…It is important to remember that we can make a difference.
The very act of giving can lift a person’s spirits and connect them with the giving nature of Christ.
The unique nature of this crisis poses many challenges, but there are still many ways in which you can help:

Wildfires in Hawaii

“Wind-driven wildfires on Maui have prompted evacuations and caused significant loss of life and widespread damage. UMCOR is coordinating with the California-Pacific Annual Conference to process an initial grant for emergency supplies such as shelf-stable food, water, hygiene items and tools to help survivors recover belongings. As first responders continue to provide initial aid in the area, please join UMCOR in prayer for those affected.” ~ from http://www.umcmission.org

Gifts can be made in the following ways:

ONLINE at https://umcmission.org/advance-project/901670

By toll-free TELEPHONE call: 1-888-252-6174

By check made out to Global Ministries/UMCOR with “Advance #901670-Hawaii” written on the memo line and

MAILED to Global Ministries/UMCOR, GPO, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY, 10087-9068

 Or checks may be given to any United Methodist church.

Earthquake relief for Turkey and Syria

“A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey at 4:17 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023, the most powerful earthquake recorded since 1939.” – from http://www.umcmission.org.

To make donations to support their clean ups please visit www.umcmission.org

Ukraine Support

United Methodists and others wishing to provide humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian people in the wake of the Russian invasion of their country may contribute to Advance #982450, UMCOR International Disaster Response and Recovery. This fund will provide direct assistance to those in Ukraine as well as assistance to Ukrainians fleeing to neighboring countries.

Gifts to support the people of Ukraine can be made in the following ways:

ONLINE at https://umcmission.org/advance-project/982450

By toll-free TELEHONE: 888-252-6174

Checks can be made out to Global Ministries/UMCOR with “Advance #982450-Ukraine” written on the memo line.

Checks can be mailed/addressed to Global Ministries/UMCOR, GPO, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY, 10087-9068 or given at or through any United Methodist Church.

Disaster and Community Relief

Whether wildfires, hurricanes, tornados or other natural disasters, the United Methodist Committee on relief is always part of the response team.  They have been active this season in places such as Haiti, Tennessee, New Orleans and Kentucky.  If you’d like to see more of what they are doing and to donate, simply visit their website.

We continue to collect food on an ongoing basis.  The food bin is located in the back of the church, with donations given to the Sayville Food Pantry.  More people are hungry than ever before, so please give generously to your community!

The Sayville Food Pantry is open from 9:30-12 Tuesday-Thursday.  In addition to food, they also have a limited amount of funds available for anyone who may need monetary assistance.  The pantry is located at 47 Gillette Avenue in Sayville.  They are accepting food donations as well as gas and supermarket gift cards.

Looking for help of any kind (information, health screening and more?).
Here’s a constantly updated list of community resources.

Other Ways To Help

1) Give to your local church, as their work is so important now and will be in the months to come.
The money you give also supports community and global ministries.
2) Volunteer where possible and where it is safe; our local soup kitchen is still in operation offering take-out only.
3) The Sayville Food Pantry is accepting food donations, as well as gas and supermarket gift cards, which can be dropped off during the operating hours; just knock on the door 9:30-12, Tuesday-Friday.  You may also give to the Sayville Food Pantry by bringing non-perishable food items to our church and placing them in the bin in the sanctuary.
4) Remember that outreach and mission are not necessarily big words.  Outreach can be as simple as calling an elderly or ailing neighbor, friend or church member, sending them a card or offering to pick up groceries for them.  And mission can be as simple as radiating peace wherever you go, in the name of Christ, soothing anxious spirits and hearts.

Our Church’s Regular Mission Activities

Clams for Christ!
The Sayville UMC participates in a number of outreach programs throughout the year.  The church is best known for the annual Clamfest, which takes place during Sayville’s Summerfest on the second Saturday in August.  During this event, the church prepares and sells clams, clam fritters, clam pies, clam chowder, lobster bakes, baked goods and more, then gives all of the proceeds away to local and global missions.  The event is a shining example of what God’s children can do when they team up for a good cause.  Note:  While the 2020 Sayville Summerfest was cancelled, with God’s help we were able to raise an equal amount in house!

Mission Trips:  Periodically, the church participates in mission trips to disaster-afflicted areas; more regularly, the youth group donates a week of its time to participate in YouthWorks, a Christian-based outreach program with mission locations throughout the nation (as well as a few international locations).

Joy in the Harvest Mission Support:
We are active supporters of the mission work led by Lowell and Claudia Wertz in Tanzania.  Joy in the Harvest ministers to thousands of needy people on a daily basis.  For further information on the Tanzania mission, please contact Al Croce or the church office.

Sharing a Meal:
We staff the local dinner outreach every other Thursday at the Sayville UCC.  As the cost of living keeps rising, the need for free meals has never been greater.  Volunteers prepare and serve the food for an average of 20-30 guests, then do the dishes afterwards and leave happy:  “I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink.”

Other annual missions include Missionary Sunday and Shoebox Santa.  Ongoing missions include our Thrift Shop, which offers low-cost alternatives to the community; and various missions sponsored and supported by the United Methodist Women.

The Sayville United Methodist Church has always stepped up to support the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) during times of global catastrophe.  When tornados hit Joplin, MO, our Love Offering was sent to a local restaurant that fed the homeless and volunteer workers; after the devastating Tropical Storm Irene hit upstate Prattsville, NY and nearly wiped out their UM church and parsonage, we sent our Love Offering directly to the church for immediate repair work.  We are now responding to the current coronavirus crisis by matching needs with volunteers, and are constantly striving to direct our help where needed.

History of United Methodist Churchwide Special Sundays with Offerings

Human Relations Day
The 1972 General Conference established Human Relations Day to promote support for Community Developers, United Methodist Voluntary Services and Police-Community Relations programs. In 1989, the Youth Offender Rehabilitation Program replaced the Police-Community Relations Program. More than 30 church-based Community Developers work in racial- and ethnic-minority communities in the United States and Puerto Rico (57 percent of the offering). A multiracial network of grassroots social-justice organizations related to United Methodist Voluntary Services provides vital outreach (33 percent). Christ-centered Youth Offender Rehabilitation projects give teenagers a chance to succeed (10 percent.