Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Mark 10:27
How Your Gift Helps
You can help tell stories that combat fear and inspire a trust in God and one another. A gift in support of our production of television, radio and other news stories will convey messages of hope—and those messages have the power to transform our communities and our culture. Here are opportunities and stories that illustrate how your gift will make a difference.
To give, simply click on “Donate Now” at left. If you would like your gift to be restricted to one of the causes listed below, simply note this preference in the “Comments” field on the “Donate Now” page. Otherwise, we will use your gift where it is needed most.
Current Giving Opportunities
Igniting Ministry | Igniting New Congregations | Africa Initiatives
Scholarships and Fellowships | Igniting Youth
Igniting Ministry
“Igniting Ministry gave our church the tools with which to reclaim evangelism and reclaim outreach.” —Pastor Jennifer Williams, Avondale UMC, Jacksonville, FL
Through Igniting Ministry, the welcoming ministry of The United Methodist Church, UMCom is increasing attendance and worship and reaching out to people in search of a spiritual home.
Igniting Ministry communicates Christ’s love, acceptance and hope, and that message is bringing people to church and changing their lives. Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors is a promise, not simply a slogan, expressed to over 90 million people through television commercials, national trainings and resources that bring people together. Here’s an example of a project launched and a congregation that grew as a result of its participation in Igniting Ministry.
- A gift of $70 will provide a Planning Kit to help a congregation build its welcoming skills and strengthen congregational life.
- A gift of $15,000 will provide extensive training to more than 500 grassroots church leaders and work to have their congregations fully live into the promise of Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors. Already more than 30,000 church leaders have been trained through this ministry.
- Gifts from $100 to more than $50,000 will provide matching grants for congregations and conferences to reach out to seekers and help them find Jesus Christ and a faith community.
Igniting New Congregations
When new church leaders fail to effectively communicate with the people they aim to serve, they are unable to attract a critical mass of folks needed in order to build a new congregation.
UMCom is building on the success of Igniting Ministry, and is partnering with the Fitzgerald Academy for Congregational Development and the Board of Discipleship to create and distribute communications resources that support new congregations. In 2005, matching grants were given to several new churches, and the marketing efforts they supported substantively increased the number of people who came to worship.
Learn more about how communications support is helping new churches thrive and the critical role it has in evangelism and outreach.
- A gift of $500 will provide tailored creative materials to help a new congregation build its identity and outreach plan
- A gift of $1200 will provide a computer system and software to support a new congregation.
- Gifts from $100 to more than $50,000 will provide matching grants for new congregations to reach out to seekers and help them find Jesus Christ and a faith community.
Africa Initiatives
“We need radio stations and radios to educate the people. We need drugs to treat people who have the disease… And we need help to deal with the mosquitoes that infect the people.” —Bishop Joao Machado, leader of The UMC in Mozambique
African Bishops, in partnership with United Methodist agencies, conferences, churches and individuals in the U.S., are building the capacity of the church to reach out to new people and to provide hope through the message of Jesus Christ and the ministries of the church.
The focus of the Communications Initiative is to provide:
- Equipment such as computers, cameras, internet access, radio and video capability and other vital communication tools to empower the church and improve the lives of the African people.
- Training for communicators so that they can share information and stories of hope with the people in African and with the global church.
- Communication Networks that include ham radios, handheld radios and community radio stations to offer live-saving information to the people.
Using the church’s infrastructure in Sierra Leone – health clinics, schools, church buildings, pastors and members of congregations –the initiative will develop a model of comprehensive malaria education, prevention and treatment that can be replicated in other countries.
The focus of the program is to provide:
- Mosquito Nets for beds,
- Safe Insecticides to treat the nets and to control the mosquito population,
- Solar and hand-powered radios to share information about the disease,
- Community-based education and information programs, with special outreach to women and children who are the most vulnerable to malaria, and Anti-malarial medicine.
You can help save lives.
- $40 will purchase a solar-powered or hand cranked radio
- $1,300 will purchase a ham radio
- $14,000 will establish a conference communications center (equipment, training and salary support) and empower the church to tell its story and reach out to more people in Africa who are hungry for hope and a spiritual home
- $18,000 will establish a community radio station
Make a pledge and empower the church in Africa to communicate life saving information about malaria.
Encouraging Service Through Scholarships and Fellowships
It is vital that we have professional communicators who reflect the diversity of the global United Methodist Church. We offer a variety of named scholarships and fellowships that provide critical training and experience for persons seeking to serve the church through the ministry of communications. [learn more]
Igniting Youth
You can help reach out to the next generation of young people who will become the leaders of The United Methodist Church. Your gift in support of Igniting Youth will strengthen our ability to speak the language of our young people; to encourage them that they are needed in our church; and to share their unique perspective with the broader church community.
You can support the production and distribution of the award-winning Interpreter magazine, which shares inspirational stories of United Methodists who are putting their faith into action. To learn more visit Interpreter magazine online.
“Thank you for the planning issue of Interpreter and especially the section on improving worship! It arrived at exactly the right time. The Holy Spirit strikes again!” —Rev. Steve Butler, South Glen Falls, NY
Stories That Show How We Have Helped
Hope School
Stories of hope are all around us. The more we see, hear and share these stories of hope, the more we are encouraged that with God all things are possible. Hope School is making a difference. [learn more]
Learning to Care
Children whose parents work abroad often live sheltered from the world around them. But when your parents are United Methodist missionaries living in a country where poverty and suffering are the norm, you’re bound to experience life differently. [learn more]
Codetalkers
Native People Communications ministry adds a rich, distinctive voice to the vision of the church. Resources and stories connect native communities within the church and bring their unique perspectives to our ministry for Jesus Christ. [learn more]
