Winter 2020
Mission Mosaic
The Mission & Justice Newsletter of The West Ohio Conference
Greetings!

In this edition of Mission Mosaic, we'll take a look at just a few of the many ways the people and congregations of The West Ohio Conference are in mission here and throughout the world. Discover how the Kamina Children's Home is changing to meet the needs of youth and young adults. Meet two UMCOR case managers who are meeting the needs of survivors of the Dayton tornadoes. Learn about a local human trafficking survivor who wants to provide training for your church. Get an update from the Shaw family, West Ohio missionaries to Congo. And hear more about Conference resources for Black History Month. If you are feeling called to be involved in the work of mission and justice in West Ohio, please email me at dstickley@wocumc.org .

Together in Mission & Ministry,
Dee Stickley-Miner
Director of Connectional Ministries
Global Mission
The Kamina Children’s Home in North Katanga is embracing a new era, which is all about transitioning. The vision is now to accompany the youth as they transition into adulthood. Since the opening of the orphanage in 1997, The United Methodist Church has cared for the children in a holistic way. Some have been there since the beginning and are still being cared for in their twenties. So the vision is to support those who have reached the age of living out of the orphanage – not to forsake them – and continue to follow up on their progress in their new life. Continue reading...  

Disaster Response
In the weeks following the 2019 Dayton-area tornadoes, West Ohio applied for and was awarded a $100,000 grant from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). The money was designated specifically to hire case managers to walk with survivors as they navigate the process of rebuilding their homes and lives. In November of 2019, West Ohio hired Rhonda Zimmers and Halley McClain, who work alongside the Dayton long-term recovery team. Continue reading...

Social Justice
Human trafficking is a modern-day reality for at least 20 million people who have been forced into slavery across this country and around the world. Here in West Ohio, Dr. Marlene Carson, a survivor of domestic minor sex trafficking, has decided to do something about it. Continue reading...

Missionary Moment
Greetings from Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo! The Shaw’some 6 are all accounted for, healthy and busy doing our respective jobs. We started our year, after a heart-warming send off from West Ohio at First United Methodist in Newark, by joining the missionaries from all of southern Africa for a five-day Missionary Gathering in Johannesburg, SA. We made some connections and were thankful for the chance to meet our colleagues. Landing in the DRC was slightly nerve-wracking. Continue reading...


Justice Resources
February is Black History Month, which seeks to honor the often overlooked contributions of Black men and women to American history and culture. The Conference offers several resources that can help your congregation or church group learn more about Black history, including a documentary called 'Underground' and a Bible study entitled, 'The Gospel & Race.'

Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression. - Isaiah 1:17a
Volunteers in Mission Teams

March 18-22
May 13-17
July 22-26
September 23-27
November 4-8

May 3-9
May 10-16
July 12-18
July 19-25
August 16-22
August 23-29

Mission & Justice Events

Saturday, March 7
Milford First UMC

Saturday, March 14
Bellefontaine First UMC

Saturday, April 25
Sylvania First UMC