Half-a-dozen homes were warmer when the cold front hit Missouri in January thanks to the efforts of the people of First UMC in Monett.
First Monet United Methodist Church is a part of the Missouri Annual Conference.
People from the church provided free winterization of homes for people in need in the community. The idea for the ministry came from asking people what they needed most.
“Our church is the facility used for a weekly food distribution point for the community food pantry, and I thought the people in those 100 cars that line up each week probably have other needs as well,” said James Stotz, a member of the church.
So, they asked them. A survey was distributed in English and Spanish to people who picked up the food. It asked about things they needed with 10 boxes they could check. One of those boxes was winterization. The church applied for and was awarded grants from the Missouri Conference (Costner-Fulton fund) and the Missouri United Methodist Foundation for the ministry.
Stotz said they learned some things from this first attempt at serving the community in this way. The survey yielded 25 people seeking assistance with winterization. However, many of the phone numbers given in the study did not work.
“A lot of people in this situation have their phone minutes or contract expire, and when they get service again, they are starting over with a new number,” Stotz said. “Next time we do something like this, we will also ask for their address.”
Some people contacted had different interpretations of winterization and hoped to get new siding or a new roof. A few declined assistance, saying their families had warned them that it was probably some scam.
Plastic sheeting, weather stripping, and door sweeps are some of the cheapest and most effective ways to immediately improve a home's energy efficiency, reducing costs for the residents and creating a lower energy demand for the environment. Although the initial effort did not serve as many homes as Stotz had hoped it would, he is still encouraged that they were able to make several families more comfortable in the cold of winter.
story by Fred Koenig, publications editor, Missouri Annual Conference
This story represents how United Methodist local churches through their Annual Conferences are living as Vital Congregations. A vital congregation is the body of Christ making and engaging disciples for the transformation of the world. Vital congregations are shaped by and witnessed through four focus areas: calling and shaping principled Christian leaders; creating and sustaining new places for new people; ministries with poor people and communities; and abundant health for all.
