Equip & Empower

One of the things I love about The United Methodist Church and our approach to mission and service work is that we really strive to go beyond a simple 'charity' approach. What I mean by that is we don't simply drop off supplies or funds to people in need and go home. Nor do we come in with a strict, cookie-cutter plan for how relief or development work should happen. Rather, through the United Methodist Committee on Relief and other agencies, we seek to partner with the people with whom we are in ministry.

Young people in Nigeria help educate their community
about malaria

We take time to listen to their needs, concerns, hopes, and strengths, and to learn from those living the experience what will be most helpful. And we work with local leaders to develop a plan that not only alleviates immediate suffering, but also builds capacity for the long term. Our goal is to equip and empower people in need to first become part of the solution and ultimately to chart their own future.

That's exactly what Imagine No Malaria is doing with the 16 African countries where Health Boards have been established and trained in economic sustainability for health care institutions. After learning best practices in planning fee structures, grant writing, and similar topics, members of the Health Boards - many of whom are health care providers themselves - have the opportunity to write grant proposals to the General Board of Global Ministries (UMC) and to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

Since 40-60% of health care in Africa comes from faith-based organizations (depending on the country), this work of equipping and empowering local leaders to pursue infrastructure development is vital--not only to reduce deaths from malaria, but also to increase opportunities for abundant life along a variety of measures. These leaders can share their knowledge and skills with colleagues and neighbors, who can then pursue similar improvements in education, nutrition, overall child and maternal health, economic development, and other areas.

Rev. Kerry Greenhill leading a workshop
at First UMC, Limon, CO

And on the flip side of the initiative, we are also working to equip and empower individuals and congregations across the United States to become advocates and leaders in the fight against malaria here. If you want to get involved - and invite your church or community to join you - in this extraordinary effort to save lives and offer hope and healing in Christ's name, contact me, Kerry Greenhill, Field Coordinator, today: 303-733-3736 x152, or kerry@rmcumc.com. I'm currently scheduling volunteer trainings for summer and fall, and will make sure you get the information you need about training opportunities in your area.

Here is a tentative schedule of trainings over the next three months (subject to change, but updated here when they do); each training will last approximately 2 hours:

Date         Day             Time         Location
July 31    Wednesday   11am       Webinar (online/anywhere)
Aug 6     Tuesday        6:30pm     Highlands UMC, Denver    CO
Aug 10    Saturday       10am       First UMC, Pueblo, CO
Aug 29   Thursday      6:30pm    Hope UMC, Greenwood Village, CO
Sep 12    Thursday      6pm        Durango, CO
Sep 13    Friday           6:30pm     Hotchkiss, CO           
Sep 14    Saturday       2pm          Meeker, CO (UMW District Mtg)
Sep 18    Wednesday   6:30pm     First UMC, Greeley    CO

Sep 28    Saturday       10am        First UMC, Casper, WY
Sep 29    Sunday          4pm         First UMC, Cheyenne, WY

I am still hoping to add one or two Colorado trainings the week of August 26, and a trip to Utah sometime this fall! Hope to see you sometime soon as we equip and empower one another to proclaim the good news of God's desire for abundant life for all people!