Mission work to care for those in need, in our local community and beyond

‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
— Matthew 25:35-40

For the latest news and opportunities to participate in our Caring Ministries, click here.

Love INC Personal Needs Pantry

Hartland United Methodist Church and All Saints Lutheran Church have partnered with Love In The Name of Christ (Love INC) to create a Personal Needs Pantry. The Pantry supplies personal need items (paper products, soaps, shampoo, etc.) to those in need in our immediate area. The pantry is housed at Hartland UMC and serves clients identified by Love INC.

Love INC mobilizes local churches to transform lives and communities in the name of Christ

The Pantry began serving clients in September, 2015, and was dedicated on October 18,2015. A dedicated mission team at Hartland UMC worked tirelessly to make this happen, and two special projects were key to the start-up:

• Paul Chichon of Scout Troop 43 has planned and developed the space for this project as his Eagle Scout Service Project. He converted an unused bathroom in the nursery area to be used to store and distribute personal care items.
• Pat and Bruce Harton recently celebrated their 5oth wedding anniversary with an open house, and asked their guests to bring  personal needs items in lieu of gifts. They collected a truckload of supplies, and Troop 43 is stocking and labeling the shelves of the pantry with this great “jump-start.”

Love INC mobilizes local churches to transform lives and communities in the name of Christ

If you would like to help with the Personal Needs Pantry, here is how you can get involved:

1. Pray for this new mission, including the team working to create the pantry and the local clients we hope to reach through this ministry.
2. Support the Pantry financially, either by sending a check to Hartland UMC (Write “Pantry” in the memo area) or by contributing online (click here).
3. Contribute stock items for the pantry. Click here for a list of items needed, and call the Hartland UMC church office to arrange for drop-off.
4. Volunteer your time – contact Personal Needs Pantry Director Mary Monroe for more information.

Check back here for updates on this new and exciting mission!

Love INC Furniture Ministry

Livingston County “Love In the Name of Christ” (Love INC) mobilizes local churches to transform lives and communities in the name of Christ. The Furniture Ministry is Love INC’s largest ministry, giving away more than 1,000 pieces of furniture to clients throughout Livingston County each year. The men of Hartland UMC volunteer one Saturday each month to participate in this ministry by picking up furniture from donors and delivering furniture to those in need.

For more information, contact Ron Warthman.

Love INC Gas Card Ministry

People who call Livingston County “Love In the Name of Christ” (Love INC) are often in desperate need of gas  to look for work, go to a doctor appointment, or run errands. We have joined with ten other Livingston County churches in supplying prepaid gas cards for Love INC to give to those who need them. Hartland UMC Members have pledged financial support for this ministry as part of our stewardship program.

Cass Community Lunches
Since early 2011, Hartland UMC has been providing lunch once each quarter for the people of the Cass Community in Detroit. Cass Community Social Services serves a diverse population of homeless men, women and children. We contribute food and funds, plan the menu, prepare the meal, and then car pool to Detroit to share God’s gifts with those in need.

For more information, contact Sue LaRoy.

Community Garden

For the past three years, Hartland UMC has grown a large garden on our church property. All of our produce is donated directly to the local Gleaners food pantry. Volunteers till the soil, plant, weed, water and harvest. During the summer/early fall we make weekly trips to Gleaners with loads of produce. Members of the congregation donate seeds, plants and other items to help keep our garden growing. The entire congregation enjoys watching our donation total rise each week following our Gleaners delivery.

Our garden soil is quite rich and productive. It is lovely sandy loam in which most every type of seed seems to flourish, even with the most minimal care and in the toughest weather conditions. This was evidenced during the 2012 drought when we had a total of over 315 lbs. of produce harvested and donated. It is truly God’s garden.

We grow tomatoes (including many plants that come up from seed), zucchini, peppers, corn, beets, radishes, spinach, squash and various types of lettuce. It is such a treat to see how excited the folks at Gleaners are to get this fresh, healthy produce for their families. Gleaners’ clients eat a large quantity of boxed/non-perishable foods, so providing them the ability to add fresh produce to their diet is a very satisfying part of this ministry.

Livingston County Christmas Celebration

The annual Christmas Celebration is a day for our local families in need of assistance to experience the loving embrace of our local churches. The celebration is a fun-filled afternoon with many activities for these families. Hartland UMC joins with other area churches to give of our time and talents. Everyone involved receives a day and a holiday season filled with joy and hope.

This is a wonderful and fulfilling opportunity to bring God’s Kingdom to our neighbors in need during the Christmas season!

For more information, contact Sue LaRoy.

1 Timothy 6:18 – “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”

CROP Walk

CROP Hunger Walks are community-wide events sponsored by Church World Service and organized by local volunteers to raise funds to end hunger. CROP Hunger Walks help children and families worldwide – and right here in the U.S. – to have food for today, while building for a better tomorrow.   For the past several years, we have had a number of walkers participate in the Howell Area CROP Walk, and other members of our congregation have provided financial sponsorship for our walkers. Our local efforts are making a huge difference… and Hartland UMC is part of it.

In addition to these ministries, Hartland UMC always has collection baskets available to receive food and supplies for Gleaners and Love INC. The United Methodist Men and United Methodist Women regularly support local charities, and the congregation collects special offerings to help people in need around the world.