Outreach Ministry Resources for the United Methodist Church
If we go into all the world, that means we go into camp.
When we step out of the human-built structures and into God-built nature, the evidence of God is overwhelming. It is the witness from creation to creation of the Creator. It is a perfect place to open your eyes and see. If you listen deeply, you will hear. With an open heart, you will feel.
Serving God can happen in any setting. Witnessing about God should happen in every setting.
Camp is a perfect place for your parish.
Jesus chose twelve to become his core disciples. Four of the twelve were fishermen: Andrew, Peter, James, and John. One-third of the disciples shared this profession. Jesus called to these men at the seashore. It was not a matter of convenience that these fishermen would become great “fishers of men.”
The first two, Andrew and Peter, were actively casting their nets for fish. They were fishing. People often think of fishing in our modern context: one person and a fishing pole. A fishing pole is not kingdom fishing. The net is the tool for kingdom fishing. It catches indiscriminately all that fall within its broad reach. The net spans wide and drops surrounding the fish.
The second two disciples, James and John, were mending their nets. Preparing and repairing are vital to fishing. A net with a hole catches a few fish.
Many churches have active Scouting partnerships, youth ministries, and community outreach. These are churches that have cast their nets. They are fishing for the kingdom. Their faithfulness is a blessing to the community and the church. Other churches are mending their nets. They may be on the side of the sea for now but soon will cast. The net will open and slide into place drawing its circle around the community. Ministry with the community will grow again.
I worry for those congregations afraid of fishing. Those who are tired of the challenge of the casting. I worry for those who have heard such fear that the idea of casting the net scares them. I worry for those who are tired. The call of Christ is not easy. It is not for the weak of heart. But he does call us to cast our net to the other side.
We can be in ministry together. We do not have to die as a church or as disciples. We do have to fish.
“Friend,haven’t you any fish?”
“No”
“Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.”
Every Scouting Ministry partner program participant must pass a background check, receive training, and follow the rules for keeping youth, adults, and organizations safe. BSA, Girl Scouts, Camp Fire, and Big Brothers Big Sisters have each spent time and money developing best practice safety rules. They are specific to the program and activities. The General Commission on United Methodist Men chose these partners because of their excellence.
Each of our partner programs offers a unique path to gaining life skills. Girl Scouts Journeys explore what matters most to the girls. They are multi-session experiences in digging into interests and skills. These hands-on activities put girls far ahead of their peers in managing ordinary life and living extraordinary lives.
BSA uses merit badges to provide skills necessary for life. When an adult asks, “What would we do if the power goes out to get food?” You know they have not been a Scout. Troops, Packs, Crews, and Ships all learn the basics skills of life. These set them apart from the crowd. They can cook, speak publicly, and manage life in a group. It is one thing to share life in a group. It is another to share life in a tent or on a boat.
Big Brothers Big Sister provides for monitored mentor relationships. The “Big” brings life experience and listening to the relationship. In the church, we often do the same at confirmation. Matches change lives. But why have intentional mentoring only at confirmation?
While confident that youth can learn in school, sports, and church groups, these programs offer a leg up. Faith is a component of each. Life skills are exercised safely. These programs extend over the years.
The safety measures are continually updated. The programs changed for relevance. The cost is an investment shared across the program. We have few churches or conferences with the where-with-all to take on such a task.
Wesley offered, “The church changes the world not by making converts but by making disciples.” Jesus took three years to make adult disciples. It makes sense for us to provide as many possible opportunities for youth and adults to connect in discipleship. It takes time.
We are a Wesleyan people. There is still much to learn from John Wesley’s experience in growth and submission to the will of God. His journals are a powerful tool for us to learn and grow. At the least, his writings can give us a context for today’s church.
It was 1739. John Welsey was invited to preach with Mr. Whitefield in Bristol. Wesley did not want to go. He was “fully employed” already. We are often busy with the work of the church when God calls. It even came down to casting lots “and by this, it was determined [John Wesley] should go.”
John Welsey was a pious man, “tenacious of every point relating to decency and order”. He writes “that I should have thought the saving of souls almost a sin if it had not been done in a church.” Given the move of society today as then away from the church, the kingdom of heaven will be slim if this sense of righteousness continues to hold sway.
After preaching about The Sermon on the Mount on Sunday, thank God alone that Monday came. John Wesley records a profound moment.
“I submitted to be more vile”
John Wesley
Do you realize it is Monday for the church?
Are you willing to give up being in the church to be the church?
God seeks ministries that go into the fields, the streets, and the world. The Sermon on the Mount was not preached in the synagogue or the temple. Wesley’s submission to be more vile reached 3,000 in one day and thousands beyond. We have examples and models who showed us how. Why wait?
Scouting Ministries 