COM - Central Outreach Ministries of Central United Protestant Church in Richland, Washington

What's your passion? Touching people's lives locally? Reaching across our Region or Nation? Or impacting lives in far away places around the world? Take a look at Central's Outreach Missions Teams and join one today!

IGNITE YOUTH MENTORING is a faith based program committed to providing youth in the Tri-Cities adult role models of Christian Character. We partner with schools, youth and family agencies, counselors and churches to support and build our youth. Our mission is to enable young people to find hope and safety though adult mentors who will help them form strong values, develop skills, and discover that God has a purpose for their lives. Click here for our recent IGNITE Newsletter. Check out what they are doing at www.igniteyouthmentoring.com and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/igniteyouthmentoring

FIELDS OF GRACE was established in April 2006 as a ministry at West Side Church in Richland, WA. The program began when 2nd Harvest Tri-Cities voiced a need for fresh produce for area food banks and area farmers wanted to donate a portion of their crops, but lacked the resources to pick the additional produce. We provide the hands of service that pick the fruits and vegetables for residents in need. Since its inception, the ministry has trained over 800 volunteers who have logged nearly 6,000 hours of service to harvest nearly 400,000 pounds of produce. This produce has included apples, sweet corn, carrots, sweet cherries, apricots, plums, grapes, prunes, tomatoes, and potatoes. To find out more, go to http://fields-of-grace.com/ or call 509 - 392-1455.

WORLD RELIEF Scott Michael is the Field Office Director in the Tri-Cities for World Relief and works with refugees resettling into our community. This can only be done in partnership with churches and their members and others who compassionately stand for the vulnerable who are fleeing their countries of origin because of political or religious persecution. Among other services for resettlement, World Relief helps coordinate English as Second Language classes around the Tri-Cities. They gratefully accept household items for donation to help set up families, most of whom only arrive with a few clothes in a couple of pieces of luggage. You can email Scott Michael for questions, volunteering opportunities or donation times at smichael@wr.org or call the office at 734-5477, ext. 100. You may want to read Scott's latest report to us by clicking here. Take time to read this story, "Quiet But Brave". A local volunteer, Rebecca Henderson, interviewed one of the Somali families who recently settled into the Tri-Cities. It is a powerful story of the nightmare this family faced and why our help is so important.

SURFING THE NATIONS (Emily Gettis) Surfing The Nations impacts local and international communities through the sport of surfing and selfless service by meeting needs and changing lives. We are a non-profit, humanitarian organization based in Honolulu that seeks to give communities, both locally and internationally, a message of love and hope through the sport of surfing and acts of selfless service. We live by our motto of “surfers giving back,” and our desire is to see lives changed, of those who we serve, as well as of the individuals within our organization serving. Our hope is that as they learn to love and serve others, they will grow into positions of leadership and maturity themselves. To learn more about STN, check out their web site: http://surfingthenations.com/ You can also catch up on what Emily Gettis is doing in her service with STN by reading her recent newsletter.

Central Church National COM team is beginning preparations for a mission trip to the Crow Nation near Billings, Montana. We will be serving the community of the Crow Agency which is located in the valley of the Little Big Horn River. This mission trip will be in conjunction with Forward Edge International. While at the Crow Agency we will be involved in home repairs, nursing home activities and possibly VBS. There is a cost for this mission trip. If you want to sign up, please contact Joanne Fancher at 967-5536 or jfancher53@yahoo.com

NIGHT STRIKE IN PORTLAND, OR. WITH BRIDGTOWN MINISTRIES — Every other month

Night Strike is a unique opportunity for people to gather under Portland's Burnside Bridge every Thursday night and love people because people matter. It’s an opportunity for members of Portland’s homeless community to hang out, enjoy a hot meal, receive a free hair cut, shave, have their feet washed and have their old shoes/clothes/sleeping bags replaced.

It is also a chance for you to come down and share in the experience, help serve the needs of the homeless, and more importantly, invest in lives and build relationships with the people you meet. Night Strikes happen every Thursday and about four times a year Central sends a van or two full of people to Portland. Training is provided before each for Night Strike and the Team collects socks, blankets, and other items to bring to the Night Strike.

For information contact Lee Davis at lamacfad@aol.com Here is a link to Bridgetown Ministries' web site http://bridgetowninc.org/ Bridgetown Ministries minister to the homeless.

NEW HOPE UGANDA Central Church sent a short-term mission team in the fall of 2011 to explore the possibility of a mission partnership with New Hope Uganda. This ministry ministers to restore the orphans caught and abandoned in the terrible civil wars of central Africa. Find out more about New Hope Uganda by visiting their web site at http://newhopeuganda.org/. You may also read the report of the short-term mission team here. Watch a video about New Hope Uganda.

MARILYN BENCHLEY Central Church supports Marilyn Benchely who works with the Thiiri Cultural Centre in Kinoru-Meru, Kenya. The Thiiri Center offers several classes and workshops in the arts, technology, and early childhood development. The center recently completed a swimming pool and music recording studio. Under construction is a children's playground, gym and larger music room. Marilyn is one of the directors of the Thiiri Center. The others are Bishop Lawi Imathiu, Florence Imathiu and Ayubi Matiri. Learn more about the Thiiri Center by visiting their web site: Thiiri Cultural Centre.

