Upper Midwest Missions: Witnesses to the Ends of the Earth
- Rev. James Parks
- Nov 3
- 2 min read
A mission team from the Upper Midwest will be heading to Limpopo, South Africa, from November 6–18, to serve with Blessman International, a ministry that provides food, health care, and spiritual support to children and families. Please join me in praying for the 15 missionaries going to represent Christ and share His love through both word and action.
This trip reminds me of the exciting work happening through our newly forming Conference Missions Team. Ten people have already joined, and there’s room for more! The team, chaired by Norma Morrison, can be reached at missions@uppermidwestgmc.org. You can also find that email on our Conference Leadership page.
The Missions Team is shaped by Acts 1:8, where Jesus calls us to be His witnesses “in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
We see this as three levels of mission focus:
Jerusalem: Local ministries in your own community
Judea and Samaria: Regional or national outreach
Ends of the Earth: International missions
Our goal is to connect, resource, and encourage local churches across these three mission fields. To do that well, we need to hear from you! What is your church doing to serve in these areas? Who leads your mission efforts? How can the Conference Missions Team support your next steps?
👉 Please take a moment to fill out our short survey. Your responses will help the Missions Team celebrate what God is doing across the Upper Midwest and find ways to strengthen and connect mission efforts.
I am thankful that at Marion Methodist, the church I serve, we see these three layers of mission in action:
Jerusalem (Local): One of our ministries, Feeding Lunch to Youth (FLY), provides 400–500 meals every weekday during spring break and summer months when school lunches aren’t available. Meals are distributed to local neighborhoods and apartment complexes to help children and families in need.
Judea and Samaria (National): Our teams regularly serve in disaster response. After major flooding in North Carolina last year, we partnered with Just Help One to bring relief and rebuilding. We’re currently preparing to send another team to Texas following the floods there this year.
Ends of the Earth (Global): Marion Methodist partners with Projecto Alas (Project Wings) in Honduras, a ministry that provides food, education, and the gospel to children in one of the country’s poorest areas. Several of our members have served there personally, and the missionary has even joined us here in Iowa.
