United Methodist Men
"Being A Man of God With Valor & Integrity"
If you are excited about serving Jesus in our congregation and community then this is the "Place for YOU!" Please join us on the 4th Monday of every month at 6pm in the Fellowship Hall for our monthly fellowship dinner.
BRIEF HISTORY
From Old Testament times to today, men gather to discuss their faith journeys and find meaning, hope and healing. Small group ministry was an essential element of the Wesleyan movement in England and in "the colonies." Men's ministry at a local church level was formally endorsed in the 1908 General Conference. With the introduction of the General Commission on United Methodist Men in 1996, we became a separate agency of the UMC. The United Methodist Men's ministry program is nationally recognized as the largest and most organized in the U.S.
MISSION STATEMENT
To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
PURPOSE
To declare the centrality of Christ in every man's life. This is expressed as all men engage in daily Bible Study, witness to Christ in daily work and relationships, and intentional Christian service to others. We want men to know Christ so others may know Christ.
KEY ELEMENTS
RESOURCING AND CONNECTION TO LOCAL, DISTRICT AND CONFERENCE MEN:
The General Commission on United Methodist Men (GCUMM) acts as a clearinghouse of effective materials, consistent with the theology of the United Methodist Church (UMC), in a variety of formats. Staff and volunteers are also available to resource local, district and conference events in workshop and/or worship formats. Staff are available by phone or email to answer questions and assist in problem solving and program development. Resources are available at www.gcumm.org, in packets mailed in the fall of each year to chartered units, and on request by contacting our staff.
YOUTH SERVING AGENCIES: GCUMM hos formal partnership agreements with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA), Comp Fire USA, 4-H, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBS). The UMC is a leader in sponsoring BSA and GSUSA programs in the US. The Amochi mentoring model, through our partnership with BBBS, provides United Methodist men opportunities to mentor children who hove one or both parents in prison. We provide or coordinate training and resources to groups across the US from each of these youth-serving agencies. We partner with the United Methodist Men Foundation and many civic youth organizations and local churches to provide Bibles for Scouts attending Philmont Scout Ranch, the Notional BSA Jamboree, and other high adventure sites.
SPIRITUAL GROWTH: We believe in Wesleyan discipleship and that one essential element is on ongoing, on-growing relationship with Jesus Christ. We have effective resource materials and partnerships with other agencies inside and outside the UMC to enhance spiritual development. These include Walk to Emmaus, The Upper Room Prayer Ministry, Wesleyan Building Brothers, Letters from Dad, and Mon in the Mirror.
MISSIONS AND OUTREACH: The other essential element of Wesleyan discipleship involves intentional Christion action through acts of mercy, peace, and justice in our community and around the world. Our staff and our partners are resources for creating opportunities for an individual or group to engage the world in Christian action. Some of those parners include: the Society of St. Andrew, Stop Hunger Now, United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM), and a variety of local, national and international mission projects.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: Much of the work of the GCUMM develops principled Christian leaders. We ore available to train leaders in traditional UMM groups at the local, district or annual conference level. We also train small group leaders that are outgrowths of some of our newer ministry partners. Formal certification is available through the GCUMM and the Turner Center for Church Leadership and Congregational Development at Vanderbilt University in the areas of Men's Ministry Specialist. Scouting Ministry Specialist training and certification is also available through GCUMM.
FUNDING OF OUR MINISTRIES
The GCUMM raises between 70-77% of its annual budget. Our goal is to raise all the funds we use in our US ministries, and use World Service Funds for ministries outside the U.S. Funds come to us from individuals who choose to participate through monthly or yearly gifts (Legacy Builders or Circuit Riders Society), through gifts to the UMM Foundation (John Wesley Fellows, Life Members, major gifts and the establishment of endowments), and from local churches who have chartered men's ministry groups (as required by the Book of Discipline). We also receive gifts and grants from other sources.