined a few classes. Exercise is very limited. There is a gym but it is very overcrowded. There is a TV room but it’s hard to hear and concentrate with everyone talking. You never go outside and get to walk around or feel the sun. There is no “yard” at Lancaster County Prison (like we see in all those movies). Read more

Bearing light into the darkness

LUMINA is the Latin word for light. God calls us to let our  light shine in the darkest places of our communities and the darkest places of people’s lives, places such as poverty and despair. The “light-bearers” or volunteers that serve with LUMINA outreach do so much for the men, women and children of Lancaster city.

Both kids and adults get to see the light of Jesus’ love through every person that participates. Some bring light to children that attend Kid’s night, a Christian education program held during the school year on Monday andThursday nights at different churches. Sam Smith, Judy Smith and Carol Adey, members of Hempfield UMC participated in Summer of 2011 to shepherd, drive the van and teach the children during Community Summer Camp week. LUMINA’s Kids in the Cupboard and SuperCupboard programs teach kids and adults how to make healthy, nutritious food selections.   Read more

Fall Mission Packing Project-GAIN

The Global Aid Network or GAIN distribution center in Mount Joy is holding another Fall Mission Packing Project week. This year, the items being packed for international aid is: new and used clothing, seeds, care packs (school supplies), gospel bead bracelets, medical supplies, blankets, aprons and also food packing.

• The event is Monday, October 10 through Saturday, October, 15 2011. 
• Times: 8:30 am to 5 pm (Monday – Saturday), 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
• For more information, please check out the Fall Mission Packing Project Week site or call John Deibert, 872-7132

Global Aid Network works in partnership with existing Campus Crusade for Christ ministries, local churches, missionaries, and other agencies to help distribute compassionate aid to impoverished countries around the world and mobilizes mission teams for aid distribution, disaster response, evangelistic outreach, medical mission and orphan care.

 DISTRIBUTION CENTER JUNE MISSION PACKING REPORT: - from the GAINUSA.org site

At the June 2011 Mission Packing Project, 3,202 volunteers joined Global Aid Network® at its Distribution Center in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, to process and pack humanitarian aid for overseas shipment and mission projects.

Volunteers from around the country joined the effort to help those in need. By the end of the work project, they had processed the following for shipment:

• 255 Gospel Aprons
• 132 Blankets
• 8,344 lbs. of Used Clothing
• 34,503 lbs. of New Clothing
• 168,480 Rice and Bean Meals packed
• 135 Boxes of Disposable Medical Supplies (bandages, syringes, etc.)
• 137 letters written for CarePacks
• 13,809 New Shoes (pairs)
• 113,786 Harvester Packs (10 seed packets per pack)
• 30,300 gospel bead bracelets- a colorful tool for communicating the gospel message

We thank God for our friends who joined in the joyous time of fellowship and who gave of their time, their hard work, and their prayers to see this project accomplished.

Ongoing Packing Opportunities:
Join us at the Distribution Center during the year for ongoing packing projects. To find out more about volunteer opportunities, call us at 717-285-4220. 

Help for the Shilalo family in Masai Land

Many of you know our brother, Pastor Joseph Shilalo and his wife, Tabitha. Their family has been worshipping with us for well over two years now, they  have recently become members.  Pastor Joseph and Tabitha have been in the US for ten years and are originally from Kenya. Pastor Joseph has begun the Streams of Life prayer fellowship here at Hempfield UMC. Streams of Life is an international, interdenominational prayer fellowship giving the world hope through Jesus Christ. It also serves to reach out and fellowship with our African brothers and sisters who have come to live in Lancaster County.

A few months ago, our brother, Pastor Joseph Shilalo and his family, were devastated by the loss of his brother, late Mpapai ole Shilalo, in Kenya. His brother was murdered by bandits, who were attempting to rob a store that he was visiting. It broke our hearts to hear this news in worship, and so many were moved to pray and support Joseph and his family. Read more

Supporting flood victims

Record water levels have impacted many of our neighbors right here in our community and beyond. These are just a few of the stories of people who are going to need our help to be the hands and feet of Jesus now and for years to come.

Many of you might have seen this article in the Lancaster Newspaper about the Wagner family. They were severely impacted by flooding form Chickies Creek.  The Wagners are frequent attenders. Read Article.

Another congregation member lost everything in her basement and first floor, after flood waters rose to devastating levels in Manheim devastated hundreds of homes in Lancaster. Read more

Giving hope to women in prison

By Lois DeRosa

As the “champion” of our church for B.I.R.D Ministries & House of Ruth, it never fails to amaze me how God can use me and others to help give hope to those that are in times of desperate spiritual need, especially those in prison.

Recently, I was approved by the Chaplains office to visit inside the Lancaster County prison and went on my first visit last Saturday. I had a 1 on 1 meeting with a women who had requested a Chaplain’s visit. She cried a lot and has nothing left and nothing to go to upon release. She is housed in what they call “A Cage” by herself.  Read more

Zealous Love

By Luanne Schreier

As a member of Hempfield United Methodist Church, co-chair of our Reach Out commission, and a founding member of the Gifts that Give Hope Alternative Gift Fair in Lancaster PA, I am excited to share this event with our congregation and the community. You have an opportunity that does not come along very often: the opportunity to engage with an author that will help you change the world.

Mike Yankoski, who entertained us with his memoir of living on the streets as a homeless
person in Under the Overpass has now written a handbook, Zealous Love: a Practical Handbook to Social Justice, on how to address eight specific challenges ranging from trafficking, unclean water, education, inequality, and hunger.

One of the realities of the social justice movement is that the church has been on the forefront of challenging the unacceptable status quo and seeking new and doable recipes for positive change. Religions have used their infrastructure to educate and empower their parishioners towards helping to make a difference. The message conveyed by Yankoski is that everyone is capable of not just recognizing problems but also being proactively engaged in their community.

Learning to help the neighbors down the block and across the seas will inevitably bring passion and grace to our simple lives.

Read more

Go Serve! Day of Caring Promo

Go to hempfieldumc.com/goserveday for more info.