Missions @ Cross Keys

May 2008

April 2008

The mission outreach for April is designated as "Native American Sunday" Last year we were able to help a local Native American church in Bridgeton and will be contacting them this year to see if they are still in financial need.

May 2007

The mission outreach for April 15^th was designated for the Native American Indian Ministries Sunday. CKUMC was invited to participate in the fund drive for a Native American United Methodist Church in Bridgeton. They lost their social hall in a fire and have a new basement dug but have encountered financial difficulties preventing the construction of a new building. CKUMC has been blessed by the addition of Faith Hall, the Administrative Council voted to send Saint John’s a love gift of $500. This is a very appropriate outreach to local Native Americans.

The mission offering May 20^th will be for the Mother & Child Residential Services located in Woodbury, NJ. This outreach to homeless mothers helps them acquire parenting skills and offers homeless families safe shelter. Daily classes and counseling are part of their program. This in turn helps to prevent child abuse and neglect, giving the women encouragement and support. This agency also provides clothing, personal items and household necessities. They accept donations of almost everything.  The things they can not use are sold.

Emmanuel Cancer Foundation food and paper products collection will be held April 22^nd through May 13^th. Please look for the suggested listing posted in both buildings. This is a special list needed for the summer.

Remember to clip Campbell Soup product bar codes, including the Campbell Kid Chef. Wouldn’t it be nice to send a package of them to Red Bird Mission in August with our volunteers?

March 2007

The Soup-ur Sunday food drive was very successful.  Thank you everyone for your donations. The need for food continues each week so continue to bring your non-perishable food to the church or if you are coming to an evening program. All donations will gladly be accepted.  We continue to send our food to the New Brooklyn UMC community food bank.

Also don’t forget the special envelopes in the vestibule to be used for the food efforts for the starvation situation in Niger, Africa. This is an offering that is not included with the Mission Sunday offering and may be used at any time.

Don’t forget to clip the Box for Education coupons and Campbell Soup bar codes and chef icon. These are sent to Red Bird Mission in Beverly, KY.

February 2007

Did you have a chance to look at the Mission bulletin board in Faith Hall?  The large map of the world is marked by pins showing the various mission outreaches CKUMC was involved with by financial support or our VIM teams had visited in 2006.  All these countries and places in the United States have been touched in various ways.  Enjoy the pictures, read the captions, and see how you can become involved.  Already, plans are being made to send our volunteers to Russia and probably Red Bird Mission in the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky.  Would you go?  Think about it.

In December, Rev. George Cherry from Red Bird Mission was our speaker at both Sunday services and brought some of the local handcrafts made by the mountain people.

Special Notice: Non-perishable foods may be put in the barrel in the vestibule.  Our contribution will go to the Monroe Township Food Bank located at the New Brooklyn UMC.  We are also collecting bar codes from Campbell soups and education box tops.

January 2007

Thank you so much to those who purchased a gift for someone on our Christmas Family List.  Once again thank you also to our delivery people.

A New Year and new challenges await us in our Mission endeavors.  After many years of giving financial support to the many Methodist Missions and those locally who needed our help, it is with great pride and happiness to know we have hands-on work being done.  Already, the teams that went to Russia and Louisiana are planning to return or go to another mission area.  The Habitat for Humanity workers are doing their best to work on the houses in Clayton.  If any of these activities appeal to you, talk with those who have been involved and maybe you’ll be blessed by volunteering in 2007.

P.S. If you missed the work teams presentations and the Cajun lunch, you missed a wonderful experience!

Sunday, January 21^st, Mission offering will be designated for Special Sunday “Human Relations”, which is the denomination-wide outreach of the United Methodist Church in January.

December 2006

There are many ways to celebrate Christmas…gifts, decorations, greeting cards, lots of good food and visits to friends and family. In the midst of all this preparation, we can forget that there are families with sorrows at the time when everyone should be happy. The mission outreach at Cross Keys has supported families at Christmas who have a child with cancer and families who are under the Social Services of Gloucester County. Gifts and food gift certificates are delivered to the families the week before Christmas.  The outreach will adopt two families from each situation and follow wish lists that are provided by the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation and Social Services of Gloucester County.  These lists will be posted on the vestibule bulletin board. Please sign up for a gift on either list. GIFTS MUST BE IN THE CHURCH BY DEC. 17^th.  Wrapped and labeled for the child you chose. If you have any questions, please contact Marguerite or Pastor.

