Rising Against Hunger – Together!

By Rev. Lisa Hines, Associate Minister of Mission

What a joy it was to gather in missional service on July 19 with United Methodist congregations in the Tulsa Metro area – and beyond! Together, we reached a milestone of 250,000 meals packaged with Rise Against Hunger over the past 12 years, a great illustration of the good we can do when we work as a team, as Rev. Tracey Ivy, pastor of Southern Hills UMC, makes clear in her reflection on the day:

Southern Hills UMC was recently blessed with an incredible opportunity to serve alongside our friends at Boston Avenue UMC and other area churches for a truly inspiring mission outreach. Together, we partnered with Rise Against Hunger to package an amazing 30,000 meals for those in need! This energetic event brought together one church spread across eight locations (Southern Hills, St. Paul’s, New Haven, Faith, Faith Bixby, Community Brookside, Edmond First, and Boston Avenue UMC’s), each with its pastors and enthusiastic volunteers.

The Rev. Lisa Hines and the Boston Avenue team provided warm hospitality and excellent organization, setting the tone for a productive and joy-filled afternoon. Volunteers received clear instructions on assembling meal packages and then eagerly chose their workstations. Soon, the room was buzzing with activity – teams assembling meals, friendly conversations flowing, music playing, and snapshots being taken. Even the FIFA World Cup was on in the background, adding to the festive atmosphere!

One of the most memorable aspects of the day was the spirit of teamwork. Whenever a station ran low on supplies, someone from another table would quickly share what was needed. As I always say, “Teamwork makes the dream work!” Familiar faces from past UMC events mingled with new friends, and we took every chance to introduce ourselves or reconnect with someone we hadn’t seen in a while. It was true Christian fellowship – laughing, serving, and working side by side for a greater cause.

In a world full of challenges, it’s encouraging to see so much good happening when we come together in faith and action. Thank you, Boston Avenue, for inviting Southern Hills to be part of this wonderful ministry!

Rise Against Hunger is a wonderful ministry, indeed, and I’d like to extend a special thank you to everyone who worked together to help us love and serve others and deepen our relationships within the United Methodist family by making this connectional district mission event possible: Rev. Jeff Jaynes, Northeast District Superintendent; the Northeast District Board of Missions & Disaster Response; the Brannin Family Charitable Foundation; donors contributing to the Boston Avenue UMC Mission Offering; Scout Troop 20 Tulsa; the United Women in Faith; the Boston Avenue UMC Work Area on Mission; Boston Avenue UMC staff and clergy; our amazing Rise Against Hunger event facilitators, Bobbi Washechek and Arianna Sisson; and the 200 laity and clergy who joined together on a sunny Sunday afternoon to make God’s love something that can be seen, and touched, and cooked, and smelled, and tasted, and shared, and enjoyed by people experiencing hunger all around the world.