How did adult mission trips get started at Wesley United Methodist Church in Bloomington?
It was a God thing. It was what former Oxford professor and Christian apologist C.S. Lewis would call a "Godincidence"!
Wesley UMC (www.wesley-umc.com) had a strong and long history of teen mission trips. The teens of Wesley would travel near and far doing service projects with those in need. But, for whatever reason, like the vast majority of Christian churches, adults going out into the field on mission teams was non-existent.
What had been happening, up until January of 2005, in missions at Wesley, was exactly what does happen even today in most churches: a small Mission Committee within the church decides annually how much money the church will attempt to send to denominational missionairies or ministries. This was exactly what was happening at Wesley.
On July 1st, 2004, Wesley UMC had apponited to serve two ministers: Reverend Vaughn Hoffman, who had been in ministry for twenty-five years and who had served numerous prior United Methodist churches. And, Reverend Stan Irvin, who had just graduated from seminary as a second-career student, and who had only served as the minister of one prior church in New Jersey at the time he was a seminary student.
In August of 2004, after one month of serving Wesley, Reverends Hoffman and Irvin met in the office of Reverend Hoffman, to discuss their hopes, dreams and visions for the future of Wesley.
Amongst the visions which the two men discussed, was the concept of adult mission teams. They discussed one church in particular, Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City (Dr. Tim Keller's church, the author of The Reason for God, and The Prodigal God). Redeemer Church annually sent out eighteen adult mission teams, around the globe.
The two ministers agreed that they would like to replicate the work done at Redeemer, and to intiate adult mission teams at Wesley. Revered Hoffman's prior churches had never engaged in any adult mission teams, nor had he or Reverend Irvin ever served on an adult mission trip, but both men agreed that doing such at Wesley would be a direction which they would like to see the church move. Reverend Hoffman was excited about the possibilities this would open for his church, and enthusiastically pushed the concept.
Later that month Reverends Hoffman and Irvin went before the church's Mission Committee. On the committee at that time were Karen McConnell, Marie Williams, Ruth Mauser, and Betty Story. At that meeting Reverends Hoffman and Irvin laid out to the committee the dream of adult mission trips. The committee reacted with full enthusiasm and support for the idea. Their only question was: "Okay, how do we start"?
To that question, neither minister had any answer, other than "Lets pray about how to get going". For, as stated above, neither Reverend Hoffman in his twenty-five years of ministry, nor Reverend Irvin, had ever served on any mission trip.
Then, God stepped in, in a way totally unexpected. The "Godincidence" was continuing to happen in a mighty way ....
Two days after the Missions Committee meeting, Stacey Ash, the Director of Youth Ministries at Wesley, stopped by Reverend Irvin's office to tell him of a phone call she had just received. She reported that a new family had moved to Bloomington, and they were looking for a church home. They wanted a church home which had a good youth program, and a youth choir, in which their daughter Devin, could participate.
Reverend Irvin asked Stacey to schedule a meeting with them, and to invite Wesley's Music Director, Adria Schumann, to the meeting. Stacey returned the call to the parents, and schedule a meeting.
Seven days after the Missions Committee meeting Stacey Ash, Adria Schumann and Reverend Irvin met with the new to Bloomington couple, Rick Vaughn and Linda Miles, in the church's conference room.
For approximately forty-five minutes, the five met and discussed both the youth program and the Jubilation Choir (the teen choir) at Wesley. Rick and Linda asked numerous and extensive questions about the youth aspect of the church, and explained their desire to find a good church home for their daughter.
Rick and Linda finally decided that their questions had been answered, and they rose from their chairs to head to the door.
Then, again ... God stepped in ....
Right when they got to the door, suddenly Rick Vaughn, who is a medical doctor, turned around and asked Stacey, Adria and Stan, "Does your church do adult mission trips"?
Reverend Irvin said "Why do you ask"?
And Dr. Vaughn responded, "Because at my prior church in North Carolina I led six adult mission teams to Nicaragua".
Reverend Irvin said "Have a seat ...."
And the five talked ... about adult mission trips ....
God wasnt done yet. For Rick Vaughn and Linda Miles actually left the decision of what church to attend to Devin, their high school daughter. Devin chose Wesley.
And thus, within only seven days of Reverends Hoffma and Irvin telling the Mission Committee that they had "no idea" how to begin adult mission trips at Wesley due to neither of them having ever served on any mission trip, God stepped in, big time! A "Godincidence" happened right before the eyes of all of Wesley.
In January of 2005 Dr. Rick Vaughn took nine members of Wesley, along with Reverend Irvin, to Nicaragua, where they joined twenty-five members of a team which he had put together prior to leaving his former church. The thirty-five team members did a Medical Mission Trip in Jinotega and Managua, Nicaragua and the surrounding country sides. And in the process, adult mission teams at Wesley United Methodist Church were birthed.
In the process Wesley found out that God doesn't work through any one person. For on this occasion God's plan was in the works long before us mere humans had any idea of what was about to happened. In the process God utilized Redeemer Presbyterian Church far away in New York City to provide the intitial model to replicate, two ministers, the four ladies of Wesley's Mission Committee who readily agreed to the vision, Stacey Ash and Adria Schumann, Rick Vaughn and Linda Miles, along with their daughter Devin. And then God would raise up the team leaders within Wesley, people such as: Karen Daudelin, Ron and Donna Schaad, Doug and Judy Woodburn, Brad and Adria Schumann, and team leaders yet to be anointed.
Finally God stirred the hearts of the people of Wesley, and moved among them to do a mighty thing.
As a result, Wesley has since January of 2005 sent out seven medical mission teams to Nicaragua, seven construction teams to Nicaragua, Alaska and Hawaii, an inland hurricane relief team to Galatia, Illinois, and countless annual hurricane Rita relief teams to Louisianna and Mississippi.
In 2011 Wesley, and churches with which it partners, will send out six separate mission teams. Three teams have already ventured to Nicaragua. Yet to come this year is a hurricane relief trip to Louisanna, a construction trip at a Christian camp for youth in Hawaii, and a trip to serve at a mecial clinic in Jamaica (which is being named after the father of Wesley Music Director Adria Schumann). These six teams will involve over seventy adult team members.
The members of these teams have come from Wesley and numerous churches of all stripes: Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Nazarene, Catholic, and others. Thus, Wesley is spreading the blessings of adult mission teams to many other churches, both within Illinois and without. Team members have come from Bloomingon-Normal, Michigan, New York, Kentucky, and within Illinois from the northernmost part of the state all the way down south to Carrier Mills.
Through many people God birthed adult mission teams at Wesley. And in the process, God has rebirthed the lives of more than a hundred servants who have now ventured to "Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth". These faithful team members, and the congregants who have supported them emotionally, financially and prayerfully, have truly "stepped out of the boat" and into the deep waters of God's love of all of His children around the world!
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