November 2006

Contributions of non perishable food items will be accepted for Emmanuel Cancer Foundation until Thanksgiving. Please put them in the bell tower or under the table in the vestibule.  This will be the last collection for them this year. Thank you for all your

efforts on their behalf in 2006. They have a continuing need for cereal, paper goods, peanut butter & jelly, macaroni & cheese and canned meat.

The Louisiana Mission Team will give their report at both services on November 12^th and will also provide a sample of Louisiana cooking following the second service.  Please join us!

$5 Blanket Sunday – November 12^th – The Annual Church World Service $5 Blanket Sunday will be observed with special envelopes. Each day brings a new tragedy or disaster to our attention and we can do something about it. Your gift of a blanket will enable someone to have warmth, shelter and it may be their only possession. When New Jersey was hit with floods last spring, the CWS blankets were there!  You helped.

November 19^th – Regular Mission Offering – Funds will go towards food for the local food bank.

November 26^th – United Methodist Student Sunday

Yes, another opportunity to give to Missions and help the students of the United Methodist Church with scholarships, special training and the opportunity to serve God.

Soon, we will post the wishes and needs of the Christmas families. Please choose a child to buy a gift for to make their Christmas wonderful. We provide the turkey and gift certificates for their dinner. The families and wishes will be posted on the vestibule bulletin board by the end of November.

October 2006

Louisiana Mission Trip

WOW!  We were all blessed in some way by this experience!  Keep November 12^th open on your calendar for a presentation at both services.  There is a scrapbook to see and 10 hours of video (that was cut to ½ hour) to view, and lots and lots of memories to share.  Nathan, the human trash compactor will explain how Health Kits are processed in the depot.  We would also like to invite you to a fellowship luncheon after the second service, featuring some local cuisine.  Jake, the prize winning food slinger will carry in lots of beans and rice for the occasion.  Don’t worry…Tabasco Zak will not be allowed to cook.  Rusty isn’t bringing the fish he caught and we won’t be serving blue claw crabs, ‘cause Lea ate them all!!

The Republic of Niger is the largest country in West Africa.  It is a landlocked country where 80 percent of the land is desert and where the heat can be so intense that rain frequently vaporizes before it reaches the ground. Life expectancy at birth in Niger is 41 years, and most of the population is under 17 years old.  12 percent of all infants die before their first birthday.  Niger has been an ongoing mission for Cross Keys.  October 15^th mission funds will be used for this cause.

September 2006

Thank you for your generous participation in the various Mission fund raisers over the summer.  The Russia Team returned realizing that the work renovating the Dubrovinskaya Orphanage and Boarding School is a long ongoing project that will take the Greater New Jersey Conference teams several years to finish.  This year, in addition to tile setter Russ Fuscia III, Bob Britland and Chris Green were sent to give their help, as well Alex and Carrie Gavriloff to teach English at the Sunrise Camp for children and they reported it was a very worthwhile and exciting experience.  The Louisiana Katrina workers have their share of experiences to share also, and we look forward to having a mission time very soon to hear all of them share their trips.

Our efforts for Habitat for Humanity continue with volunteer hours being credited to our two future homeowners.  Volunteers for the actual building of the houses are urged to participate on the site in Clayton.

Our regular mission offering for September will be sent to the College Ministries at the University of New Jersey at Rutgers, New Brunswick.

Our regular mission offering for September will be sent to the College Ministries at the University of New Jersey at Rutgers, New Brunswick.

Please, if anyone has any pictures that they would like to share (people of the Church, Russia trip, Louisiana trip, Annual Corn n’ Chicken Cookout) they would be graciously accepted to include in our history, archives and scrapbooks.  You may give your photos to Margarite Sprengle.

The Emmanuel Cancer Foundation is very grateful for the out pouring of non-perishable food items in June.  They will need another donation very soon.

