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BY MELISSA LAUBER
UMCONNECTION STAFF

Janet Denbow of Bentley Springs UMC in Parkton didn't expect tears to spring to her eyes at the consecration of Mission Central Hub 23. "It's silly to be crying about a hub," she said. "But this will make a difference in so many lives. It already has."

Some of the lives affected are those Denbow sits in the pews with on Sunday morning. The 25-member worshipping community didn't really expect to be able to do life-changing mission, but in repurposing their education building, significant ministry has begun.

The Hub, explained its coordinator, Fred Sipes, collects supplies and health, medical, school and disaster kits for the United Methodist Committee on Relief, which has a global reach. Each of the collection points in this region sends items to Mission Central in Mechanicsburg, Pa. But each is also free to develop ministries as they see fit.

This fall, as one of its first projects, Hub 23 provided 300 health kits to the homeless in Baltimore County.

The hub has awakened a spirit of mission among United Methodists in the area. Sipes is a member of Zion UMC, which is on a charge with Bentley Springs. Several of the volunteers and those who donate supplies are from the Baltimore metropolitan region and beyond.

"I think this is just going to get bigger and bigger," said Sipes. "We have a purpose now."

Mission can do that, said the Rev. Dennis Schulze. "It enlivens people and congregations."

At the consecration service March 3, the Rev. Karin Walker, superintendent of the Baltimore Metropolitan District, praised the people "who started to dream this dream," and worked to repurpose a church building that was underused to become a center for mission and ministry. "This is a great undertaking," she said.

Sandy Ferguson, the Baltimore-Washington Conference director of missions, agreed. Ferguson assisted the Hub and helped them receive some financial assistance through Church and Society funds. "This hub will be a beacon in the community," she said. "United Methodists are a connectional people and the Hub here at Bentley Springs UMC will connect God's resources with human need in remarkable ways."

Mission Central, which operates a warehouse owned by the Susquehanna Conference, accepts donations and supplies from United Methodists and many other partners. During the first two months of this year, 1,200 volunteers gave time to this ministry and more than a million dollars of materials were collected, said the Rev. Rob Visscher, executive director of Mission Central. Of the supplies collected, 88 percent stay in the U.S. to respond to domestic needs.

Churches or individuals that want to participate are encouraged to put together supply kits, whose contents are proscribed by UMCOR, so that supplies are ready when disasters hit or other needs arise.

A listing of what items make up the different kits is available at http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/getconnected/supplies. The different kinds of kits include: bedding, birthing, cleaning, health, layette, school and sewing – all of which contain supplies that meet basic human needs. "But we're collecting all kinds of donations," Sipes said.

The kits and other items can be dropped off on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Bentley Springs Hub at 419 Bentley Road in Parkton.

St. Matthews UMC in Bowie also operates a Mission Central Hub at 14900 Annapolis Road in Bowie.

Visscher said he is excited to see what evolves at the newest Hub. "Everyone says they will start off doing health kits. But I’m amazed by the things God leads people to do. Open your hearts to God,” he said. “You will be blessed. You will be amazed.”

For more information, contact Fred Sipes or Rev. Dennis Schulze or visit http://missionhub.webs.com. To learn more about creating UMCOR kits, click here.