Woodland UMC Creates Places for New People

Dave Shoemaker at Woodland UMC with health kits for Haiti, ready to be shipped to the UMCOR West Depot in Salt Lake City.

January 28, 2010

The church opens its doors to residents of Yolo Wayfarer Center, a homeless shelter a few blocks away. When residents want to attend membership classes at the church, held in the evening, the pastor takes responsibility for their participation "after hours." (They must obtain special permission and be chaperoned in order to be away from the shelter after dark, or forfeit their place.)
What are congregations in the California-Nevada region of The United Methodist Church doing to live out their faith?
 
How are they:
 
·         Fighting diseases of poverty?
·         Engaging in ministry with the poor?
·         Creating new places for new people, and renewing their vitality?
·         Developing principled leaders?
 
Our Church says we need to focus our efforts on those areas - and Cal-Nevada congregations are doing so.
 
Woodland United Methodist Church this week demonstrated its effectiveness in making places for new people, engaging in ministry with the poor, and encouraging principled Christian leadership.
 
This week the church backed one such resident who wanted to be of service to others by taking a mission trip - delivering health kits for Haiti to the UMCOR West depot in Salt Lake City. Dave Shoemaker, homeless off and on since 2000, says he tries to "live by example, love by example, and lead by example."
 
So does Woodland UMC.