The bible's call to justice is the call to be fair & inclusive, particularly to those who have historically been on the sidelines or without a voice in society. Here are some of Central's ministries with a focus on justice & inclusiveness.
Justice for our Neighbors (JFON)
Justice For Our Neighbors, we are an organization started through the United Methodist Committee on Relief in the late 1990s. The mission of JFON is to provide high quality, free immigration legal services to low income immigrants, advocacy on issues of immigration, and community education. All the work we do is humanitarian based. After officially becoming a satellite clinic of JFON West Michigan in January of 2015, we have held over 30 free immigration law clinics and 182 clients from 28 different countries.
JFON helps:
- Unaccompanied children fleeing persecution in their home countries
- Refuges seeking assistance with permanent residency or reuniting with family members
- Victims of crime and human trafficking seeking legal counsel
- Young adults seeking work authorization through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program
- Families navigating the immigration system to keep themselves together or reuniting with those apart.
With the support of Rotary Charities, we are in a capacity building phase of our clinic. Our goal is to expand our reach in order to offer our services to more people in need. During this month, I hope you will consider financially supporting our work. Donations made go directly to helping people right here in northern Michigan. Many of them from Traverse City. Donation envelopes will be available at the church, or you can follow this link to donate online. Read about Lizzie and Lucio's story.
For more information, please go to the JFON West Michigan website or National JFON. Contact our local representative Alline Beutler for more information.
Reconciling Ministries
The Reconciling Ministries group shares four core beliefs:
- The Bible tells us that God’s grace is available, without exception, to all who believe in Jesus Christ.
- Homosexuality is not a choice, it is simply the way some individuals are made.
- Homosexual practice between two consenting adults in a long term relationship is not a sin.
- The Church should be welcoming and affirming of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals who seek a relationship with Jesus Christ.
We invite all Central folks who wish to help transform our Church and world into the full expression of Christ’s inclusive love to join us as a member of our Reconciling Community. We also encourage you to place a rainbow sticker or rainbow cross on your nametag as a sign of welcome.
The Reconciling Ministries Group of Central United Methodist Church is affiliated with the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) as a “Reconciling Community.” RMN is a Christian and United Methodist organization that mobilizes United Methodist Church members of all sexual orientations and gender identities to transform our Church and world into the full expression of Christ’s inclusive love. Find out more about the RMN Network.