Each year, churches in the Minnesota Annual Conference take a Love Offering for missions in conjunction with our Annual Conference Session.The theme of the 2022 Annual Conference—which will take place May 24-25—is “Jesus: Healer.”
Bishop David Bard invites congregations to pray about and participate in the Love Offering as a generous expression of God’s wild and extravagant love.
“Even in difficult times, Minnesota United Methodists have shown themselves to be generous in sharing the healing love of Jesus,” he said. “Our world confronts countless challenges, and though one offering cannot meet or overcome them all, it can do good and bring healing in the name and spirit of Jesus.”
Our Love Offering this year will address food insecurity by supporting three Minnesota United Methodist food ministries. Funds will also assist those in need in our nation and world by supporting Red Bird Missionary Conference in Appalachia and Volunteers in Mission trips.
The funds from this year’s offering will to go to:
If you wish to donate by check, send a check to Minnesota UMC, 122 W. Franklin Ave., Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55404. Be sure to put "Love Offering" in the memo line.
Letter from Bishop Bard
Promotional video
Promotional PowerPoint
Social media graphics
Bulletin insert: color / black and white
The Red Bird Missionary Conference, KentuckyRecipient of 40 percent of 2022 Love Offering
The Red Bird Missionary Conference, which is undergoing a revitalization process, and will soon be called Central Appalachian Missionary Conference, is a United Methodist community in the eastern Kentucky region. It acts as a hub to transport volunteers, ministry dollars, and hope to the places where they are needed most. Love Offering funds will be used for disaster response after recent severe flooding damaged churches and homes.
Holy Grounds at Centenary UMC, MankatoRecipient of 17 percent of 2022 Love Offering
As one of the signature ministries of Centenary UMC in Mankato, Holy Grounds serves a warm breakfast to 40 to 50 people six mornings a week. But Holy Grounds is about more than just the food. Holy Grounds has become an important resource in the community for relationship building, food security, and a place where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity.
Holy Grounds provides a tangible way to live out the gospel call to love our neighbors by feeding people’s minds, bodies, and spirits. The Love Offering will support the purchase of a new convection oven and provide needed funds to shift into post-pandemic ministry.
Simpson Food Pantry, MinneapolisRecipient of 17 percent of 2022 Love Offering
Simpson Food Pantry has been meeting the needs of food-insecure neighbors and families in South Minneapolis for 50 years. Demand has tripled since the start of the pandemic.
Love Offering dollars will come at a most opportune time—as the aging Simpson building will be razed to the ground, the food pantry will be thrust into the uncomfortable position of searching for (and suddenly handling the additional expenses of) a new, not-yet-determined location.
West African Family and Community Food Shelf, Brooklyn CenterRecipient of 17 percent of 2022 Love Offering
Brooklyn UMC in Brooklyn Center started a culturally-specific food shelf to serve its neighbors, primarily West African immigrants and low-income families. Recently, the food shelf has seen increased need among other nationalities and ethnic groups, like South American, Caribbean, and Asian immigrants. The food shelf serves over 75 families each week and about 4,000 households per year. The Love Offering will provide household items, hygienic products, and culturally-specific food items to this community.
Volunteers in Mission (VIM) scholarshipsRecipient of 10 percent of 2021 Love Offering
United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (VIM) participants of every age serve in all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Most teams from Minnesota spend up to two weeks working on hands-on projects in construction, disaster response, teaching, health care, and packing supplies for overseas shipment.
COVID restrictions have made it difficult for Volunteers in Mission to participate in hands-on projects locally, nationally, and internationally since 2020. But the future looks brighter for VIM service projects!
Team members pay their own way, and every year, 10 percent of the Love Offering goes to help offset the cost for first-time participants. Scholarships awarded range from $100-$400 per application.
In addition to the Love Offering, congregations can collect supplies and make kits for the Midwest Mission Distribution Center (MMDC) and for United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).
There will be a trailer at Annual Conference ready to be filled up with donated kits. It is helpful if supplies are boxed up with the donating church’s name and address marked on it, as well as whether the box should go to MMDC or UMCOR Sager Brown Depot.
Find instructions and lists of items to purchase for each type of UMCOR and MMDC kit.
Questions: Contact Rev. Lyndy Zabel lyndy.zabel@minnesotaumc.org / (952) 465-2140
Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
122 West Franklin Avenue, Suite 400 Minneapolis, MN 55404
(612) 870-0058