Volunteer Opportunities

Wilmington: Urban Promise

UrbanPromise is a ministry to children and youth living in the inner-city neighborhoods of Wilmington, Delaware. The mission of UrbanPromise is to teach children and young adults the skills necessary for spiritual growth, academic achievement, life management and Christian leadership. Teams may work on maintenance/building projects and/or work in their program setting cooking meals, leading activities, etc. Good site for youth group trips. Lodging will be arranged among local churches in Wilmington.

Bolivia: Evangelical Methodist Church

The Evangelical Methodist Church in Bolivia seeks VIM Teams to assist with the following projects. The minimum requested financial assistance for construction projects is $2,000.00. This money insures there are adequate materials on hand for work activities when teams arrive. Please contact VIM Team Coordinator Rev. Skip Hodges skip@skiphodges.com if you are interested in bringing a team to Bolivia. We can provide detailed information and probably even pictures for any project in which you are interested. The Sower Church – Tupiza (Iglesia El Sembrador) - Construction of a church in progress in Tupiza (in the department of Potosi in southern Bolivia). Manco Kapac Church (Iglesia Manco Kapac) - Construction of a church in progress in the city of Copacabana on the shore of Lake Titicaca – one of the highest elevation lakes in the world. New Jerusalem Church – Copacabana (Iglesia Nueva Jerusalén) - Construction of a set of guest rooms in progress for another church in the city of Copacabana (shore of Lake Titicaca). Christ the Good Shepherd Church – Cobija (Iglesia Cristo el Buen Pastor) - New Construction of a church in the town of Cobija (tropical area on the border with Brazil). The church is approximately 10 years old but has never had a building. Sinai Church – El Alto (Iglesia Sinai) - New Construction of a church in El Alto (where the airport is located above La Paz). The existing church is more than 25 years old but is small, incurs water damage during the rainy season, and is made of adobe brick, which deteriorates quickly. Methodist Home for the Elderly – site to be determined. New construction of the first Methodist home for the elderly near La Paz. It is preferred that a team of Older Adults from the US assist with this project so that a time of sharing of different cultures can take place with persons of similar age. But teams of all ages are welcome.

Holy Land Mission

As we head into the summer months it is a good time to take a look at some of the opportunities that are available for Volunteer in Mission teams. Summer is low season in the Middle East. People generally prefer to spend their time in locations where they do not have to deal with the desert sand and high temperatures. It is, however, a great time to begin planning for teams to come during the cooler months. I am taking this opportunity to send you the list of potential project sites for teams who may be interested in coming to the Holy Land. Since this region holds much history, both religiously and politically, a usual two week team visit is typically split between the service project and visits to the holy sites and some of our partner projects in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. The importance of carrying paving stones or painting classrooms is complimented by a visit to the Mt of the Beatitudes where Christ preached the “Sermon on the Mount”, or a quiet prayer in the Church of the Nativity where Christ was born. There are two sample itineraries that I can send at your request. These serve as a base from which your specific trip can be arranged. In addition there are project sites not listed if a team would like to be specific about the type of work in which they wish to be involved; medical team, construction crew, etc. A local Christian travel agency with experience in working with VIM teams will be coordinating with me on all aspects of the travel itinerary to ensure that the teams have not only an enjoyable work experience, but a spiritually based visit as well. After all, this is the Holy Land! Together we can create an opportunity for a life-changing experience that will enable spiritual growth, personal empowerment, and most importantly, help to build lasting relationships in our global community.

Costa Rica

We leave BWI early in the morning and return Saturday evenings on each trip. We fly to San Jose Costa Rica and then travel by van another 4 hours to the destination. We work with the Methodist Church congregation and pastor in Los Chiles located on the northern border of Costa Rica with Nicaragua. A passport is required to travel to Costa Rica. Costa Rica is not a hazardous area from the perspective of CDC and no shots are required other than a current Tetanus shot. We stay in a hotel with shower, hot water in the shower, and air conditioning. We eat all of our meals at the church and the women of the church prepare the meals. The projects that we work on at this time are housing of the church members and small projects around the church. This area is a tourist area for birders and fishermen, however, the area has much poverty due to the proximity to the Nicaragua border. We have made two trips a year to Los Chiles for the last 7 years. The cost of the trip will be about $1700 and would only go up if the airlines have a major price change. The greatest cost for the trip is the airline ticket. All costs are included with the exception of souvenirs and bottled water – the water from the community is good to drink. We start the day with a group devotion then breakfast, go to our project work, break for lunch, work through the afternoon, have dinner and then relax for the evening. The community is safe and the language is Spanish. We usually have some youth on the July trip.