Campbell Soup has changed their policy on collection soup labels.  NOT MORE FRONT LABELS, please.  Now, they request the UPC code with the little Campbell Kid icon from the back of the label and the caps from V-8 juices and Prego sauces.  The labels that have currently been collected can be set in to Red Bird Missions in KY for the next month.  Please put all the labels you may have on the counter in the vestibule and – Thank you!!

August 2006

Louisiana Mission Trip...

Please keep our Louisiana Mission Trip Team in prayer.  They are in Louisiana this week, August 20, 2006.    Please see their logo t-shirts here...

Habitat for Humanity - is a new project for Cross Keys United Methodist Church.  Over the years, we have made monetary contributions to the organization at large but now we have become a “hands on” participator.  The newly organized Men’s Group and several volunteer women have been busily hammering siding on Habitat Houses being constructed in Clayton.

Two of our congregation have applied and been accepted to “own” their own Habitat House.  Part of the Habitat availability requires 300 hours of the future homeowner’s “sweatability”.  Anyone volunteering to work for Habitat can designate that their hours of labor be applied toward an particular applicant’s house.  Cross Keys workers are using their hours for the Church applicants.  Anyone can participate – See Karen Johnson.

Wesley Society, Akosombo, Ghana – Our sister Church, Wesley Society Akosombo, Ghana has sent

Cross Keys United Methodist Church a beautifully bound Holy Bible.  “This Bible is a gift sent with gratitude for the fellowship of love and tremendous support we continue to receive from you.”  Signed the Very Rev. Emmanuel Borlabi Bortey, Superintendent Minister, Wesley Methodist Church, Akosombo.  Also received was a beautiful clock which will hang in Faith Hall.

Mission Offering for August – is designated for the Steve Quigg family and their work with the Mission Air Safety International and the United Methodist Church.  For those who are not aware, Steve and Gail Quigg have been involved as Aeronautical missionaries most of their life in Africa.  They raised two daughters in Northern Zaire and more than once were lucky to escape with their lives because of political unrest.  Both daughters are attending college in the United States and Steve is flying to many countries teaching missionaries air safety rules and Gail works with the wives to keep them informed on how to help their husbands in the air missionary.  Steve Quigg helped to develop a “safety vest” for missionary pilots to wear. In the case of an airplane crash, often the pilot can not retrieve his emergency supplies from the plane.  The vest is equipped with pockets and pouches that hold a compass, signal mirror, flint, a space blanket, hand warmers, a LED light, a snake bite kit, food bars and light snacks, light sticks and a satellite emergency locator transmitter.  Water pouches hold medical and food supplies.  The cost of this vest is $700.

Welcome back to our Russian Mission Team!

July 2006

Emmanuel Cancer Foundation has asked Cross Keys to collect non-perishable food items for their Food Pantry in Woodbury, NJ.  This food drive will continue all summer.  Their needs are: juice boxes, peanut butter and jelly, cereal, healthy snacks, salad dressings, toothpaste and all types of paper goods.  Your contribution may be put in the bell tower.  A special thank you to the Children’s Garden and Cornerstone Home School groups for their very generous collections – several car trunk loads.  Deliveries are being made every week.

 Our Mission Out-Reach continues with monthly budgeted pledges to Red Bird Mission, KY; Ranch Hope, Alloway, NJ; Missionaries Steve and Diana Springer, KY; Interfaith Helpers, Williamstown, NJ; Camden Neighborhood Center; AYTA Mission in the Philippines; Akasombo Church in Ghana, Africa and a VIM in Mexico.

The Mission Offering for July will go to SIFAT, an outreach in the Appalachian Mountains of the US.  They are currently reaching out to many third world countries, training leaders in Christian Discipleship and practical self-help skills to meet basic human needs, as well as continuing the hands-on practical skills to train missionaries for service.

Thank you to all who have participated in the fund-raisers and given donations to enable our own mission teams to go to Russia and Louisiana this summer.  Our prayers for safe journeys go with them and for this vital mission opportunity of service.

Continue to save Campbell Soup labels.  Be sure to get the full front panel, the width of the name “Campbell Soup”.

Also, the box tops for Education coupons on many food products.  These are sent to Red Bird Mission, KY and used to buy classroom equipment, sports equipment and even transportation vans.

