Tuesday, November 3, 2015

INM Update and New Resource!

This article was originally posted on RMCUMC.org on October 30, 2015.

At the Rocky Mountain Annual Conference in 2014, we announced that gifts, pledges, and church goals to date had exceeded our conference goal of raising $1.2 million to end preventable deaths from malaria in Africa. I am delighted to share with you that our totals continue to rise.

We have now received commitments of more than $1.5 million from individuals and churches, and nearly 56 percent of that ($848,229, to be precise) was in-hand as of July 31, 2015. One way of understanding that number is that we have already saved more lives in Africa than there are United Methodists in the Rocky Mountain Conference!

We are part of a global coalition that is making a dramatic difference in communities across sub-Saharan Africa. But the need continues. If your church set a God-sized goal to raise funds that you have not yet met, please email Kristi Kinnison at the Rocky Mountain United Methodist Foundation to let her know how you are doing with that goal and whether your efforts are ongoing.

A new resource is available for churches seeking to engage young people in learning about and discussing the issues that Imagine No Malaria seeks to address. Local author (and youth director at Arvada UMC), Marcia Canter, has written and published a novel for older elementary and middle school-aged readers called Mosquito Madness, which tells the story of Becca Williams, a bored fifth-grader who receives a mysterious postcard from her aunt in Africa, requesting nets. Soon Becca learns about malaria’s deadly impact, and becomes determined to help her aunt fight it.

Mosquito Madness is the story of a community coming together to help their neighbors, at home and across the ocean. The lessons of The Good Samaritan and The Golden Rule come into fresh light as the Sunday school class examine the church’s role in their lives and the world. Readers young and old can learn about the Methodist denomination’s efforts to make the world a better place.

Ten percent of the book’s profits go to support Imagine No Malaria and other organizations dedicated to ending childhood diseases in Africa, and Canter is available to speak to youth groups about her book. The book is available at Tattered Cover and through Lulu Publishing. Learn more by going to this link: www.booklanthropy.com/mosquito-madness.html.

Monday, April 6, 2015

#BringChange this World Malaria Day!

Happy Easter! May you experience the hope and joy of Resurrection this day and each day!

As we travel through the Easter season, you have the opportunity to continue bringing new life to those at risk for malaria. April 25th is World Malaria Day, and Imagine No Malaria has new resources available to equip you to take part in a social media campaign, to plan an event for your community, or to (re-)engage your congregation in new ways.

Head over to http://imaginenomalaria.org/page/bring-change to find out more, and make a world of difference this World Malaria Day!

http://imaginenomalaria.org/page/bring-change

Monday, March 16, 2015

Lent 2015 Resources

Imagine No Malaria has new resources available for Lent 2015:

Give Up Indifference
Give Up Excess
Take Up the Charge
Take Up the Challenge
Lift Up the Hurting
Lift Up the Healed
Look Up to Overcome

Download the full engagement kit from http://imaginenomalaria.org/resources under Lent 2015 Toolkit, or learn more at http://imaginenomalaria.org/news/lent-worship-resources.