Haiti Mission

Epworth United Methodist Church will be going to Haiti to help in the recovery efforts. The maximum number of team members is ten. The project has not been assigned yet. The cost should be between $1200-$1500 per person.

Haiti

Haiti VIM Team. This VIM team will be working on the Croix des Mission church in Port-au-Prince. Construction experience is not required; the VIM team members assist skilled Haitian workers. The only requirement is a cheerful, Christian heart. The VIM team lodges at the Methodist Guest House where meals are prepared to North American health standards. The cost is $1,800/person which includes all expenses (airfare, lodging, meals, daily ground transportation, etc.). This is your opportunity to experience Haiti. To read more about this project, visit http://www.lebanonumc.net . For more information, contact Bob Parker at parker.nh@gmail.com or 603-863-7348.

Red Bird Mission

Don't miss this opportunity to show God's love in rural Appalachia. In 2011 we replaced the roof on Donnely and Helen's home. We also fixed their coal stove, replaced the chimney, and patched and painted their living room. They were the most appreciative couple you could ever meet. You don't have to have a skill. You will learn one. At people's homes there is roofing, painting, plumbing, general fixing-up and an opportunity to share the love of Jesus. All kinds of tasks are needed on campus, too. There is office work, craft store help, community store work, and general maintenance. The week will lift your spirits as you commune with your fellow Christian workers and the local residents. In May 2011 we took a group from 6 different churches, from all over our annual conference. Age doesn't matter either, the ages our group is between 20 and 70. The Red Bird Mission is in Beverly, KY. You can go to their web site www.rbmission.org to get an idea of what they are all about. If you would like more information please call or e-mail me. I can also come to your church and do a group presentation on the Red Bird Mission.

Red Bird Mission

The team is limited to 12 people. The deadline for signing on is January 1, we will have a meeting once a month until the trip to plan and reflect and learn and pray - that is a requirement for being part of this group. The cost is approximately $500/person, all inclusive (which includes lodging coming and going, one night each way), with $175 due by the first of March.

Haiti Mission - FULL

Salem UMC Selbyville DE will be going to Haiti to assist with earthquake relief.

VIM Teams for VBS

VIM groups invited to help with VBS on the 12 church circuit of South Trinidad between July 9 and the end of the 3rd week of August 2012. We have 2 elementary schools that are ermpty all summer and 2 mission churches that will have to rent space or set up a tent. 6 chapels would be used in rural villages. Groups from 25 to 50 in chapels and 100-200 in the elementary schools. Some of the nearby churches would go into the schools by bus.

VIM Evangelism Teams

Opportunities for evangelism groups. You would need to study the World Evangelism book on Being More Missional for Jesus Christ; then practice in your area doing some house to house visiting and ministry development. After that a three member VIM team (one Trini with two VIMs) would go on visitations together in 2 communities where we are trying to restart churches which are inactive right now. This experience will change the lives of participants and locals alike. African Methodist worship from the Caribbean is flowering under the leadership of our superintending minister, Derick Richards.

Costa Rica

We leave BWI early in the morning and return Saturday evenings on each trip. We fly to San Jose Costa Rica and then travel by van another 4 hours to the destination. We work with the Methodist Church congregation and pastor in Los Chiles located on the northern border of Costa Rica with Nicaragua. A passport is required to travel to Costa Rica. Costa Rica is not a hazardous area from the perspective of CDC and no shots are required other than a current Tetanus shot. We stay in a hotel with shower, hot water in the shower, and air conditioning. We eat all of our meals at the church and the women of the church prepare the meals. The projects that we work on at this time are housing of the church members and small projects around the church. This area is a tourist area for birders and fishermen, however, the area has much poverty due to the proximity to the Nicaragua border. We have made two trips a year to Los Chiles for the last 7 years. The cost of the trip will be about $1700 and would only go up if the airlines have a major price change. The greatest cost for the trip is the airline ticket. All costs are included with the exception of souvenirs and bottled water – the water from the community is good to drink. We start the day with a group devotion then breakfast, go to our project work, break for lunch, work through the afternoon, have dinner and then relax for the evening. The community is safe and the language is Spanish. We usually have some youth on the July trip.