Children

Volunteers from First United Methodist Church in Jamestown, N.D., hand out root beer floats and invitations to their after-school program. Photo from First United Methodist Church's Facebook page, courtesy of the Dakotas Conference.

A root beer float introduction

First United Methodist Church broke out the big guns to attract children: root beer floats. Children who came by for a treat were also handed a card with a QR code that took them to an app giving information about its Crosswalk after-school program.

Annual Conferences

Nyasha (with headset), a second grade student in the hard-of-hearing class at Nyadire Primary in Zimbabwe, tries out an auto-hearing machine machine donated to the school by the Northwest District of the Indiana Conference. Also pictured are David Czerwonky (left) with the Wesley Foundation of Purdue University; Janée LaFuze (center), Northwest District lay leader; Ruvarashe, another student; and teacher Everjoy Nyamukapa (far right). During a July 13-Aug. 4 mission trip, visitors from the Northwest District and the Wesley Foundation of Purdue connected with church members in the Zimbabwe Episcopal Area. Photo by Kudzai Chingwe, UM News.

Mission trip strengthens partnership, ministries

An idea that began with providing chickens for income generation has grown to new collaboration and shared dreams for the Indiana Conference, Wesley Foundation of Purdue University and the Zimbabwe Episcopal Area.

Human Rights

Teacher Thembakazi Bojana works with students at the Nomaxabiso Centre for Children in the Philippi East neighborhood of Cape Town, South Africa. The center, which receives support from The United Methodist Church, serves children with special educational needs. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

‘Mother of the disabled’ provides safe place for kids

Special-needs childcare center operates in a crime-ridden neighborhood in Cape Town, South Africa. A United Methodist pastor offers support for the school, which holds a special place in her heart.

Disaster Relief

First United Methodist Church of Aransas Pass, Texas, became a temporary hospital after Hurricane Celia clobbered the community on Aug. 3, 1970, and 85 or 86 babies (accounts vary) were born in the church’s education wing. Moms with 31 of those babies gathered for a photograph, as did the church’s pastor, the Rev. Milford “Zeke” Zirkel, who is standing at back. Photo courtesy First United Methodist Church of Aransas Pass.

Hurricane turned church into maternity ward

After Hurricane Celia, in 1970, First United Methodist of Aransas Pass, Texas, became a temporary hospital for its community, seeing more than 80 births. Some of those former babies reunited for a special church service.

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