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Church and
Society Ministry Charge Conference Reports
2004 Charge Conference Report
Edmond FUMC once
again experienced significant success in 2004.
Highlights included:
- Launched a
paper recycling program through Abitibi. Since
the installation of the recycling bin in Ma,
over 6 tons of waste paper have been recycled.
- Edmond's
Thanksgiving Dinner was hosted by our church
this last Thanksgiving (2003). Over 1,000 meals
were served to the Edmond community.
- Through the
Heifer Project associated with our traditional
"Giving Tree" and multigenerational interactions
with children's and adult Sunday Schools raised
over $1,200.00.
- Continued the
"Giving Tree" to collect money and presents for
those in need in the Edmond Community during the
Christmas season.
- Partnered
with the Missions Committee on both the Skyline
and Hope Center food drives.
- Coordinated
the collection of over 160 units of blood with
the Oklahoma Blood Institute through blood
drives at the church.
- Collected
Back-to-School clothing and supplies in July and
August.
- Coordinated
and participated in the CROP Walk held in Edmond
on September 26. Edmond FUMC members raised
over $1,300.
2003 Charge Conference Report
Church & Society
Committee worked on the following during 2003:
-
Trying to initiate a
paper recycling program. Will involve all
aspects of the church and utilize the youth.
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Thanksgiving Dinner
- to be held at our Church's Christian Activity
Center this year.
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Held four Blood
Drives with the Oklahoma Blood Institute.
Collected approximately 171 units.
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Helped with Workshop
Rotational Model on the Heifer Project and
raised over $2,000.
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Continuing with the
Giving Tree Project for 2003 (Christmas).
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Helped Missions
Committee on a Food Drive for Skyline Urban
Ministries.
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Sent 10 "Care
Packages" of food, toiletries and cards to
service people overseas to show care and support
of Edmond FUMC friend and family serving in the
war.
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2002 Charge Conference Report
The committee began
the year by discussing its mission and purpose and
how we can continue to raise awareness of social
issues to the congregation. Our desire was to
consider new projects as well as discontinue others
that have served their purpose.
A report on the Giving Tree from December 2001 was
given by Karen Leonard to provide gifts for needy
families at Christmas. 129 cards were placed on the
tree, all were taken by church members who
generously gave back to these families. This
project will be continued for the ninth year in
2002.
The first project of
the year (2002) was a Blood Drive held in January.
Bonnie Cox has coordinated these drives which were
also held in April and September with increasing
participation each time.
Souper Bowl Sunday was held on February 3. 141 cans
of soup and $240 was collected for this project.
Since this project is youth oriented and the Youth
Group will move their auction to the Fall, the Youth
Director was provided the information for the
possibility of the Youth Group facilitating the
Souper Bowl next year.
The committee also decided not to continue the
Valentines for Seniors due to the fact that the
church now has a ministry to meet their needs on an
ongoing basis. The committee felt that Church and
Society has accomplished its purpose of raising
awareness of the needs of our older church members.
One of our more successful projects was again held
in the Spring for Lent. The Heifer Project provided
the opportunity for church members to collect money
in "Ark" banks for four weeks before Lent.
$1,030.83 was collected for a Milk Menagerie which
consists of a heifer, two goats, and a water buffalo
to help families struggling in poverty. Our total
collections toward a $5,000 goal of contributing an
entire ark are $3,985.00.
We
continued to place topics from the Social Principles
in the newsletter as part of our mission to raise
awareness of the United Methodist's position
statements on social issues. Topics for this year
were: Animal Life, the Social Community, Tobacco,
Sustainable Agriculture, and War and Peace.
A
request from the Program Council for people to
volunteer for Program Committees was made. Church
and Society has Bonnie Co serving on the
Thanksgiving Committee, Jeanne Putman on Advent, and
Ruth Anne Wall on SonShip. The committee decided to
use SonShip, the church's Fall offering of various
educational classes, as a forum for Native American
awareness. Dr. Rockey Robbins, a professor of
psychology at the University of Oklahoma presented a
class on Native American Spirituality.
September was a busy month for the Committee.
Phyllis Ward coordinated church participation and
contributions to the CROP Walk for hunger this
month. Church members who walked were up from the
number of participants last year. The committee
also assisted a Sunday school class in sponsoring
the Lion's Club Screening Bus. More than 70 people
were screened with various heath checks including
diabetes and vision tests. And September was again
designated as food collection month for the Hope
Center. Over 100 sacks of groceries were collected
this year which was an increase over last year's
collection.
The committee will sponsor the JETS, a performing
arts group of inner city kids (from Skyline Urban
Ministries), to present a program for the Wednesday
night Island Worship in November.
The committee has had a productive year and will
look to 2003 with renewed interest in raising our
church members' awareness to social issues that
affect our lives. We look forward to increasing our
membership in order to be a vital part of our
church's participation in promoting social justice
in our community, our nation, and in the world.
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