The United Methodist Board of Global Ministries asks that churches support six Special Advance Mission Sundays per year.  They are observed every other month at Cross Keys, with a special offering.  This is in addition to our regular mission envelopes.  With all our other mission outreaches, it seems like they come very often, but we have pledged to send $200 per Special Sunday to this need, so if you can open your heart, please use the envelopes provided for these special offerings.

June 2006

The time draws near for the Volunteers to go to Smolensk, Russia to work on repairs at the Dubrovinskaya Children’s Home.  They are completing their final arrangements with the Greater New Jersey Conference for July 5^th through the 29^th, 2006.  Our Conference has been in partnership with this Boarding School/Orphanage since 1993.  Needless to say, this is a very large building and was in terrible condition until the New Jersey volunteers began spending a couple of weeks each summer refurbishing bathrooms, replacing windows and a dormitory wing.  Cross Keys is blessed with willing workers and craftsmen who give up vacation time and leave their families to participate in this effort.  Keep them in your prayers.

In addition, some of our teaching team will be traveling to Russia to join in a new outreach along with our VIM workers.  The SunRise English Camp was a project started last summer, and is dedicated to teaching English to children from the ages 6 through 17, help them build self esteem and learn about Jesus.  Our volunteers are Russ Fuscia III for tile work, Bob Britland, Christopher Green, and for the SunRise Camp – Alex and Carrie Gavriloff.

Sunday, June 18, 2006: We observe another of the Special Sundays decreed by the United Methodist Board of Global Missions.  Peace with Justice comes at a time when Peace seems to be a memory.  The United Methodist Church reaches the ordinary person with help for refugees and victims of unjust treatment worldwide.  Locally, we are contributing to the Summer Pitman Camp Meeting expenses with a donation of $200 from our Mission Budget.

Help Fight Cancer - The Emmanuel Cancer Foundation of Woodbury is in great need.  All summer we will collect food for their food pantry.  Also being collected will be paper goods, staple products and toiletries.  If you can help, it would be greatly appreciated.

May 2006

Thank you to all those who undertook the commitment of raising the necessary money to send five people to Russia in July to continue work on the Dubrovinskaya Children’s Home and participate in the SunRise English Camp which was started last summer to help children from the age of 6-17 years old learn English, build self-esteem and learn about Jesus. 

In addition, and in the wake of Katrina, our outreach for the Volunteers in Mission will include fifteen adults and youths going to Louisiana in August to work under the auspices of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) Sager Brown Depot in any way they are needed.  Cross Keys has supported UMCOR for years and now our people will be part of their mission in Louisiana.  Karen Johnson has spearheaded the trip, working through UMCOR Sager Brown, which has the Depot for supplies, the Community and the Campus, each with its own agenda and needs at different times.  Our group will be assigned upon their arrival on Sunday, August 20^th and then return on Saturday, August 26^th.

The volunteers for this homeland mission have each filled out information sheets listing their skills and abilities and will be assigned accordingly.  Remember this trip in your prayers and continue to contribute to the trip through dinners, hoagie sales, yard sales and donations.

Sunday, May 14, 2006: The regular mission offering is designated for The Mother & Child Residence Services in Woodbury, NJ.  This is an outreach for abused women and children.  An additional contribution from the Mission Budget is designated for the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation in Woodbury, which cares for the needs of families with a child suffering from cancer.  This is also our Christmas Family mission.

Sunday, May 30, 2006: There will be envelopes in the bulletin if you should care to contribute to one of our Special Sundays – Native American Ministries.  Did you know that the United Methodist Church supports a Native American Conference in Oklahoma just like we have a Greater New Jersey Conference?

April 2006

On April 16, 2006, the regular mission offering will be included with the funds for the mission trips in July and August.

On April 30, 2006, one of the six Special Offerings of the United Methodist Church will be for the Native American Ministries.  Did you know that the American Indians have their own Annual Conference in Oklahoma just like we do in the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference?  They employ Native American pastors and teachers and give to missions just like we do.

We continue to support Ranch Hope in Alloway, New Jersey, Steve Springer, the Pastor serving several small mountain churches in Kentucky, the Red Bird Mission, the Clinic in Beverly, Kentucky, and the Neighborhood Center in Camden, N.J.  Thank you for your participation.  Cross Keys is truly a Church In Mission as we should be.

