Thanks to everyone who added their change to the children's Noisy Offering during March. Using this as an additional opportunity to Praise God, the children have been hard at work gathering change to be used for our capital campaign. With a goal of $600, our children, with your help, raised a grand total of $853.10. Proof positive that something small can make a big difference!!

The Festival of Sharing pack for April is the Personal Hygiene Pack. Cost of the kit is $20. Click here for a list of the supplies that go into each kit.  

If you would like to help with the breakfasts in April but are unable to attend, consider offering assistance by donating breakfast items! Please drop off donations of fruit (apples, bananas, oranges), granola bars, hard boiled eggs, string cheese, cereal, yogurt cups, snack cracker packs or gallons of milk or juice, to the church office labeled "Saturday Morning Breakfast."   

Missouri UMC hosts this week's Lenten breakfast for the Columbia community  from 7-8am on Wednesday April 4. Surplus funds from the suggested donation of $1 will support the Interfaith Day Center. Bring non-perishable food for the Russell Chapel CME Food Pantry.   

• April 6 (Good Friday) - First Presbyterian (16 Hitt St.)

The "Taste of India" benefit dinner for the Ludhiana Christian Medical College and Hospital will be held at Missouri UMC, on Sunday evening, April 29th, at 6pm. The evening will include an Indian dinner and a 20 minute program featuring Indian culture has been planned by the MUMC Ludhiana Task Force. The meal will be cooked by Max Marble and task force members. There will be a free-will offering received for the ministry of the Medical College and Hospital, but there will be no charge for the meal. Reservations will be limited to the first 50 persons. Call the church office at 443-3111 to sign up.   

The Mozambique VIM team will be presenting Bibles and hymnals in Portuguese to the Chokwe UMC when we visit them in June. We are asking for your help in making this purchase. They will cost $10 each and will include a book plate indicating the name of the donor. On April 1 and April 15, we will be accepting donations in the Connector during the morning worship and SS times. Please make your checks out to MUMC with "Mozambique Bibles and hymnals" on the memo line in order to claim the donation on your taxes. Also designate if your donation is for Bibles or hymnals. If you cannot contribute on the Sundays that we will be in the Connector,  mail checks to Caryl Bryan, 3413 Whitney Ct, 65203, or Todd Oberlin, 4813 Aztec Blvd, 65202. Team member Elsie Heller will also be selling her book, Burton Is Not Going To School, with all proceeds going to the Mozambique VIM team.
MUMC's 2012 VIM team will travel to Mozambique June 12-26. Click here to read their blog.  

• Scholarships or grants-in-aid are available through the Foundation of Missouri United Methodist Church of Columbia for students in the Missouri Conference who have completed at least two years of college work and are working toward church-related careers in ministry or Christian Education. Completed applications for the 2012-2013 academic year should be received by June 15th for action by the Scholarship Committee and the Foundation Board at its July meeting. A request for an application should be addressed to: Scholarship Committee, MUMC Foundation, 204 S Ninth Street, Columbia, MO 65201-4899.
• Applications for the United Methodist Women's Scholarship are available in the office or by contacting Sondra Flaker. To be eligible, an applicant must be a woman who is a member or affiliate of MUMC, have completed two years of study at an accredited college or university, be preparing for a career choice of ministry/helping profession (teaching, medical related, etc.), and have involvement in church related or community activities. The deadline for application is April 30th. 

A state-wide, college-age gathering called "Surge" will be held at Missouri UMC this spring.  All college-age people are invited to attend. This event is being designed for college-age persons, college-age ministers, senior pastors, and laity from congregations all around the Missouri Conference. "Surge" will take place on Saturday, April 14th, from 10am-3pm. Watch for more information and registration details.