Church is more than a place to go; it is putting beliefs into action to transform lives.
One way United Methodists are innovating what it means to be church is through a variety of health initiatives. Abundant Health: Our Promise to Children, the signature health initiative of The United Methodist Church, is encouraging congregations to sign up for the 10,000 Church Challenge.
Fairview United Methodist Church in Danville, VA, is rising to the challenge by providing healthy food options and promoting physical activities for children through their recent five-day Vacation Bible School.
The children participated in nightly game activities promoting exercise and physical activity, and most important, collected an offering each night to benefit the “backpack buddies” program. Through this program, nutritious food will be purchased for local elementary school students who do not have enough food to eat at home, especially on weekends and holidays. A backpack full of food is sent home with these students to provide nourishment until they return back to school. Fairview UMC invited the community to join this week-long mission activity to learn how to share God’s light in the world.