Serve our church:
Communion Servers
Office Volunteers Do you have 2-4 (flexible) hours per week? Can you answer phones? Label and stuff envelopes? Assist with data entry? Run a copy machine? If so, you might want to consider volunteering in the church office. We have opportunities available and would love to hear from you to see if your needs and our needs can somehow fit together! Call Susan or Julie at 913-631-2280, or e-mail info(at)shawneeumc.org.
Argentine Food Kitchen We cook and serve lunch to 200 to 300 people on the first Monday of each month. AFK is located at 646 S. 7th Street, Kansas City, Kansas. Each month 10-12 people from various groups both within and outside of our congregation participate in this project. Contact: Warren Livingston at 913-631-6818
Interfaith Hospitality Network is an ecumenical organization which provides shelter for homeless persons in Johnson County. SUMC participates 4 times a year, a week at a time, hosting homeless families from 5 pm to 7 am each day of the week. Our church annex is staffed with volunteers doing evening and overnight shifts for this ministry; other volunteers bring food. To find out about helping with this very “hands on” outreach, call Marilyn Davis at 913-631-2481.
Helping Hands provides a way of caring for friends and members who have a temporary need for transportation, food and/or respite care. If you would like to be a part of this ministry, or know someone who needs a “helping hand”, call Dee Nelson at 913-962-5238.
Christmas in October Each year, on the second Saturday in October, we work in an area designated by the Christmas in October organization on homes whose owners cannot afford repairs. On the first Saturday in October trade craftsmen make repairs that the average person can’t undertake. The next Saturday roughly 5000 people like us continue making repairs in the same homes, all in one day.
Round Up for Hunger Each year in November we take food, clothing, etc. to Lawrence, Kansas to be distributed to the various social service agencies throughout eastern Kansas. This is an initiative of the Kansas East Conference.
Stephen Ministry offers trained, confidential, one-on-one care for persons going through transitions in their lives. Weekly contact with a Stephen minister is available for persons in need of support while experiencing a death, or divorce or illness or other living changing events. For information on such assistance or becoming a Stephen Minister, call Linda Mooney at 913-441-2568.
Garden Angels Is digging in the dirt your idea of “good, clean fun” while providing peace and inspiration to all who enjoy our church grounds? If so, contact Janet Chalk to volunteer at 913-631-1825. The “angels” meet weekly during the growing season for about an hour to trim, weed, mulch and maintain the shrubs and plants around the church building.
Cancer Service Group From August through June this group meets every 4th Wednesday of the month at 12:30 PM in Room 307(the exception being Nov. -Dec. when there is one meeting on the first Wednesday of December). Working for Cancer Action of KCK, the group makes bed pads, pillows, head scarves and afghans for cancer patients. Supplies are provided. New members and visitors are welcome. For more information call Dorothy Christiansen at 913-631-8656.
Youth Sponsors Our youth do bi-monthly local mission projects, the last Sunday of every other month. Sponsors are needed to drive and supervise on these projects. Additionally, we have local mission days where we sleepover and work in mission in within the Kansas City Area, in lieu of travelling trips. Adult sponsors are needed to drive, supervise and coordinate work projects for local mission days as well. Contact Nancy Larkin to volunteer.
Serve beyond the local church:
Rebuilding Shawnee Together On one weekend in April, Shawnee undertakes a Rebuilding Shawnee Together Day during which time repairs are made on houses within the corporate limits of Shawnee. Our church contact is Warren Livingston (913) 631-6818 and the City of Shawnee contact person is Jeff Bahnson (913) 631-2729.
Guatemala Mission Trip In February of each year members of Shawnee UMC organize a mission trip to Guatemala to assist in various types of building construction and repair projects. This is done in conjunction with Indian Heights UMC. Contact: Jim Hammons at 913-631-8959 or Rich Adams at 913-648-0023
Mississippi Mission Trip Twice each year Shawnee UMC sends an adult team to the Bay St. Louis / Waveland, MS area to repair homes destroyed or damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Contact: Warren & Judy Livingston at 913-631-6818
Youth Mission Trip Sponsors Our youth take summer mission trips. One is closer to home and designed to be a shorter "wade-in" experience for middle school students (7th and 8th graders). The other is longer, farther away from home, and a "challenging" trip for Sr. High (9th-12th grades). Adult chaperones are needed on both trips to drive, supervise youth, and design work projects in some cases. Please contact Nancy Larkin, Director if interested in volunteering as an adult chaperone on a youth mission trip.
Heifer Project Heifer Project provides farm animals to indigent people of third world countries as a means of supporting families and teaching others about animal husbandry. Agricultural techniques are also taught to improve the food productivity. When a person or a village is given a farm animal, subsequently they are required to give one of the offspring to another person or village. Hence, the program is self perpetuating. Contact: Marshall Hendrickson at 913-262-4075