February 2006

Mother Russia Calls Cross Keys UNC again...

The Greater New Jersey Conference is recruiting workers to the Dubrovinskaya Children's Home, an orphanage/boarding school for youth ages 6 to 17 years old.  Located in the city of Smolensk, the Volunteers in Mission (VIM) from our Conference will continue to work on the living areas, bedrooms, hallways, lightening, walls, and floors.  Experience would be helpful, but not essential.  There is no age limit for volunteers.  Do you feel the call to go?

New this year, the VIM team will have a new project teaming up with them.  The Sunrise English Camp which was started last year to help children learn English. , build self esteem and learn about Jesus.  The Sunrise Team and the VIM team will be traveling and working together in Smolensk, July 5th through the 19th at the same time.

The cost continues to be about $2500 per team member and include transportations, meals, and lodging.  The Mission Committee is prepared to help raise the money needed.  If you or anyone you know is interested, please contact the Pastor's Office to get your application.  There has been one volunteer already.  These trips are lead by experienced leaders form the Conference.  There is time allotted for sightseeing in Moscow.

Although the trip is in July, the orientation meetings are already underway and fund raising must be started very soon, so don't delay if you wish to consider going.

January 2006

This Christmas our church Missions followed the long time tradition of providing Christmas gifts, a turkey, and Shop-Rite grocery gift certificate to two families with a child who suffers from cancer.  This year we also provided the same church outreach to two Gloucester County Social Services families.  Thank you for giving so generously the gift certificates and coats along with the requested toys and a turkey for each family.  Volunteers delivered the gifts on Sunday,  December 18, 2005.

There has been a heavy demand for mission help this year, especially because of the hurricane disasters.  We have been able to meet all our obligations such as the monthly support of Red Bird Mission in Kentucky, Ranch Hope in Alloway, the Neighborhood Center in Camden, The Interfaith Helpers in Williamstown, and The Ayla mountain people in the Philippines.  We have helped local people with their own needs and again for the ninth year enabled two tile workers to go to Russia and work in the orphanage in Smolensk, that the Greater Jersey Annual Conference has been involved with for ten years.  There are six Special Methodist Mission Sundays during the year and you have generously responded to that cause as well.  Thank you and "well  done, good and faithful Servant," Matthew 25:21.

Please continue to save the front panels of the Campbell Soup labels, trimmed close to the Campbell logo. These help Red Bird Mission in Kentucky to get computers and vans.  Also,  the Box Tops for Education coupons. 

December 2005

Our mission outreach for December will be providing Christmas Gifts and Dinner to families who have a child suffering from cancer, through the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation.  We also do the same for needy families in our immediate area.  The family wishes are posted in the church vestibule and anyone may sign next to the gift they wish to provide.  All gifts must be brought to the church on Sunday, December 18, 2005.

Please continue to save Campbell Soup labels - only the front panel, trimmed on either side of the word Campbell will be accepted.    No torn or whole labels, please.  Also the Box Tops for Education and canceled postage stamps are needed.

Thank you for your mission support in 2005.

November 2005

Blanket Sunday...

November 13 is known as Blanket Sunday.  Offering Envelopes will be in you Bulletin on November 13, 2005 for a $5 donation.  This enables CKUMC to participate in the yearly drive to provide blankets to the homeless, the refugees, and many area where a warm blanket will be used as a shelter, a bed, a comfort from the cold.  Be generous,  buy two or three.  These will go to the world disaster and hurricane victims all over the world.

November 20, 2005:  Regular Mission offering will be designated to the Katrina, Rita, and Wilma Hurricane Aid.

November 27, 2005:  United Methodist Day special offering envelopes for UM Student Scholarship Studies.  This is part of the Special Sunday offerings.

