Missions & Outreach Blog
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BHN Host Celebration
Jul. 24, 2008 Haley SmithJoin us for the 7th Annual Host Celebration Reception & Silent Auction to benefit Birmingham Hospitality Network.
When: Thursday, July 24, 2008
Where: B & A Warehouse - 1531 1st Ave South Birmingham
For tickets contact: Kirk and Suzanne Mills at 943-9234 or
Social Justice Team Forms
May. 29, 2008 Dave BarnhartMelinda Underwood chaired our first Social Justice Team meeting on May 29. We decided to focus on four main areas:
If you would like to get involved in any of these areas, please contact the area leaders. Thanks! Posted in: Social Justice
Why Should Christians Care About Constitutional Reform?
Apr. 22, 2008 Dave BarnhartPress Release::
Birmingham area residents have an opportunity to hear from advocates for the reform of Alabama’s Constitution at a forum at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, April 22 at Trinity United Methodist Church, 1400 Oxmoor Road, in Homewood.
The public is encouraged to attend.
“Come and learn about this important issue, and talk with Christians who are interested in putting their faith into action,” said Dr. Dave Barnhart, forum facilitator and associate pastor at host church Trinity.
The audience will view a 30-minute documentary – “It’s a Thick Book.” The documentary will be followed by a panel discussion led by state and local opinion leaders.
This social justice forum is entitled “Why Should Christians Care About Constitutional Reform?” The forum, sponsored by Trinity’s Outreach and Missions Team, will be held in Trinity’s Fellowship Hall on the church’s ground floor. Enter from Trinity’s large parking lot on Oxmoor Road in Homewood.
Dr. Andrew Wolfe is Trinity’s Senior Pastor (879-1737).
Mission Spotlight - BOLIVIA
Nov. 30, 2007 Haley SmithDid you know that thirteen volunteers from Trinity traveled to Montero, Bolivia back in July to work with children and to help construct a kindergarten? We did!
Did you know that eight volunteers from Trinity worked with children and was one of the first teams to work on a new education building in Puesta Fernandez, Bolivia in summer of 2006? We did!
Did you know that we support the UMC in Bolivia through Missionaries like Kay Twilley? We do!
Did you know that there is interest in going back in 2008 into Puesta Fernandez to try and complete that project? There is!
Ken Stalnaker, Outreach Coordinator and Bolivia Team leader will be at the Mission Spotlight Booth Sunday 12-2-07 to answer questions. The booth is located in the commons.
See you at Trinity.
Outreach Spotlight: Festival of Three Kings
Nov. 15, 2007 Haley SmithFestival of Three Kings - Volunteers Needed!
During the Christmas season, Trinity is provided the opportunity, through the Angel Tree, to participate with Urban Ministry and other churches to give toys and clothing to children in Birmingham whose families have been identified by the Department of Human Resources as needing assistance. The Festival of Three Kings, the culmination of your giving, is a one day event during which the children are entertained while the parents receive the gifts for their children.
This year the Festival of Three Kings will be December 8, 2007 at the Harris Arena of the Fair Park in Fairfield from 1 to 5 PM. Volunteers are needed at Trinity on the evening of December 7 to help load the gifts into a trailer for transporting the next day to the arena. On the day of the festival, your help is needed to help greet the families, entertain the children, (games, food, music and crafts are part of the celebration), or help the families to load the gifts into their cars.
Times needed for volunteers are:
• Friday, December 7th at Trinity, 6 PM
(to load angel tree gifts onto trailer)
• Saturday, December 8th, 8:00 AM
(to help unload and organize gifts at Fairgrounds)
• Saturday, December 8th, 12:45 PM
(at Fairgrounds for volunteer orientation)
Trinity’s participation in the Festival is being coordinated by Kali Barney (979-3801 or 902-8794) and Elizabeth Myers (978-9331 or cell 753-0540). Please contact them and volunteer your time to help with this effort. It is a great way to catch the Christmas spirit!
Posted in: NewsOutreach Spotlight: Church of the Reconciler
Oct. 24, 2007 Dave BarnhartWould you like to help Birmingham’s homeless? You can, by joining others at Trinity and becoming involved in the work of the Church of the Reconciler in downtown Birmingham. The Church of the Reconciler is a United Methodist congregation with a unique mission. This church began its ministry in 1993 with a goal of confronting racism in the city and as a way of bringing black and white citizens together in worship. It is a multicultural, multiracial congregation where everyone is welcomed. Because of the needs of the community it serves, the church over the years has evolved towards helping the poor. The church building is a renovated warehouse in downtown Birmingham. Rev. Kevin Higgs, the current pastor and son of founding pastor Rev. Lawton Higgs, has said that the church has the largest door of any church anywhere because it is a warehouse door and when it is opened up, all are welcomed.
The church provides a place of Sunday worship, Sunday School classes for both adults and children, and a midweek worship service. It also has a number of programs in place to address the needs of the people who worship there. There are support programs during the week for those dealing with mental illness and addiction and tutoring programs for children from housing projects nearby.
Because almost half of the congregation is homeless, the church, with help from congregations of other churches in the city, serves a meal on Sunday as well as meals on 4 other days of the week. Groups and individuals at Trinity have prepared and served the Thursday morning meal weekly for a number of years.
Trinity supports the work of the Church of the Reconciler in many ways, through preparing and serving meals to up to 125 homeless individuals weekly, contributions to food drives, individual donations of service or money for special projects and to sustain the overall church budget. Your help is needed in all of these projects but especially in assisting others who are providing the weekly meals at the church. If you or your group is interested, please contact David Miller or Dave Barnhart.
