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Outreach
We are excited about missions at Berwyn Methodist Church! An
overview is presented below, and more specific programs are
located to the left. There are many levels on which you can
be involved, from planning a trip to an area in need,
participating in any of the missions and outreach at BUMC,
or lending a hand around the community. There are also other
active seasonal mission projects that you can be a part of."Operation Healing Hope" helps to address
Obstetric Fistula across the Developing World
BUMC member Carol Cherry, M.S.N, R.N., is a health educator, Research Project Manager,
and Cancer Risk Counselor at the Fox Chase Cancer Center. Through Carol's
connections
at Fox Chase, we welcome Mark Morgan, MD, Chief of Gynecologic Oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center
in Philadelphia to share his volunteer
work in Africa.
Dr. Morgan’s work addresses the little-known but widespread
birth injury of obstetric fistula, which afflicts more than 2 million women
and girls in poorer nations worldwide. Obstetric fistula affects primarily
young women and girls who experience prolonged labor without access to
emergency medical care. Their babies are stillborn, and the mothers are
left with fistulas or holes in the birth canal. Without treatment, victims
lead sad lives of enormous discomfort, social isolation and emotional pain.
Dr. Morgan regularly travels to Africa to perform surgeries to help these women.
Dr. Morgan’s presentation will help us prepare to participate in “Operation Healing Hope,” an initiative sponsored by the General Board of Church and Society and funded by the United Nations Foundation. The yearlong campaign is aimed at raising awareness and inspiring advocacy to help eradicate obstetric fistula. Part of Operation Healing Hope is an Advent Bible study and quilt project. “Advent Visions” is a four-part study that connects the realities of those living with obstetric fistula with Biblical stories of healing and hope. “Advent Visions” also has its own craft project in the form of a baby quilt. Each study group is supplied with a “Baby Quilt Starter Kit” and invited to create a 30” by 35” baby quilt during the four weeks of Advent as part of their reflections. The hope is that Advent Visions baby quilts will be completed by Christmas and serve as a tangible reminder of God coming wrapped in swaddling clothes. In the New Year, plans call for the baby quilts to be gathered up and sent to Camphor United Methodist Mission in Liberia, a site where traditional birth assistants are being trained in methods of preventing obstetric fistula. If you are interested in participating, contact Carol Cherry (carol.cherry@fccc.edu or 610-644-8864). Roca Eterna in El Salvador
In January, 2006, the Administrative Board voted to establish Iglesia Evangelica
Metodista Roca Eterna (Eternal Rock Evangelical Methodist Church) in Ahuachapan,
El Salvador as our sister church in a formal covenant relationship.
The relationship began when we dispatched a construction and medical team to Ahuachapan to El Salvador as Volunteers In Mission. We support it with gifts, both financial and spiritual. We are supporting each other by prayers, letters, photos of events, and regular Email communication. The mission team that went to El Salvador learned that many of the young people did not attend school because their families could not afford the fees. Many of the congregation have decided to personally support a student in El Salvador by providing the money for tuition, uniforms and other fees necessary to go to school in El Salvador. 
Reaching Out To Others
We continue to support the work of
Interfaith Hospitality Network. The Network provides housing and meals
in local churches for the homeless families while the adults learn new job skills.
While we do not provide housing, we do provide meals and hosts for those meals, and
we contribute to the organization to help with expenses.
We support the Chumpitaz family in Peru . Many years ago they provided housing
for one of our members working in mission there. In return we have provided help for
their medical expenses, living costs and a trip to visit their daughter, Eliza,
and her son Freddy, who now live in Berwyn and are a members of our
community and the church family.
During Lent our church "Feeds the Five Thousand." We collect
bags of groceries that contain specified items designed to feed a family of four
for three days. The bags of food are delivered to the United Methodist Neighborhood
Services on North Broad Street . The Berwyn United Methodist Church Nursery School
joins us in this effort. We generally deliver over 90 bags each year.Youth and Children
The youth and children of our church are involved with missions. The children help
collect pennies for the mission penny jar on Sunday
mornings. These pennies have raised money to help:
Other Projects Supported by BUMC
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