September 2005

Hurricanes, Floods, Disasters

Cross Keys United Methodist Church has been participating in the relief efforts for the survivors of the many world-wide disasters and now in the USA.  We participate through the official United Methodist Church Relief agency, UMCOR.  Karen Johnson has spearheaded the drive for items listed as most needed by the Sager Brown Depot in La., which is their distribution center for disaster aid.  Each week a list of the most needed items is available, which must be new and in original packages.  To help out with this mission call Karen or Pastor Brian and bring items to Church the following Sunday marked "Hurricane Relief."  Along with this hands on effort all cash donations are accepted. Missions has already sent $1000.  All Mission offerings for each month until 2006 will be directed to UMCOR.

In addition the Committee on Missions will continue to honor the pledges made to each of our mission outreaches and Special Sunday Obligations.  These will include The Quiqq Air Ministry, the Campus Ministry, Blanket Sunday, and The United Methodist Student Sunday, and our Emmanuel Cancer Foundation families at Christmas.

The Interfaith Helpers organization of Williamstown is collecting medical equipment for the hurricane victims.  For example: wheelchairs, canes, and walkers.  Call 629-0679.

Don't forget the continuing collection of Campbell Soup Labels, the Box Tops for Education coupons, greeting card fronts, canceled stamps, and beverage pull tabs.

PRAYER would help too!

July 2005

For the month of July the mission emphasis is directed to SIFAT - Servants In Faith And Technology.  Cross Keys United Methodist Church has supported this ministry for many years.  The headquarters is in a small community in Lineville, Alabama, but reaches to all parts of the world.  A recent letter received from the founders, Tom Corson and family, who are serving as the second generation of mission endeavors, informs us as follows:

Ecuador

"A vision conceived  two and a half years ago in the heart of Lisa Godwin, missionary in Ecuador and Annella Trobaugh, a former SIFAT training director after witnessing the suffering and abuse of so many women in that region, was realized over the Easter season.  Sixteen women participated in the first SIFAT all women's health care team.  The team was able to spend  four and a half days treating over 400 women working from 8:00 AM until 6 PM.  Over 200 had their teeth cleaned and all participated in health education classes covering women's basic health needs.  Every day people who had walked for hours were waiting when they arrived.  So much desperation - so much need - too little time!

In addition to the other SIFAT sponsored Day Care Centers in Quito, Ecuador, the new Little Seeds of God Center is open and carting for over 120 street children.  Already finds are being raised and land is purchased for a second similar building for more children.

The first year of adult literacy program has successfully been completed in seventeen communities in the Chapirara River Valley.  World research has shown that the number one factor in child survival is the mother's literacy.

In Ixiamas, Bolivia, we have opened the children's boarding home with double the students - over fifty!  The homestead has over 2500 little chocolate trees as well as other vegetables planted that will eventually make the children's home more self-sufficient.

And back home in Alabama, SIFAT had over 2700 school children coming to the Lineville Campus for day-long educational field trips by the end of May."

SIFAT is recognized and accepted as a mission to The Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church.

SIFAT thanked Cross Keys United Methodist Church for being part of this ministry and has been faithful over the years to keep us informed as to the growth and activities of their world-wide organization from Alabama.

March 2005

Members and friends of the Cross Keys United Methodist Church have been very generous in their contributions to UMCOR - United Methodist Committee On Relief, and their work in the countries where the people are displaced and devastated by the Tsunami of December 26, 2004.  At this writing about $3,000 has been sent from CKUMC to aid the people of Indonesia knowing that every cent is used for humanitarian purposes only - there are no salary or transportation expenses used by UMCOR.  Representing the United Methodist Churches in New Jersey, several pastors have been to Sri Lanka and both Northern and Southern Sumatra, taking 100,000 doses of antibiotics and anti-diarrhea medicine in the beginning of January.  Although Sumatra is the largest Muslim country on earth, many Methodists also live in that part of Indonesia.  As the donations continue to come in for UMCOR we will focus on another outreach under the UMCOR blanket in February.  That is the UMCOR Global Refugee Response.  This helps those people who are displaced from their homes and sometimes their country in any part of the world.  This outreach will put to the aid of those who have lost their homes due to natural disasters and political upheaval.  UMCOR is still helping the people displaced by the hurricanes in our own country.  They have huge warehouses in Louisiana where the "flood buckets" are filled and ready to go to victims of floods and need major cleanups for their homes.  Remember the floods of Burlington County last year?  UMCOR was there.

