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Urban Plunge

7/12/2010

Several Iowa UMC churches have taken the Urban Plunge in Des Moines, Omaha, Kansas City and Sioux Falls. Below is a list of the recent churches that have participated. To date, over 2,500 people from over 200 churches have participated in a Plunge.

They spent a weekend in the inner-city visiting 9 different faith-based organizations that are working among the poor. They will hung out with homeless guys on the streets late at night; fed the homeless; went to jail; handed out clothes and discover what their passion and gifts were and how to use their passion/gifts to help back home.

Let me share with you our vision

Our vision is to provide an opportunity for groups to leave the comfort of the suburbs and the safety of the small town to enter the inner-city where they discover how they can come alongside an existing social entrepreneur to help meet the needs of the poor, homeless and destitute.

This group is spending a weekend in the inner-city, getting hands on experience with nine different faith-based social service agencies.

Our objective is not to provide a “tour of poverty,” but to help participants grasp how they can use their talents and passions to assist a social-service agency, or even start something similar in their own neighborhood.

We take participants out of their comfort zone, let them experience first hand what is happening in the inner-city, discover their passions and talents and challenge them to make a difference!

Together, the Urban Plunge working with each group meets two needs:

Increase the volunteer capacity of local ministries. The Urban Plunge doesn’t start a new ministry, but rather coming alongside existing local ministries to increase volunteers and financially supporting churches. .

We engage followers of Christ to: “move out of the pews and into the streets.” The Plunge will mobilize a church and plant the seed and passion for ministry and missions among its participants. This truly is not a “tour of poverty.” It leads participants to discover how they can use their passions and talents to make a difference for Christ; providing hands on leadership development for this generation that wants so much to be like Christ.

2010:

Early UMC, Early, Iowa to Des Moines on March 19^th

Anamosa UMC, Anamosa, Iowa to Kansas City on March 19^th

Sheldon UMC, Sheldon, Iowa to Sioux Falls on March 7^th

St. Andrews UMC, Omaha, Nebraska to Omaha on April 30^th

Newport Center UMC, Corona Del Mar, CA to Omaha on April 16^th

West Des Moines UMC, West Des Moines a couple times to Omaha and this Fall to Des Moines

Previously:

Faith Westwood, Omaha

First UMC, Lewisville, NE

First UMC, Marion, IA

Pathways UMC, Springfield, MO

St. James UMC, Bellevue, NE

UMC of Chillicothe, Chillicothe, MO

UMC, Callaway, NE

Background on Christ For the City International (the sponsoring agency):

œ We are a 501(c) (3) international urban ministry and mission agency.

œ CFCI is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska with workers and ministries in fifteen countries including; Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Mali, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Singapore, Spain, and the United States.

œ The Omaha office provides leadership to 21 city bases and 280 base workers, 75% of who are nationals. Each city base has its own national board of directors and is self-supporting.

œ We establishing city bases to:

ü Network ministries, people, businesses, churches, government agencies, and educational resources to achieve local ministry objectives;

ü Equip people and organizations with city research, outreach strategies, and leadership and base development training they need to successfully launch a city base;

ü Engage the community to meet its needs in mutually beneficial projects.

ü Develop a sustainable presence through a multinational team of people committed to creating ministries that will meet the needs of the city

œ CFCI is a member in good standing of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) and The Mission Exchange, formerly the Evangelical Fellowship of Mission Agencies (EFMA) and the Standards of Excellence in Short-term Missions (SOE).

œ Our ministry website is: www.cfci.org

This link will take you to a digital brochure that will give you a great overview of the Urban Plunge… www.up.digbro.com

Our blog is www.urbanplunge.net

Thanks and Blessings,

Michael

Michael Ross

Christ For the City International

P.O. Box 241827

Omaha, NE 68124

Office: 402-592-8332

Toll Free: 888-526-7551

Cell: 402-980-8887 - evening and weekend calls okay