KENYA METHODIST UNIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION (KEMUDA) Central Church along with other Methodist churches helped to establish and build Kenya Methodist University through KEMUDA since 1995. Kenya Methodist University already had its beginnings in Kaaga Rural Training Centre and Methodist Training Institute. In June 1995, Bishop Imathiu paid a visit to the United States and met the Richland friends and members of the Central United Protestant Church (CUPC) to formally establish KEMUDA as a non-profit fundraising organization for development of the University. Some of the early noteworthy support resources from KEMUDA included large consignment of books, computers, medical equipment and funds to help with operations and scholarships. KEMUDA also helped to identify and send volunteer teaching and engineering staff. On 9th June 1997, the Commission for Higher Education granted a Letter of Interim Authority, giving an approval for the establishment of Kenya Methodist University. The Authority paved way for the creation of Academic programmes. The University opened its doors with 11 pioneer students, 3 in Theology and 8 in Business Administration programmes. Since then, the University has expienced rapid growth and development at the hands of Kenyan national leadership, increasing the student population to over 9000, 2 Schools, 3 faculties, 19 academic departments and more than 550 members of staff. To learn more about Kenya Methodist University click here. To learn more about Kenya Methodist University Development Association (KEMUDA) click here.

CHRIS AND DORA BARBEE volunteer as teachers in the Roi Et province of North-East Thailand, serving under Nantachai and Ubolwan Mejudhon, a Thai Christian couple. They will be living in a state-run orphanage school, teaching on that campus as well as 7 others. Their hope is to develop relationships with the students in the orphanage as well as the other village schools in the district to allow the light and Joy of Christ to shine into these communities. You may read about their exciting adventures at http://www.powerinmeekness.blogspot.com.

JEREMY AND JOY ELLINGTON minister in Central Asia. They serve their community with afterschool activities for children to provide a safe place and help them learn. They also hold a soccer camp and a VBS. To read about their adventures and see some picture click here.

MARY MCVICKER ministers in Central Asia. She shares with Mslims the relationship that God, the heavenly Father, has provide through his Son, Isa Al Masih - Jesus the Messiah. You may get more information about Mary's ministry through Asia Outreach Team Leader, Dale Denham. Mary has a Newsletter, called Step by Faith is made available on occasion.

JIM AND LIZ SEDORE serve with Joint Christian Services in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Jim coordinates community development programs with several NGO's working in Mongolia. Liz works with women trying to escape a life of prostitution. You may support them through the jewelry they make by visiting http://www.StreamsintheDesertJewelry.blogspot.com and you may read about their daily experiences at http://www.ljmongo.blogspot.com. Read their latest newsletter here.

LUGANSK LIVING FAITH UMC is a church led by Pastor Alexandr and Olga Merliakov in Lugansk, Ukraine. Many young families have joined the chuch and special events are held for youth and families. Healing services are well attended and successful in reaching the spiritually lost and searching. Easter dramas are especially effective in reaching out to unchurched people. Experiences and testimonies about life with Christ are shared and celebrated. You can read all about them here in their Living Faith Newsletter.

JAN GRIFFITH is serving the church Uddevalla, Sweden. This church reaches the people of Uddevalla and reaches out to the many immigrants that arriving in Sweden. You can read more about Jan's expierences by reading her latest newsletter here.

PAVLE KOCEV ministers in Michalovce, Slovakia, reaching families and young people with the Gospel. They recently opened a home for mothers and their children called "Eunice". Read more about Pavle's efforts here in his newsletter.

NORTHERN LIGHT MINISTRIES (NLM) The work of NLM is to partner, prepare, send, support Mexican servant-leaders with vision and passion to reach Mexico and the world for Christ. Because of our location in the San Quintin valley we target the indigenous to be prepared to return home to their villages as missionaries. Northern Light Ministries facilitates short-term teams in ministering to the needs of pastors, brothers and sisters in Christ in Mexico, especially among the indigenous. For more information read the recent newsletter from Dwight and Sara Hires here. You may also visit their website at www.northernlightministries.com

TARAHUMARA MINISTRIES Tomas Bencomo serves the indigenous people of the Copper Canyon known as the Raramuri (Tarahumara) and Pima Indians. Our main contact, Brenda Granados, helps us coordinate our efforts to help the Tarahumara surrounding the small village of Guacayvo, which is down in the Copper Canyon. The remoteness of the Copper Canyon and the harsh terrain make life difficult for the indigenous people of the canyon. Tarahumara Ministries is attempting to bring temporary relief through clothing and food distribution and offering education for the children. The long-term sustainability goals rest upon continued education of the children and helping the Tarahumara to learn and use sustainable farming and husbandry practices. This includes a training farm. You can read more about recent events in their recent newsletters: June 2011 and February 2012.