C.O.P.A. in the Dominican Republic.
First United Methodist Church of Brandon has been involved in mission in the Dominican Republic for approximately 17 years. Our church is a long-time sponsor of Connie DiLeo, a United Methodist missionary in the Dominican Republic. With Connie’s help, we are working through C.O.P.A. (Community Partners Association) to help with 2 villages located on the southwestern corner of the D.R. These two villages (Bombita and LaHoya) are representative of some of the poorest villages in the Dominican Republic.
Our 2011 summer mission trip will be the second week of July and the approximate cost is $850 per person. The age requirement is as follows: 13-17 years of age must have a parent or grandparent accompany them; all others, 18 and up, may go as well. A deposit of $100 will hold your spot on the team. All deposits are due by March 1st, 2011. The first 20 people to get their deposits in will make up the mission team. There are 4 meetings required before we travel in July. This is by no means a vacation and we work really hard while we are there. We will be leading a Youth Camp for the Dominicans in the two villages. This should be an amazing experience as we lead approximately 100 Dominican teenagers in play, praise, and worship. Take a step out of your comfort zone and join us on this great opportunity to witness for our Lord.
Through C.O.P.A., we also have the opportunity to sponsor one of the children in the two villages. For $15 a month, you can help this child with their school uniform expense, their books, and provide a small hot meal for them each day. There are brochures in the narthex that you can complete and mail to C.O.P.A. to participate in this outreach. You will receive a picture of your child and he/she will write to you twice a year and update you on what is happening in their lives. They’ll look forward to you writing to them as well.
If you would like more information about C.O.P.A., go to www.copa.org.uk or email Frankie Cross, our Dominican Republic Missions Outreach Coordinator, at SFL53302@allstate.com or 662-9724.
Compassion International's Church-to-Church Partnership
In early 2010, our church was honored to be selected as part of a Compassion International pilot program, called the Church-to-Church (C2C) partnership. The idea is to directly connect well-resourced churches in the U.S. with under-resourced churches in third-world countries, to the benefit of both congregations. In February 2010, Pastor Matt Wallis, Stuart Mackey, and I traveled to Ethiopia and spent a week meeting, greeting and getting to know the children and families of our new partners-in-faith, the Holeta Mulu Wongel Church.
Since our return, each church has been praying regularly for the other and correspondence between the churches is ongoing. Last September, Compassion International spokesman Peter Habyarimana (a former Compassion child) spoke to our congregation about the life-changing impact child sponsorship is having in Africa and around the world. That day, and in the weeks following, more than 100 children from the Holeta Church were sponsored by families, individuals and small groups from our congregation. This has resulted in hundreds of letters back and forth between the children and their sponsors over the last three months, and continued prayers for the children and their families.
Click Here To Learn How You Can Sponsor a Child in Ethiopia
On February 12, 2011, we, and the other three Florida churches that are participating in the C2C program, will be meeting with Mark Gerhi, Compassion's C2C director, to discuss next steps for the program - including sponsor visits to Ethiopia, more effective communication processes, moving our church further along the path of transformation through church relationship, plus new resources to help understand church-to-church and reaching out to the poor. He will also share other church’s experiences with making ministry “investments” in their partner church, update us on an exciting new web tool for child sponsorships for our church website, and give us ideas about how to increase the impact our church’s Compassion sponsors can make in the life of their child. Anyone who is interested in attending this meeting in Orlando is welcome. Further information will be available in the bulletin in the coming weeks.
Looking ahead, we're going to start a regular gathering of sponsors to meet and share stories, letters, and goals for this program. The initial gathering will take place in late February 2011. And, to share this mission with all in our congregation, a Compassion Wall with pictures of FUMC- sponsored children will be going up in the narthex shortly.
The mission team would like to thank all who have stepped forward in faith to sponsor a child. We hope to see significant expansion of this program in the year to come as we continue to grow our relationship-in-Christ with the Holeta Mulu Wongel church.
-Mike Bass