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Putting our faith to work in the world motivates First UMC, Pensacola, FL to be active in missions. This is seen in both our vision statement, “to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ and expand our ministries to the community and the world,” and in our mission statement, “First United Methodist Church of Pensacola is a Christian family that worships God, grows in Christ, and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, puts our faith to work in the world.” Share God's Love with Central AmericaWheelchairs help families such as these whom the team met on our most recent trip to Costa Rica. Jan Fred Gomez is a seven year old boy with cerebral palsy. His mother has carried him since the time he was born. Both his mother and his grandmother were so happy that they cried the whole time we were together. Jaziaira Hurtado is eight years old. She was born with one of her femur bones too short. Although she has had several operations, nothing has helped. Her mother was weeping with gratitude as her little girl could now get around on her own without having to be carried by someone else. These families experienced new freedom and felt God’s love through these efforts. Be a part of changing someone’s world! Milk and Honey Outreach, Habitat for Humanity, the Manna Food Bank, and many other local missions agencies are supported financially and with volunteers by our congregation. In recent years, First UMC in Downtown Pensacola was active through donations and work teams for communities impacted by Hurricane Katrina. The congregation hosted 40 evacuees from a Vietnamese Baptist Church from New Orleans during Rita. This led to the creation of a Disaster Response Committee to oversee the organization of work teams and, most importantly, to be proactive in planning ahead for the next disaster to strike the Gulf Coast. We were active overseas with financial support for tsunami victims and missionaries. In 2006, we sent a mission team of 16 persons to Costa Rica to paint and pour concrete at a local parsonage and lead 200 children in VBS. On August 15, 2007, an 8.0 earthquake hit the central coast of Peru. The earthquake was felt as far as the capital Lima, 150 miles from the epicenter of the earthquake. More than 58,000 homes were destroyed and the government reported 510 deaths. The Cantonment Rotary Club, First United Methodist Church of Pensacola, FL and the Pensacola District of the United Methodist Church sent a 20 foot container of new Spanish language textbooks valued over $200,000 to Peru through the Love for Peru Foundation and Give-A-Book. Four thousand four hundred & forty-two quality new books in Spanish (with a few in simple English) with a retail value of almost $60,000 were sent from First United Methodist Church, Pensacola, FL to Nicaragua in partnership with Give-A-Book and the Fabretto Children’s Foundation. The books were sent along with metal shelving and a variety of educational games. The books and games will be used in the schools and centers supported by the Fabretto Foundation in serving some of the poorest communities in Nicaragua. For more information on becoming involved through donations or traveling to Central America, please contact Rev. Carl Dickerson or call him at 850.291.3379.
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