Tis the season. That means the Missions Committee has selected the recipients for this years Christmas Offering. Per tradition, the offering will be split evenly between three organizations: one local, one national and one international.

Our selection for international recipient is Pura Vida. In February, members of the congregation will be traveling to Guatemala to help construct a house for Juana C and her family. Your offering will help with construction costs. Any money in excess of costs will go to Pura Vida's many efforts such as their Unsponsored Student Fund or their Milk Program.

With the fallout of national disasters such as Hurricane Ian, we selected UMCOR, an arm of the United Methodist Church, which provides emergency and sustained relief when disaster strikes. The UMCOR US Disaster and Response and Recovery fund is currently focused on Hurricanes Nicole and Ian. "With this year’s storms, UMCOR’s legacy of being 'early in, last out' means that United Methodists will be there to accompany recovering communities for years to come."

Visit umcmission.org for more information

Our local recipient is Homeward Alliance which "operates a continuum of programs and initiatives for families, adults, and seniors, such as basic needs, housing-focused case management, and employment services".

To donate to the Christmas Offering, send or drop off a check with "Christmas Offering" on the memo line. Or to donate online at the FUMC Loveland website, go to the Give & Support tab, click the donate button and include "Christmas Offering" on the "Write a note (Optional)" line when filling out payment information. Thank you for supporting these worthy organizations.

Angel Tree

Thank you to all who selected a child from the Angel Tree. The program helps brighten the holidays for children of incarcerated parents. A childs age, sex and wish list is found on each Angel. Gifts need to be returned by Dec 4th so that they can be delivered on Saturday Dec 10th.

Truscott Teacher Conferences

When there weren't any parents signed up to provide dinner for the teachers at Truscott Elementary during parent/teacher conferences, the principal turned to FUMC for help. Missions Committee member, Betsy Elliott, compiled a list of dishes on a sheet and the congregation was asked to signup. The response was outstanding. Not only was the signup list filled in no time, some used the empty space to indicate they'd bring something as well.

On the afternoon of October 18th, dishes were delivered to the kitchen in Coy Hall. A few Missions Committee members loaded the feast into a wagon and walked it over to the school. The food was arranged on a counter in the teacher's kitchen ready for them when they could take a break for dinner. Principal Karen Hanford and the Truscott teachers were all very appreciative.

Partner Pause

As the church finds its way through leaner times, the decision was made to support a single Covenent Partnership in 2023. Normally there is $7500 in the church's annual budget to support three partnerships at $2500 each, however, after hinting around that they were looking for cuts, the Finance Committee made the formal request at the end of October that this line item be removed for the next fiscal year. Up until that point, the Missions Committee had been considering potential candidates to replace the retired Burgerts. Immediately, the conversation changed to how many partnerships we could support using funds from The Foundation as suggested by the Finance Committee. Since Donna Chaat Pewo had moved on from her work with the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference, it was decided to cut ties with that program and move forward with the single remaining Covenent Partnership in the coming year.

Emergency Assistance

Recently, there has been a growing trend of people showing up at our church on Sunday mornings looking for assistance. There hasn't been a policy in place to deal with these requests. This issue was raised in September's Church Council meeting and it was decided to task the Missions Committee to develop a strategy for helping those who stop by.

When committee members were informed by email about this mission, several were eager to suggest concrete solutions such as gift or gas cards that our ushers could hand out. And at first blush, these types of options were embraced when they were discussed at our November meeting, but then discussion shifted to the repercussions of such a policy. It was acknowledged that giveaways would most likely turn our church into a magnet for people looking for a handout. As first and second hand stories of these requests for help were shared, the persistent, bordering on aggressive nature of some of these encounters was revealed. Ultimately, consensus shifted to a policy devoid of monetary aid.

Fortunately, Loveland and the surrounding area have resources to help those in need. It was decided that in lieu of money, our church could provide a list of those agencies that would be able to help. The hope is that those agencies would better serve their needs over the long run. Our church, in turn, will support the agencies where possible as exemplified by the selection of Homeward Alliance as local recipient of this years Christmas Offering.

After discussion coalesced into a strategy to address requests for assistance, a subcommittee was formed to draft a document: FUMC Emergency Assistance Policy. Thanks to subcommittee members Barry Wehrle, Marc Messervey and Kay Neckel, the policy was quickly composed and ready for review. After member feedback from the committee as a whole and a few revision iterations, the policy was ready to go to the Church Council for approval at their meeting in November. Approval was received, so be on the lookout for the policy and resources to show up in the coming weeks.

Highlights of the FUMC Emergency Assistance Policy

• First and formost, it is the policy of this church that no cash or gift cards be given for any reason.
• For safety, a minimum of two people should engage in a public space with those seeking help. If you see someone on their own dealing with a request, don't hesitate to interject yourself into the conversation.
• Publications will be made widely available for distribution to people looking for aid. This will include a brochure identifying agencies in the area and their hours, a map of the area, and the policy itself. The policy will be in both English and Spanish and a summary will be available on 5x7 cards.

Please donate any clothing and supplies that you can.

Specifically Requested items

• Winter gloves and mittens -
  small, medium, large for both men and women
• Hand/foot/body warmers
• Camping Tarps (Sizes 4x6, 6x8, 8x10)
• Winter ski mask/face covering for men/women
• Men’s winter Jackets L, XL, 2XL
• Women’s winter jackets M, L, XL
• Men’s snow pants or coveralls (Med, Large, XL)
• Women’s snow pants or coveralls (Small, Med, Large)
• Men and Women’s Hoodies – Small, Med, Large
• Thermal underwear size Small, Med, Large for women
• Thermal underwear size Med, Large, XL for men
• Men’s boxers sizes Med, Large, XL
• Women’s underwear sizes 5, 6, 7
• Flashlights and AA/AAA batteries
• Backpacks