December 2004

It has been the practice,  for many years, for the Cross Keys United Methodist Church, as a special outreach, to provide Christmas gifts and dinner for families who are needy and for families who have a child with cancer.  The sick children are located through the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation, whose local center is in Woodbury, NJ.  The families list of needs and wishes are posted in the vestibule and interested people may sign up and be responsible for a gift.  The gifts are delivered by volunteers a few days before Christmas.  The gifts include food certificates for their dinner.  Through the years Cross Keys has served families who have lost a child and those in remission, all local.  This year, 2004, once again the lists are posted and caring members and friends have committed themselves to bringing happiness to these brave children and their families.

November  2004

Steve and Gail Quigg, who have been serving as missionaries in Africa for 25 years, expected to spend much of October in Kenya, an area familiar to them, and Bots-wana, an area new to them, conducting air safety seminars with the African pilots of all denominations.  Gail will be working with the wives of the pilots, giving prayerful instruction and information to enable them to support their missions.

In August, eldest daughter, Heather, traveled to Bolivia, South America, on a mission trip of her own.  She joined a dental mission team going to the Bolivian interior.  She is a medical student at Indiana Wesleyian University.

October 2004

Hurricane Charley had not yet hit Florida when the United Methodist response began.  As forecasters predicted Charley's severity, the staff at the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) sent all available flood buckets to the area.  Flood buckets contain cleaners, scrub brushes and items needed to help disaster victims clean up the mess left behind by the wind and water.  UMCOR has warehouse facilities filled with the necessities for such a disaster.  In one of the reports from Florida it was mentioned that UMCOR reached the stricken area before the Red Cross.  Flood buckets are not the only help UMCOR provides.  Volunteers assisted Florida Conference leaders in accessing needs, providing spiritual care, deploying work teams and supporting churches offering food and shelter.  Cross Keys United Methodist Church regularly supports UMCOR, knowing every dollar sent to the conference finance office is used only for the care of people.  None is used for administrative purposes.  Thus we are in partnership and ministry together with many, many other churches.  UMCOR is not only a national organization but reaches out daily to people around the world.  There is always hunger, floods, disasters somewhere and you can be assured that the people of Haiti, one of our mission outreaches a few years ago, are now being helped by UMCOR.

September 2004

Our youth representative from Cross Keys United Methodist Church has returned from a work mission at the Red Bird Missionary Conference in Beverly, Kentucky.  Repairs were made to homes in this poverty stricken area of Appalachia.  Out of work and unable to find work, the former coal miners, many in ill health, have no where to turn to care for their families.  Red Bird Mission has become the center of their world to provide for their families' needs.  Those Campbell Soup  and Progresso Soup labels along with the Box Top coupons for Education we collect,  help the mission to help the families.  Spiritually they are served by several small churches holding Bible Studies, Vacation Bible School and worship services.  Physically the people turn to the mission for clothing, schooling, food, and thanks to the summer mission trips by young and old, they are able to get help in repairing their homes.

Cross Keys has been given a challenge by our youth to organize a work team to go to the Red Bird Mission in the summer of 2005.  Can you hammer a nail, paint a board, wash a window, or sweep a floor for those who are unable to do it themselves?  Think about what you can do for someone less fortunate and pray about going to Red Bird in 2005.  Talk to Pastor Brian.

May 2004

The Commission on Missions, in keeping with honoring Mothers, made it a practice to give a donation to the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation, local office in Woodbury, N.J.  This is a statewide organization that helps families with cancer stricken children to get transportation to doctors and/or make sure the families have groceries.  For several years the volunteers at Emmanuel filled decorative baskets with gifts that were given to mothers of the children with cancer.  One year it was an Italian dinner basket, another year, candles, note pads, lotions, and creams.  Working on volunteer time, it became too labor intensive and they discontinued it.  But Cross Keys wishes to still honor the mothers and for the past few years have made a contribution to the Woodbury office to be used for Gloucester County moms.  This year we are requesting that it be used for counseling, a vital part of the Foundations outreach to the families.

Also for the first time we are making a contribution to the Mother/Child Residential Services in Woodbury, which helps to prevent child abuse and neglect by helping the homeless mothers acquire parenting skills and by offering homeless families safe shelter, daily classes, and counseling during their program.

