Hyde Park United Methodist supports the following church-based missions:

Aldersgate Corner Bookstore & Coffee Shop offers gourmet coffees, beautiful greeting cards and a wide selection of Christian books including pastor recommendations, resources for discussion groups as well as traditional and contemporary Christian releases. Staffed by volunteers, the bookstore is open on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. Connect with friends over coffee, enjoy worship services over closed circuit television and find just what you’re looking for on our shelves.

After operating expenses are met, all income from the store supports Hyde Park missions.  Your purchases do make a difference. Even tips for volunteer cashiers and baristas go to the bookstore’s own mission project, the Heifer Project.

Aldersgate Corner Bookstore & Coffee Shop is open Sunday mornings from 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and Wednesday evenings from 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Purchases may be made when the store is not open through the church office or by contacting Kim Harcrow. 

For more information about supporting missions while volunteering in the bookstore, please contact Kim Harcrow, email phone 813.253.388 ext. 291.

The fourth annual Alternative Christmas Market kicked off last December in the Activities Center with food, fellowship and the blessings and joy that come from honoring family and friends with gifts of hope. People purchased gifts to honor friends and family and benefit people in need.

From Aldersgate books to HOMES pins to crafts and jewelry created by needy artisans from around the world, there was plenty of opportunity to choose wonderful presents that provide practical assistance to so many.

In addition, the Alternative Christmas Gift List offered gift options from Heifer animals to providing a hot meal to a needy family to supplies for Hillsborough House of Hope. Gift cards were available to describe the gift to the honoree. Shoppers could also choose to commit to serve in the community for a certain number of hours in honor of gift recipients.

More information is on our Events page. To help make the 2010 Alternative Christmas Market even more exciting and meaningful, contact Lisa Rorrer, email.

Download 2009 Gift List — .pdf format (23 KB)

NEW LOCATION

Effective April 1, 2010, Amazing Love Ministries has moved to a new location, partnering with Cornerstone Family Ministries. The new location is 2801 N 17th Street, at the corner of 17th Street and 17th Avenue in Ybor City.  It is accessible from bus line #9 which goes to Columbus Ave. (and then walk 3 blocks) and bus lines #5 or #12 which stop at 22nd Street, then walk 5 blocks.

Amazing Love Ministries, Inc. began in 2004 when Barbara and Jim Killeen responded to God’s call to serve the homeless. They began serving in Curtis Hixon Park with 20 lunch bags. Soon the ministry grew to serving hot meals also. After almost three years at the park, the ministry moved to the main parking lot of Hyde Park United Methodist, where the ministry has served since September 2007. Amazing Love currently serves more than 200 homeless men and women each Monday evening. Besides hot meals and bag lunches the ministry provides clothing, toiletries, blankets, etc. Volunteers work with individuals to provide assistance with getting needed services. Anyone who has a heart to help the needy is always welcome to volunteer. A prayer service has always been the most important part of the ministry.

For more information or to get involved contact Barbara and Jim Killeen email or phone 813.969.395. More information is also available at the Amazing Love web site.

Click here for the latest newsletter from Amazing Love Ministries.

Boy Scout Troop 22 was founded at Hyde Park United Methodist in Spring 1921 and celebrates its 75th Anniversary in 2010. The discrepancy in anniversary years is due to an administrative error in rechartering the troop in 1935. Over the years, the traditions that were important at the founding of the Boy Scouts of America in 1910 have remained important to this day.

As with all Boy Scout units, Troop 22 is a boy-led organization. Scouts elect their leaders from among their ranks every six months, providing them with an opportunity to learn leadership skills first hand. In addition, they plan their calendar and individual meetings, and guide the troop on outside activities such as campouts and hikes.

One benchmark of the longevity and success of any troop is the number of Scouts who achieve Scouting’s highest honor, the rank of Eagle Scout. From Erskine Jones, Troop 22’s first Eagle recipient in June 1922, to those receiving their award in January 2010, 143 Scouts have earned this honor.

Service projects are another hallmark of Scouting. Troop 22 participates in the annual Scouting for Food program benefiting Metropolitan Ministries. The troop also volunteers to clean up the church property after the annual Gasparilla parade. Lastly, numerous organizations from St. Peter Claver School to the American victory Ship have benefited from Eagle projects created, planned and executed by Scouts working toward their Eagle rank.

Outside activities remain one of the most popular features of Scouting. Over the years, the troop has established many legacy destinations from canoe trips on the Peace and Ocklawaha Rivers and hikes on the Yearling and Florida trails.

For more information contact Jay Gadsby at 813.254.9757 or email.

The Disaster Relief and Recovery Ministry provides an organized effort to respond to the local and regional needs of those affected by natural disasters. We work in conjunction with the United Methodist Committee On Relief (UMCOR) and individual county agencies affected by disaster.

The initial response/relief efforts are those of an immediate nature and involve such things as debris removal, clean-up, and damage mitigation (e.g. tarping roofs). Recovery deals with rebuilding the lives of those affected. Most trips are one-day trips; however, opportunities for extended periods of service are available.

The ministry also provides “preparation” services that will assist others in need before a storm may hit. This may include providing transportation, obtaining supplies, securing property, etc.

For more information or to get involved contact Steve and Lisa Rorrer email or Rudy and Meg Fernandez email.

“All creation is the Lord’s and we are responsible for the ways in which we use and abuse it. God has granted us stewardship of creation.” (paragraph 160, The Book of Discipline, 2008)

It is the purpose of the environmental ministry, the Green Team, to meet these stewardship duties through acts of care and respect for our environment.

