The mission of the Gravois Mills United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
The Vision of the Gravois Mills United Methodist Church is to live daily with the Spirit of God as a community of faith, grace, hope, and love;
Where the true Word of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is taught and lived out in contagious ways by using our gifts, energies, and resources to bring wholeness to individuals and families in our community and throughout the world.
EVERY SUNDAY:
8:45-9:30 Sunday School for all ages.
9:30-10:00 Hospitality, Coffee/Cookies
10:00 Worship Service
EVERY WEDNESDAY:
6:30 p.m. Choir Practice
God of hope and love, let your love shine upon us this day. Let your patience and kindness flow through us, inspiring us to new depths of love and hope. Transform our love, that we might overcome envy and resentment, and rejoice in justice and righteousness.
Envelop us in your love, that believing, hoping, and enduring may become our way of life on the path of love. In loving hope, we pray. Amen.
January, 2012:
30~ Westside Senior Center
February, 2012
7~ 1-6 pm Food Pantry Distribution
19~ 2:00 pm- District Leadership training, Columbia
~ Fellowship Dinner
20~ 1:30 pm- United Methodist Women
22~ 7:00 pm Ash Wednesday Service
26~ Ad Council
Every Wednesday:
6:30 pm~ Choir Practice
Rev. Ellen Hoff has served this congregation since July, 2004. Ellen was born and raised in Illinois. When she and her husband, Rob, were married December 23, 1977, they made their home in Missouri and have lived in the state nearly ever since. The couple has two sons; Brian lives in Boston, MA and Adam moves regularly between Colorado and Wyoming with seasonal employment.
Ellen entered the ministry as a second career in the fall of 1999. Prior to that, she served in the field of education, first as an elementary learning disabilities resource teacher, then later, as a school counselor. She earned her B.S. in elementary and special education in 1979 from Eastern Illinois University; she earned her M.A. in counseling from Missouri State University - Columbia in 1984. She had invested sixteen years in education before God called her into the ministry. Saint Paul School of Theology was where Ellen obtained her seminary education and she was ordained in 2007.
Ellen and her family joined the United Methodist Church in California, MO in 1988. Before entering full-time ministry, Ellen had been active as a lay person in her home church, teaching Sunday school and Bible studies. She was also active at the District and Conference level of the United Methodist Church serving on committees and presenting workshops encouraging communication and laity involvement in ministry.
In their spare time, Rob and Ellen enjoy boating and other outdoor activities, playing in the Lake Area Community Orchestra, family gatherings, and quiet evenings at home.
Gravois Mills UMC has many ways you can become more involved with the church, its' members and the community we live in. Here are a few:
~ Prayer Chain
~ Prayer Warriors Team
~ Prayer Card Ministry
~ Choir
Gravois Mills United Methodist is a small church that does BIG things! We have participated in helping to build Habitat for Humanity homes in our community. In 2006 our Volunteers in Mission Team (VIM) traveled to Lousianna to assist in the clean-up after hurricane Rita and in 2008 the VIM Team returned to finish the job. We have participated in Mission Blitz and most recently "Serve 2011" .
"Serve 2011" challenged every Methodist in Missouri to go out into their communities and serve on the same day! Gravois Mills UMC had approx. 50 members that took part. Our Youth Group picked up along our roadways, a group of our men built picnic tables for our new Village Park. A group went to the local gas station, pumped gas, and washed windshields. Some of our members cooked a delicious breakfast and lunch to feed all those hungry volunteers! Stories were read at the Library to children and craft time followed. And some went to the local Care facility, talked, read, and played games with the residents there. Many people took part and our community was a little bit stronger because of that.
Gravois Mills United Methodist Church is known throughout the community as "the church that does things" . God calls us all to serve. Service is a large part of our church family.
Titus 3:14 And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.
SERVE 2011 Mission project of the Gravois Mills United Methodist Church
SERVE 2011 was a United Methodist nationwide project to send Methodists into our communites all over the United States on Saturday 9/10/11 for Mission work. On 9/10/11 we had 50 men, women and youth do the following projects:
1. Wash windshields and pump gas at M J's Mini Mart in Gravois Mills
2. Build 3 picnic tables for the new Village of Gravois Mills Park on Highway 5
3. Cleanup and cut grass and weeds at the Gravois Mills Baseball Park
4. Play games, read and visit with residents at the Good Shepherd Nursing Home in Versailles
5. Host story and craft time for children at the Morgan County Library in Versailles
6. Pick up trash along Highway 5 through Gravois Mills
We started our morning with several members serving a delicious hot breakfast to us in the Fellowship Hall at Church. We went out to our projects between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. and returned at 12 noon for a lasagna/salad/dessert luncheon.
