Missions
Taking Christ Across The Globe, Across The Region, and Across The Street
THE VISION
In Christ’s service, Alcoa First Methodist Church is learning to be faithful to both the Great Commandment (“love God and love your neighbor”) and also the Great Commission (“go and make disciples”).
From God – Exodus 20 Reworded by Jesus – Matthew 22:36-40 NIV ““Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.””
Here at Alcoa First Methodist, we are actively trying to put this commandment into action. We seek to love the Lord our God with everything we have, for He is the worthy one. We also seek to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. As a minimum, this means that we care about the various challenges that others face, and we do what we can to help.
WHAT IS THE GREAT COMMISSION? The Great Commission is Jesus’ declaration to his followers that He has a mission for them to carry out and that this mission remains his focus until its completion. Jesus lays out the mission in Matthew 28:18-20. Other biblical passages indicate the mission will last until Jesus comes again. With God’s authority, Christ has communicated His expectations to His disciples very clearly and consistently. Christ expects His disciples to deliver His message worldwide to all nations, using their God given gifts and resources together as the body of Christ to make disciples among all the peoples of the world. The consistency and eternity of the Great Commission to us as Christians is captured in the following Bible verses.
Through Jesus – Matthew 28:18-20 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
To us by the Holy Spirit – Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Always, Now, and Forever – Revelation 1:8 NIV “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. Therefore, all Christ’s followers have an undeniable assignment from Him to fulfill the Great Commission, using our gifts and resources to communicate the gospel and to grow the number of Christ’s disciples worldwide.
MISSIONS AT HOME
Mr. P’s Helping Hands
Mr. P’s Foundation is named for Dennis (“Mr. P”) Pershing, who for almost 25 years taught at Alcoa High School and who was known for his compassion for students and for his work in quietly changing and redirecting lives. He was instrumental in establishing the alternative school program to assist struggling students; today the program is named the Pershing Academy of Learning (PAL) and is located in the former Alcoa fire hall building on Springbrook Road.
Few people knew how many people Dennis touched until his untimely death, at age 51, in December 2006. To continue Dennis’ legacy, Mr. P’s Foundation was established by his brothers to help young people continue their education beyond high school and to provide assistance to students in need of clothing and supplies. MRPSPLACE.ORG
MISSIONS ACROSS THE STREET
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat of Blount County’s vision is to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness by providing simple, decent, affordable and stable housing for those in need in Blount County. blounthabitat.org Our church has been helping build homes with Habitat for a number of years.
Louisville Christian Center
A few years ago, several churches came together to start this ministry which today serves the community with food assistance as well as clothing, cleaning supplies and other items. In addition to other support our church provides this ministry, we support it through our Mission Fund as well.
Pregnancy Resource Center
The Pregnancy Resource Center helps women cope with unplanned pregnancies and consider their option in a compassionate, supportive environment with the help of trained peer counselors. The center was established by caring individuals to provide Christian mercy to women in need. prcbctn.com Our church supports this ministry through our Mission Funds.
Camp Wesley Woods
AROUND THE WORLD MISSIONS
The Fogleman’s
Lynn and Sharon, both medical doctors, serve with The Mission Society in South Sudan, the newest nation in the world. They are involved in a variety of community health initiatives, everything from training mid-wives to malaria prevention. They are also actively involved in evangelistic work, hoping to help start churches in areas where there is no church presently.
The Nichols
Graham and Sharon Nichols serve with The Mission Society in Ecuador. They are working with the National UMC in Quito (capital of Ecuador) to start a church among some of the country’s poorest in the coastal region. The Nichols have a special burden for the children and youth of this area. They minister through weekly VBS programs, small group Bible Studies, music, and teaching English as a second language using a Bible based program.
John Fitts
To develop discipleship leaders in the communities of Haiti, that can help bring change, by growing in Chirst and sharing the gospel and the word of God.
Allisoin Neubert
Allison Nuebert grew up in Alcoa First Methodist Church and is the daughter of Al and Ava Neubert. She served with Campus Outreach in Memphis Tennessee for six years before moving to Johannesburg, South Africa to serve alongside the Campus Outreach ministry there. Campus Outreach’s mission is to glorify God by building laboures on the campus for the lost world. They are primarily focused on evangelism and discipleship of college students on the univeristy campus.
Please see the link for the Greetings from South Africa that Allison wanted to share with the church.
Bob and Patty Merideth
Bob grew up in our church and is very special to many folks here. He and Patty have served with The Navigators navigators.org/us/ in East Africa for years. Currently they live in Nairobi, Kenya, and work in Kenya and serveral surrounding countries to encourage discipleship ministries and grow leadership.
Where we invest our
time and money
Please Note: All donations go to missions that you designate. If not designated to a specific mission cause within missions, your donation will be designated for the General Missions Fund.
