The congregation of Aldersgate United Methodist Church loves to reach out to the Sumter community and beyond to share our love of Christ. Throughout the year we support different local, regional, national, and international missions and events. Please browse through the different missions we support.
Blessings Box
Our Blessings Box is located outside the field entrance of the church, and is regularly stocked by members of the community and the congregation to provide canned good items, diapers, toiletries, etc. to those who are in need. Members from the community may take resources as needed in an honor-based system.
Christian Charities of Sumter
Sumter’s local food bank, Christian Charities of Sumter, provides a week’s worth of food every other month to those in need. They receive all the food from local donations. The Second Sunday of each month members of our congregation bring any non-perishable food items for the ministry. Christian Charities greatly appreciates all donations, but it is always in need of canned soups, fruits, meats, and peanut butter. If you forget your items on the Second Sunday, they may be left at any time in the baskets across from the office.
Compassion International
May 12th, 2019 was our last Compassion Sunday here at Aldersgate and our members began sponsoring 22 children around the world! The youth at Aldersgate also take up a monthly love offering to support an impoverished child in Guatemala. They also correspond regularly with letters back and forth to shower the child with love.
Emergency Shelter Meals
Feed My Starving Children
Each August, our youth and other members of our church gather in partnership with other members from the Sumter community to package meals for starving families around the world.
Kairos
Kairos is a prison ministry for both men and women. Different teams go a few weekends a year to share the Gospel with the inmates. After each service those inmates who attend are sent back to their cells with a package of cookies to share along with what they learned. Be watching for the next time you can help provide those cookies.
Knurturing Knitters
Knurturing knitters is a group of women meeting regularly to pray together as they knit or crochet prayer healing shawls. There shawls are for those who are experiencing a life transition or commemorate the gift of love, friendship and caring. To join, you do not need to be an experienced
knitter. If you would like to learn, we have ladies that would gladly help you. Knurturing knitters meet on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month.
Mission Guatemala
Aldersgate sent a team on a vision trip in the Fall of 2019 from October 12th-19th to see how we could connect further with Mission Guatemala. Our second trip to Guatemala was postponed from August 1st-9th, 2020 to a later date, TBD, due to Covid-19.
Operation Christmas Child
Each November, we fill and collect shoeboxes to send to bless children in need all over the world. When kids receive shoeboxes, they are also given the message of the gospel through pastors in their local communities. Our youth also participate in volunteering at a processing center to help prepare the shoeboxes for shipping.
Pumpkin Patch
Every October, we sell pumpkins out in the field by our church to raise money for our community. All proceeds go to local missions such as Sumter United Ministries and Christian Charities.
Red Cross
Every couple of months, Aldersgate hosts a blood drive in our Fellowship Hall. Stay tuned for the date of our next drive!
Salkehatchie
Each summer, Aldersgate sends a team of youth and other adult leaders to Bamberg, SC to repair homes and share the gospel with families in need.
Souperbowl of Caring
Each year on Superbowl Sunday, Aldersgate takes up a love offering for a charity to give back to the community. This year, our donations went to Sumter United Ministries. We had a friendly competition between Carolina, Clemson, and Other football fans to raise funds. Carolina fans raised $279, Clemson fans raised $244.14, and Other fans raised $84 for a total of $607.14.
Servants with a Heart
Each year in February or March, our youth attend a local conference in Sumter called One Weekend, where they gather for teaching and a mission project in partnership with Servants with a Heart. This past year, the conference attendees packaged over 50,000 meals for starving families around the world.
Summer Restore
United Ministries
United Ministries is supported by all the churches of Sumter. It opens an adult shelter each evening and different groups within the church provide dinner for the residents on a monthly basis. The UMM provide a meal once a month at the shelter. Aldersgate also supports United Ministries’ Summer and Winter Restore programs, where teams of youth and adult leaders repair houses in the community.
United Methodist Women Mission of the Month
Stay tuned for the next mission of the month where you can partner with the UMW!
Willow Drive Elementary
We have adopted the students at Willow Drive Elementary. Each Friday a group meets at the school to pack food items for selected students to take home in our Backpack Program. Around 40 children who would not have food over the weekend are helped. During the school year, we also have a team of volunteers that leads our Good News Club, where children in the 4th and 5th grade can learn about God in an after-school club setting. Additionally, church members set up a carnival for a Spring Fling at the end of the school year. With games, prizes, music, and food, everyone has a wonderful time!