Faith Without Works Is Dead - James 2:14-17
What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
PEACE QUILTERS
The Peace United Methodist “Peace Quilter’s” mission is to lovingly create and donate quilts and fleece blankets for those in need, providing warmth, comfort, and a tangible expression of kindness. Through our shared passion for crafting these items, we aim to build a supportive community that values creativity, compassion, and service. Our commitment is to uplift spirits, one blanket at a time, by producing handcrafted items that embody hope and love for individuals and families in both our local and global communities.
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The Peace Quilters have generously donated hundreds of fleece blankets and hand-sewn quilts to various local organizations, including Kiwanis Christmas Share, Sleep Tight Pipestone at First Presbyterian Church, the Pipestone County Sheriff’s Department, Pipestone County Social Services, and the Flandreau Indian School Chaplaincy Program. At any moment, one of our quilts or fleece blankets is kept in a Pipestone County Sheriff/Deputy or Social Worker’s vehicle, ready for those urgent moments of need. Additionally, we create layettes, which include diapers, receiving blankets, infant fleece jackets, children's shorts, and tops, donating them to Midwest Mission, which assists impoverished areas in the United States and abroad. Furthermore, we repurpose scrap fabric and batting to produce potholders for Solar Oven Partners in South Dakota, which are then sent to Sierra Leone, Africa, the Dominican Republic, and the Navajo Nation in Arizona.
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We are a dedicated group of women passionate about giving back to our community and beyond. The “Peace Quilters” gather twice a month on Mondays from 9 am to 3 pm. Many of our members also sew, cut, and design items from home throughout the month. Although Peace Quilters has been active in the community for many years, we have especially thrived in the past seven years under the guidance of our current Pastor, Velda Maine. During this period, we have crafted and donated hundreds of quilts and fleece blankets, each handmade with care to provide warmth and comfort to those in need. Every handmade item is blessed, and the recipient is included in our prayers. Our group operates entirely on a volunteer basis, with our activities funded through donations and occasional fundraising events. With additional support from the Pipestone Area Community, we aspire to maintain our ministry's current pace as we uplift our community. We believe that a quilt can offer not only physical warmth but also emotional comfort during difficult times.
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Don't know how to sew? That's perfectly fine! We can still use your help with cutting, pinning, tying, and designing. Join us on the first and third Mondays of each month from 9 am to 3 pm in the church basement. (Check the church calendar in the current newsletter for the exact schedule.) Bring your own lunch and enjoy fellowship and quilting together!
PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY
The purpose of a prayer shawl is to give someone a tangible example of God’s love and care. Shawls have brought comfort, relief, and the blessings of prayer to the sick, the mourning, and any one of whom it is asked. Shawls bring ongoing prayers of encouragement, strength, hope, and comfort to the receiver. Every shawl is made with prayer, intention, and love. Upon completion of the shawl, it is blessed, we pray for the person who receives it and it is delivered. May the recipient be reminded of God’s infinite love each time they wrap it around their soul. All are invited to join us in this ecumenical ministry, even those who don’t yet crochet and knit. We will teach you if you don’t know how! We provide yarn and patterns. We meet for fellowship and to knit and crochet every Tuesday night, 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm in the Fireside Room; enter on the East side of Peace United Methodist Church. You can create shawls at home if you are unable to attend meetings.
Nomads On a Mission Active in Divine Service – NOMADS is a Methodist ministry for RVers that provides volunteer labor for Methodist organizations. NOMADS demonstrate God’s love through our work and by listening to the people we work with. We do new construction, remodeling, and repairs for Methodist churches, children’s homes, camps, colleges, outreach missions, and disaster rebuilding. Team members do maintenance, cleaning, painting, electrical, drywall, sewing, and flooring. With God’s help, NOMADS pretty much do it all. NOMADS Mission Statement: Rebuilding lives, homes, and facilities with God’s love and our hands. NOMADS Vision: Fulfilling Needs Through Christ's Love. And in the same way, faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:17. NOMADS are people who are looking for retirement with a purpose, who - enjoy traveling in an RV, who want to share their Christian faith, and who enjoy using their skills in service to others. Website: www.methodistnomads.org
Mission Volunteers are individuals or couples (ages 18 and up) who seek long-term partnerships with communities around the world and fund themselves. Mission Volunteer opportunities are diverse and range from working with refugees, children and youth to serving as a teacher, pastor, camp director or health care professional. The length of service ranges from two months to more than two years.
LOCAL MINISTRIES
Our church members volunteer at local sites including the Pipestone Food Shelf and ATLAS for Life. Please check announcements on our home page for local opportunities to serve. James 2:16-17: If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that? So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead.
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Matthew 25:35-36
United Methodists are disciples of Jesus Christ who continue to heed the lessons that John Wesley taught his followers: to live lovingly and justly as servants of Christ by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, caring for the stranger, freeing the oppressed, being a compassionate presence, and working to develop social structures that are consistent with the gospel. Explore the ways we are serving throughout the world in different ways.
As the humanitarian relief and development arm of The United Methodist Church, the United Methodist Committee on Relief assists United Methodists and churches to become involved globally in direct ministry to persons in need. UMCOR comes alongside those who suffer from natural or human-caused disasters – be it famine, hurricane, war, flood, fire, or other events—to alleviate suffering and to be a source of help and hope for those left most vulnerable.
Relief supplies provide care for the most vulnerable following a disaster or during times of crisis.
UMCOR collects relief supplies in the form of cleaning kits, hygiene kits, and menstrual hygiene kits that are assembled by United Methodist volunteers for distribution in the United States and its territories. You can help keep UMCOR’s relief supply kit inventory ready to go by sending completed kits or giving toward the purchase of needed supplies.