National & Foreign Missions

National

• Building Brothers: Each year a group of around 24 men from our church travel to John’s Island, South Carolina to work with the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity for four days.  While there the men work on homes and form relationships.  For more information contact Rauri Monahan rauri_monahan@hotmail.com
• Disaster Response: Natural disasters such as tornados, hurricanes and floods cause devastation and destruction for many people in our country.  When such disasters occur we encourage people to give above and beyond their tithe.  All money collected goes through UMCOR (the United Methodist Committee on Relief) and 100% of the funds go directly to disaster relief efforts.  Teams from the church also respond to disasters by helping with rebuilding efforts.  For more information contact Erin Yow erin.yow@weddingtonchurch.org.

Foreign Missions

Weddington UMC is currently in ministry in four different countries outside of the United States. Contact Dave Bakich, dbakich@gmail.com, our Foreign Missions Chairperson about any of these ministries. 

• World Methodist Evangelism in Botevgrad, Bulgaria: Bulgaria is the poorest country in Europe and 95% of the population is atheist.  Weddington UMC helped build and continue to financially support a church in the town of Botevgrad that now serves 100 members.  We also partner with a church in the village of Trastikovo.  In addition to our partnership with churches, we support and orphanage and “The House of Joshua”, which teaches teenagers life skills to survive on their own. Contact Bob Georges bgeorges@wellnessplansnow.com.
• Costa Rica Building Teams: Weddington UMC partners with churches in Costa Rica to help establish facilities for worship and housing.  Most recently we are working with a congregation to build a shelter for battered and abused women and children.  Groups travel to Costa Rica during the month of January.  Contact Bob Consoli bob.consoli@ichmail.com.
• Kenya Missions: Weddington UMC helped start, and continues to support, The Home of the Good Shepherd, an orphanage which houses 67 children in Nyharuru.  We also partner with God’s Grace for all Nations (GGFAN), a ministry that starts churches, trains pastors, and takes food and the gospel to the 22 unreached tribes in Kenya.  Several years ago we donated a truck to their ministry which transports relief food to the unreached tribes and was used to rescue fellow Christians during the tribal clashes of 2008.  Contact Gregg Wyant gewyant@gmail.com.  You can read more about the ministry of GGFAN in their latest newsletter.
• Cuba Connection Ministry in Jovellanos, Cuba: We partner with CCM, an interdenominational organization that operates a farm that helps feed people in the area and provides support to pastors and churches in the area. Contact Greg Smith at gregbeth@windstream.net.