Annual Conference Offerings
Churches will have the opportunity to give to the following causes during worship at Annual Conference Session this year:
- Opening Worship (Friday) | Rural Missouri Connection: More than 90 percent of Missouri land is considered rural (2000 Census), but only 30.6% of the population lives in those areas. This reality presents a unique set of challenges, particularly around issues of poverty and access. In 2019, the Conference began to research best practices for rural ministries that will build collaboration among churches and communities to promote different aspects of well-being. Through the Rural Missouri Connection, the Conference aims to equip churches in addressing poverty concerns which may include, but are not limited to, healthcare access, mental and social health, food and nutrition, transportation, and technology. Your gift toward this initiative will help resource local churches in rural communities address their unique ministry needs.
- Memorial Service (Saturday) | Mozambique Initiative: Education is one of the three main issue areas for Mozambique Initiative (MI). In the far northeast of the country, a mud-built school sustained significant damage from Cyclone Kenneth in 2019. Fearing the roof might collapse and harm children, local leaders have identified a new, donated piece of land and are asking for our help to build three classrooms and an administrative office. Once the school is completed, the Mozambican government will pay the teachers’ salaries. By partnering with local leadership, a gift to this offering will help complete the project and ensure better access to education.
- Commissioning and Ordination (Sunday) | Pathway Out of Poverty: The Pathway Out of Poverty initiative dreams of supporting students in Missouri with resources for increased literacy and school success. Studies have shown that access to books at home increases the likelihood that a student will read and will love reading in the future. Specifically, we want to connect 100,000 children with 100,000 books. Contributing financially helps provide resources for local church initiatives as we seek to make a transformative difference in lives of children across our state.
Journey4Justice
Fifty people aged 13-103 have an opportunity to embark on a justice journey together to the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama. The Museum and the Memorial are unlike any museum you may have visited in the past. It is better defined as an experience - an intense experience that will leave you challenged and convicted. See details and register here: https://www.moumethodist.org/journey4justice.
