District Mission Projects

The local mission project for 2011-2012 is to raise funds for camperships for Pocono Plateau Summer Camps.  Last year, there were children in our Northeast District churches who wanted to go to camp but were unable to afford the cost.  Because the economy is so bad, the conference's camping scholarships were used up quickly. We want to be sure that no child from one of our NE District churches - either a member or a child who comes through the church - is turned away because of cost.

   

Last year we were able to raise over $10,000 to provide solar panels to the Mpasa Health and Nutrition Center in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo sponsors.  This center was constructed twenty years ago by the United Methodist Church in the PenDel Conference.  Today, the hospital serves not only local residents but thousands of people living in abject poverty as a result of fleeing the conflict in their native Sudan. The population of the area has doubled due to the influx of refuges. In the Congo, 80% of the people currently live below the poverty level. In desperation, many have turned to prostitution and sex trafficking.   This has led to 1 and ½ million people estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS. The Mpasa Health Center provides HIV/AIDS education as well as conducting all the normal business of a hospital in an impoverished area. The clinic also provides meals for over 300 children each day.  There are two doctors at the clinic - one makes about $3,000 a year, the other $4,000.  Our goal as a district is to raise enough to pay at least one of the doctor's salaries, and to designate anything more that we raise for the care of children - either the feeding program or medicines and supplies for children's medical care.

 

You can read more about the Congo missions on the Eastern Pa. Conference website.

 

Churches are invited to consider making one of the district projects the recipient of a special offering or a seasonal offering such as an Advent project. Our goal is $20,000, or $10,000 per project. If every church contributed $1 per person in average Sunday morning worship, we would raise $8,000. Our hope is that a few churches may be willing to support one or both of these projects at a higher level. If you or your church plan to be part of the district mission project, you are invited to send your gift to the district office, indicating for which project your gift is intended. Please make checks payable to the Eastern Pa. Conference. By sending it through the district, we can monitor the funds to be sure your gift is used as intended.