The Green Team promotes environmental stewardship through education, organization and action. This includes education through organized courses and special events aimed at providing not only insight into current environmental issues but understanding how each of us can affect environmental stewardship at home and in our community.

For more information or to get invovled contact Patrick Shell at 813.293.6675 or email.

H.O.M.E.S. is Hyde Park’s answer to God’s call to reach out into our city to meet the needs of homeless children and families. H.O.M.E.S. stands for Housing Offering Mentoring, Education and Support. In partnership with Metropolitan Ministries, Hyde Park HOMES volunteers adopt families who have completed the “Uplift U” residential program at Metropolitan Ministries and have moved into transitional housing. As current families move on to independence in permanent homes, new ones take their place in the program.

For more information or to get involved in H.O.M.E.S. contact Vicki Walker email or Jamie Meyer email.

Small Blessings Mission Projects
As part of our curriculum at Small Blessings, we include mission projects to help teach the children about sharing and caring for others. In 2009 we colleced clothes and other supplies to go to Nicaragua with the adult mission group, had a food drive for Good Samaritan Mission, and a toy drive for Jesus’ birthday; the toys were then donated to Metropolitan Ministries at Christmas. We are very grateful to the parents for their generosity and for this valuable lesson for our children.

For more information contact Susan Anderson at 813.259.9688 or email.

Children’s Ministries Mission Projects
During VBS 2009 children collected nickels during the week for the Kids Café program at America’s Second Harvest of Tampa Bay. By the Friday of VBS, we were able to send $776.00 which purchased over 4000 pounds of food for the children who are served at Kids Café. In addition to this, several Sunday school classes use their weekly offering for the Heifer International program. Last year classes were able to purchase several animals that went to needy communities throughout the world.

For more information contact Erick Ashley at 813.253.533 or email.

Jesus Christ spoke of manna, revealing its true significance: “Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘he gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world.” (John 6:31-33)

The goal of Hyde Park’s Manna Ministry is to help our church accomplish its mission of Making God’s Love Real in the community. By equipping servant volunteers with a Zip-lock bag filled with a short scripture, information on community resources, healthy snacks, sunscreen and a pair of socks, we hope to help impoverished
individuals feel the love of Christ.

Manna bags are available to purchase in the courtyard the last Sunday of the month for $5.00.
 
If you would like to volunteer to help assemble “manna bags” or want more information on this new ministry, contact Colleen Jones, 251.1764, email or Debbie Gordon, 727.572.8660, email.

On Sunday mornings, Hyde Park’s Open Arms Ministry provides a nourishing meal and an invitation to the homeless to worship with the congregation. Open Arms also collects toiletries and clothing on a regular basis and distributes these on the first Sunday of the month.

Open Arms was established in 2004 to Make God’s Love Real to disenfranchised and marginalized men and women in the Hyde Park area. The goal is to see all people as children of God and to treat them with dignity and respect.

For more information or to get involved contact Pam Carpenter, church liaison, by email. More information is also available on the Open Arms web site.

Second Saturday is an outreach program in which volunteers meet to do yard work, clean, paint, and do minor home repairs in an effort to help elderly and disabled people get their homes and yards in compliance with City of Tampa codes. The Second Saturday team works with the City of Tampa Code Enforcement office to obtain names and addresses of eligible residents in need. Second Saturday service projects are planned on an as needed basis and do not occur each month. The team looks for those who have no family support or funds with which to make the required improvements, and has also assisted elderly and disabled persons recommended by church members. New volunteers are always welcome!

For more information or to get involved contact Tina Dampf email or phone 813.225.2658.

Hyde Park United Methodist is in its 13th year offering free tutoring for elementary students who are reading at least one year below grade level, have been recommended by their elementary school teacher, and have parents who are economically unable to provide private tutoring. Tutors meet weekly with their students to help them improve their reading while building relationships and self-esteem.

The volunteer tutors are adult members of the church who have been trained to help children develop their reading skills. All tutors have been screened in regard to child safety.

For more information or to get involved contact Paula Meckley, church liaison, email.

GET REAL Involved! engages youth in service within the Tampa Bay community.

This group was formed based on the idea that getting students involved in service early and often will change the world. Students prefer to spend time with their peers &  friends, so we organize events that allow them to do just that while they serve their community.

All trips are fully chaperoned with background-checked and child-safety-trained adults. All service sites have been screened. We’ve done all the work; all you have to do is fill out some forms and show up!

This group is supported in full by the Youth Ministry of Hyde Park United Methodist, which has been organizing monthly youth service under the GET REAL banner since 2006.

See www.hydeparkumc.org/get-connected/youth/service for the most recent information and schedule of events.

 

Youth Mission Trips

Nicaragua: July 3 — 10, 2010
Our high school youth return to Leon, Nicaragua, for a third time this summer. We will be working with an organization called El Ayudante. Students will be doing some construction on a school and community center. They will also be working with children from the surrounding neighborhoods and a local Child Protection Center.

They will also have the opportunity to visit families who live near the landfill. While in Leon, they will also sponsor and coordinate a training event for pastors and youth workers from 13 area churches.

The Youth Mission Team and Adult Teams work together to improve the quality of education, medicine and housing for the people of Nicaragua. For more information, go to www.nicamissions.com.

Savannah: Aug. 1 — 7, 2010
A team of middle school and high school students will be headed to Savannah, Georgia, to work with the homeless and less fortunate. They will be working with the Savannah Union Mission and many other service organizations. During the evening they will worship together and enjoy the sights of Savannah.
They will be joined by youth from two to three other churches from around the country. For more information, go to www.youthworks.com.

For more information or to get invovled contact Dave Sippel at 813.253.5388 or email.