Missions

Bethany has set up four households for refugee families moving into our area. We acquired the furniture, linens, cleaning supplies, dishes, etc. through donations from the congregation. The families we served this year were from Columbia, Sudan and Syria. The welcome home effort is in conjunction with the International Refugee Committee.

In April 2023, Bethany volunteers worked on the home of a Howard County resident who needed some help. The crew completed a number of tasks to include plumbing, electrical, rebuilding a fence , replacing doors, and drywall repair. In addition to the work, we had a wonderful time getting to know the homeowner and working together. OUr project was coordinated with the Rebuilding Together of Howard County program.

Many of Bethany’s G.I.F.T (Growing in Faith Together) Groups are serving in the community as part of their walk together. Efforts include:

• Collecting scarves and jewelry for the Jewels of Hope sale
• Assembling hygiene kits for emergency care
• Packing boxes at Operation Christmas Child
• Serving and collecting items for asylum seekers in Washington, DC
• Making cloth bags for medical missions
• Week-long Appalachian Service Project
• Rehabilitating living space for victims of human trafficking
• Preparing meals for the Cold Weather Shelter

Bethany provided hygiene kits and flood buckets to those in crisis due to natural disasters or to asylum seekers or homeless persons.

It was a fun-filled, action-packed time at our annual Rise Against Hunger meal-packing event where we packed meals to be sent to hungry people all over the world. Thank you to the 50 volunteers who help pack 10,000 meals in under two hours!

Whether providing supplies for medical mission trips, supporting the lives of families in need via livestock donations, or packaging meals to help alleviate world hunger, Bethany is doing extraordinary things in the name of Jesus so that all might see, hear and experience God’s love in tangible ways.

Read about Charlotte’s 20+ years of mission work in Honduras and her conviction to be part of the Honduras Humanitarian Mission team every year for 22 years.

Bethany has responded to catastrophes in the U.S. and around the world through donations to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). Most recently Bethany provided funds to help people in Turkey and Syria after the February 2023 earthquake.