Social - December 2003

Messiah awarded grants

Published December 12, 2003

Messiah United Methodist Church has received a second grant from The Duke Endowment. The $10,000 grant was given in June 2003 to help fund the after school “Hand in Hand” ministry of the church.

“Hand in Hand” is a cooperative care program linking churches with schools and with Communities in the Schools for learning enrichment for every child.

The tutoring ministry at Messiah United Methodist Church is in its third year. The program is coordinated by the United Methodist Women of the church in cooperation with nearby Union Elementary School.

The grant money will provide a new playground system for children at the church. New playground equipment is already on order and should be in place by early 2004.

In the three years of the ministry, tutors have come from Messiah United Methodist Church, Trinity Lutheran Church and a number of other churches in the west Lincoln area, through the volunteers who participate.

In the Messiah program, parents give permission for their child to participate. The children arrive at the church after school, receive a snack, a time of spiritual encouragement and recreation, and one and a quarter hour one-on-one or one-to-two tutoring, and story time.

Each session is supervised by school and church staff. Safety and respect are the primary order of each session. With the 2003-04 year, 50 children have received benefit of the program.

Last year Messiah received grants, including $9,000 from The Duke Endowment, to establish a cooperative Parish Nurse program in the church.

Bess Chapel and Bethlehem United Methodist churches cooperate in that work. Parish nursing provides a medical presence in the congregation and extends care to the community.

The Parish Nurse program at Messiah grew out of several years of health care ministries by volunteers in the church coordinated by Sherry Kale, RN.

Periodic blood pressure checks, the Bloodmobile, flu shot clinics, and pre-school clinics were held in the church.

The West Lincoln Health Ministry Project: Parish Nurse Program at Messiah provides regular blood pressure checks, fields medical questions for the congregation, makes referrals, directs individuals with medication needs and through a variety of medical services available, holds health fairs which extend screenings to include cholesterol, diabetes and other educational health checks.

A health fair will be held at Messiah in connection with The Lincoln Medical Center Feb. 4, 2004 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.

The Duke Endowment has extended the Parish Nurse grant for the year 2003-2004, awarding an additional amount of $8,000. Lisa Leonard Cole, RN is the Parish Nurse.

The “Hand in Hand” tutoring program and the Parish Nurse program make a total of 20 cooperative ministries of which Messiah United Methodist Church is a part. Linda Stack Morgan serves as pastor.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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