These are worthy causes and we need to help the more unfortunate mothers through these organizations.  Our Mission outreach has many faces.  Happy Mothers Day!

May 2004 Missions...

Dianne and Steve Springer are missionaries Cross Keys supports as they serve two churches in rural Kentucky.  Lower Beech Fork and Thousandsticks United Methodist are part of the Red Bird Missionary Conference located in the southeastern corner of the Daniel Boone National Forest.

Their latest newsletter tells of the hardships the past winter has caused them.  Most of their families live up the "hollers," which are mini-valleys.  The holler roads are very narrow, usually one lane with occasional wide spots where one car pulls over to let another pass.  In the winter, many of these roads freeze over very quickly since they are on the north face of the mountain.  They recently lost an 18 year old girl when her car skidded off the road and flipped over on the icy road opposite the church.   Steve had slipped sideways into a ditch a week before that.

Since most of their Sunday School children and Youth are transported by van, just a dusting of snow means church activities are canceled.  Even in dry weather the driving is slow and dangerous.  It recently took Steve 40 minutes to take 4 kids home, and the farthest one lives only  1½ miles from the church!  Another of them lives near the top of a mountain, up a deeply rutted and muddy road.  If it weren't for their 4 wheel dive van, they could no make the trip.  But the scenery is outstandingly beautiful but they look forward to spring.

The Springers have been in the Red Bird Mission area for 12½ years.  They continue to depend on the prayers, love, and generosity of their supporters.  The Lord is blessing their hard work in this poverty stricken area of the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky, people are coming to know Jesus Christ on a personal basis and being baptized.  Continue to keep this couple, their ministry, and the people of Thousandsticks and Lower Beech Fork United Methodist Churches in your prayers.

Haiti

Haiti is a small Caribbean country sharing an island with the Dominican Republic, not to far from Cuba.  Unfortunately the people are among the most poverty stricken in the world.

In the 1980's and early 1990's, Cross Keys United Methodist Church was very involved with mission work there.  We supported Grace Children's Hospital for tubercular children in Port-au-Prince, where this disease is very common.  Another time we raised funds to buy blocks for a second story on a Methodist school.  Girls school uniforms were made by Cross Keys ladies.  The school colors were yellow and white checks.  If the child did not have a uniform they were not allowed to attend school.  Tote bags for books and personal items were sent by the dozen, made of many fabrics and in many colors.  The poverty of the island was seen first hand by two of our members who went on short term trips, one to build an animal pen and the other to teach Bible school.  They brought back several items of native crafts.

Haitians are not only very poor but they do not have sanitation facilities in the villages and out lying areas form the city.  Potable water is not a case of turning on a spigot.  So one year we raised enough money to pay for the digging of a well in a village and received photos of it.  It turned out to be a galvanized pipe with a spigot sticking up out of the ground.  The villagers carried all the water they needed, the women carried buckets or jars on their head.  Keep the Haitian people in your prayers.

Cross Keys United Methodist Church's mission outreach touches the world. We are in contact and financially supportive of missionaries in Africa, Philippines, Kentucky and Mexico.  Some serve as teachers, counselors, pilots, and Bible Study leaders. Locally we support the Camden Neighborhood Center, Monroe Township Ministerium food pantry, Interfaith Helpers, Emmanuel Cancer Foundation, Heifer International, and Habitat for Humanity.

Mission covers a multitude of areas and Cross Keys United Methodist Church has found great rewards in participation in the many needs mankind has around the world. The depressed and destitute of our own cities and the hills of the Appalachian United States as well as the young pilot carrying the word of God as well as medicines to the remote Indians of Mexico - all come under the mandate of Jesus' words - go ye into all the world and feed my lambs. In Tanzania, a young missionary couple gives Bible instructions as well as how to cook on a mud stove; nutritional and practical health instruction includes the women of the villages. Salary support and special gifts enable this work to continue. Periodic visit from the missionaries keep us up to date on progress and further needs. From time to time members from teenagers to seniors of Cross Keys United Methodist Church have visited mission areas in Russia, Mexico, Haiti and contributed their time and hard work on a church in Alaska.