Click here or here for a couple of interesting articles on the Church of the Reconciler.
U2Charist Wrap-Up
Oct. 21, 2007 Dave BarnhartWow! Wednesday’s U2 Eucharist was fabulous. We had 232 people counted for Stand Against Poverty (38.8 million worldwide) and we raised $1500 for Nothing but Nets. We were esepcially blessed because 22 SIFAT (Servants in Faith and Technology) participants from all over the world also sang and helped lead worship. Max Blalock from East Lake UMC preached a sermon on the Good Samaritan.
Other organizations that participated were:
ONE Birmingham
The Society of Saint Andrew
Sojourns fair trade store
Thanks to everyone who helped make it a special evening! We’ll post pictures soon.
Posted in: NewsSpotlight on Birmingham Hospitality Network
Sep. 23, 2007 Dave BarnhartBHN is a network of churches, synagogues, civic and community organizations that provide help to homeless families in Birmingham. It is estimated that as many as 1/3 of the homeless in Birmingham are families. Host churches or congregations assist homeless families by providing shelter and food until they can find affordable housing and employment. Trinity has been a part of BHM since its inception in 1998 and currently participates with 13 other host congregations in Birmingham to provide overnight lodging and meals for guests for a week each quarter.
Trinity accommodates up to 14 parents and children during this week. During this week, volunteers prepare beds for the families, serve breakfast, prepare dinner, serve as the church hosts for the families during these meals, serve as overnight hosts each night during the week, return the rooms to their original organization at the end of the week for Sunday School, and wash linens at the end of the week so that clean linens will be available for families during the next rotation. Volunteers who have worked with families regularly over the years have found that the families seem to feel comfortable and welcome at Trinity because of the warmth they have found expressed by Trinity volunteers. The gymnasium has been especially welcomed by children in the families during their stay and the families appreciate having the washer and dryer that the church provides for laundering their clothes.
Volunteers are always needed. If you are interested in working with other volunteers, please contact the church office at 879-1737, or speak to Mark Grauel or Laura McCain. Volunteers are also need during the Christmas holidays for the gift wrapping booth at Brookwood Mall. All proceeds support BHN.
Greetings from Bolivia!
Jul. 19, 2007 Dave BarnhartThe mission team in Bolivia is having a great time, and we send our love back to the States and to Birmingham! We´ve managed to put up most of the roof trusses on a new kindergarten building, dig a septic tank, and entertain the kids with art projects and photos. We look forward to bringing home lots of great stories and pictures to share with you. Thank you so much for the prayers and notes you have sent our way. It is truly a blessing to feel your love and support half the world away.
Peace,
Dave
Gleaning Blueberries
Jun. 16, 2007 Dave BarnhartOn Saturday, June 16, the van will be leaving the parking lot at 8:00 AM to go to Tuscaloosa. There we will pick blueberries which will go to stock food pantries and homeless shelters. Since it will be HOT, we will quit around noon. Bring a sack lunch and some drinks, some sunscreen and a hat! If you have a good blueberry-pickin’ pail, that would be a good thing to bring as well.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Dave Barnhart at the church office: 879-1737
Posted in: LocalTrinity is Building a Habitat House in Homewood
May. 21, 2007 Haley SmithTrinity is Building a Habitat House in Homewood!
But before we can strap on our tool belts, we need to raise $44,000. We will set a ground-breaking date when we raise over half of our goal. Luckily, we have already received some seed money and generous donations from these businesses:
Johnstone Supply Company • V&W Plumbing • Cash & Carry Lumber • Bright Future Electric
Would you prayerfully consider helping to build this house for a family who needs it? Here are some ideas for donations:
Over $500
Exterior Siding $5500
Framing Lumber $4500
Kitchen Cabinets $2500
Carpeting $2500
Doors & Windows $2000
Kitchen Appliances $1500
Complete Bathroom $700
$200-500
Paint the House $550
Nails & Caulk $400
Trim $350
Oven $250
Kitchen Floor Tiles $225
Tub/Shower Combo $200
$100-199
Bathroom Cabinets $150
Kitchen Sink $125
Exterior Door $135
Toilet $100
Baseboards $100
$50-99
Roofing Materials $75
Interior Doors $75
Ceiling Fan $50
4 Gallons of Paint $60
2 Boxes Roofing Nails 50
Under $50
Smoke Detectors $40
Bathroom Accessories $35
Medicine Cabinet $35
Mailbox $10
Door Knob $10
10 lb. Box of Nails $10
If you would like to buy any of these supplies for Trinity’s Habitat House, please make your check out to Trinity UMC and put “Habitat House” on the Memo line.
Come by the Commons Area on Second Floor Sunday mornings to view information boards and watch the chart of “progress” as donations come in.
Suggestions/questions are welcomed. Call Laura McCain at 870-4550.
View “It’s A Thick Book” Online
May. 2, 2007 Dave BarnhartAlabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform has posted the documentary It’s A Thick Book on their website. Click Here to watch the documentary in your web browser.
If you missed A Taste of Justice, our gathering last week on social justice, you can brush up on Social Justice and Christian Action by following these links:
Fair Trade article at Wikipedia
Equal Exchange, the supplier of Trinity’s fair trade coffee
Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform
Alabama Arise
General Board of Global Ministries