Welcome to the new GMUMC Youth Video and Events page! We're happy you found us!
Each week we hope to put all the events and meetings that will be taking place right here so check back often, we wouldn't want you to miss anything!
We will also be posting new Christian music videos each week. Want to hear or see something special? Do you have a favorite Christian song? Write it down on your attendance slip and drop it in the plate on Sunday. We'll get it posted for you as soon as we can!
"Remember who you are and whom you serve."
EVENT:
We have a beautiful food pantry in the old fellowship hall. Each week we serve at least two or more people who come to us hungry with little or no resources. Please check the online church calendar for distribution days and times.
Ongoing Requests
We always need donations of non-perishable goods for our Food Pantry. Also needed are papergoods such as bathroom tissue, paper towels and facial tissue. Personal hygiene items, toothpaste, shampoo, body soap etc.
Please remember to check the EXPIRATION DATES on the items you bring in. All donated items must be "in code" for us to utilize them. Bring all donations to the old Fellowship Hall.
Thank you for your continuted generosity. Those in our community that receive these packages are very grateful.
The Gravois Mills United Methodist Church was organized as a Sunday School class of the Versailles Methodist Church on March 26, 1936. The organization took place when the Rev. J.D. Prater held a two-week revival, receiving fifteen members into the new church fellowship. The congregation held services in the schoolhouse on Troutdale Road for many years.
A plot of ground for the building site of the church and parsonage was purchased from Mrs. Joe Rumans and Mrs. William Ledgerwood for $10.00 and construction on the church building began in the latter part of 1952. It was completed in the spring of 1953. The dedication service was held April 19, 1953, with Bishop Ivan Lee Holt and the District Superintendent E.W. Bartley officiating. A large crowd attended this dedication and reception for the first Protestant church building in the Gravois Mills area. In 1959 a parsonage was built and paid for with donations of material, money and labor. The Rev. Hugh Ward was the first pastor to live in the parsonage.
In an effort to accommodate a growing congregation, Sunday School and an expanding community ministry, the church membership voted in 1989 to enlarge the physical size of the church. On July 2, 1989 ground was broken for a new 200-seat sanctuary addition attached to the south side of the existing building. Designed and built by church and community volunteers, the first worship service was held on Easter Sunday, April 15, 1990. Through generous gifts of time, talents, and money, the building project was completed well ahead of schedule and completely debt-free. The former sanctuary was converted into six large classrooms for use by the Sunday School Department. A new entrance foyer, fellowship hall, kitchen and five additional classrooms were added in 1994.
Mission and outreach have continued to be a strong emphasis in this congregation over the years. In 2006, a Volunteers in Mission team traveled to Louisiana to help with clean-up and rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Rita. A second VIM team returned in 2008 to help finish the efforts there. Since then, the congregation has led efforts of mission in the community and surrounding area through Mission Blitz, Habitat for Humanity, and SERVE 2011.
This church is also known as the “Prayer Church” by the community. There is an active Prayer Chain, Prayer Warriors Team and a Prayer Card Ministry that prays and reaches out to many within and beyond our church walls who are in need of God’s Presence and Healing.
Bible Study is an important part of our congregational life with long-and short-term studies throughout the year in addition to Sunday school on Sunday mornings.
We celebrate open communion every Sunday and all in attendance are welcome to participate in this Holy Sacrament whether members or visitors to our service.
Our prayer is that God will lead you to worship with us. From the time you arrive until the time you depart, we pray you will sense God’s Presence in this place, be inspired and enriched by our service, and feel warmly welcomed by our family of faith.
Gravois Mills
United Methodist Church
Gravois Mills UMC
437 Valley Road
P.O. Box 19
Gravois Mills, MO 65037
Church: 573-372-1011
Parsonage: 573-372-2336
Cell: 573-694-1477
Email: gravoismillsumc_sbcglobal.net
