Youth Service Fund Fundraising Spurred by New Logo

By Tom Gillen

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 3, 2010/GBOD/ — The Youth Service Fund, a unique youth-led ministry of the United Methodist Church, is using a newly designed logo to lead its charge into a new decade of raising money to support youth projects around the world.

Overseen by Young People’s Ministries, a division of The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church, YSF is completely led by youth. They contribute the money and decide what projects receive the money, and the projects supported are youth-designed, youth-led and benefit youth.

“Young People’s Ministries is eager to see excitement and growth in this ministry,” says Rev. Michael Ratliff, YPM’s associate general secretary. “The Youth Service Fund is offered because people in the United Methodist Church understand the need for youth to give in order to help youth in mission and ministry.”

Money for the fund is raised at local youth events or by church youth groups in the U.S. annual conferences. The annual conference youth organization designates 70 percent of the money for projects, and the rest is used to finance projects around the world.

In 2009, the YSF supported 21 United Methodist affiliated and non-affiliated projects. Ten were U.S.-based and 11 were international.

The new YSF logo was designed by Daniel Lee, 17, who attends Korean United Methodist Church in Albuquerque, N.M. His depiction of a modern dove with the unique flame of the United Methodist Church was selected from entries in an online contest in 2009.

“I had fun designing a logo for United Methodist Youth Service Fund, and I might apply to a fine art school next year,” says Lee, a senior at La Cueva High School in Albuquerque. “The fire represents the Holy Spirit and the young dove represents the fruit of the Holy Spirit.”

The logo is available for promotional use.

“With every new year comes change, and this logo is a significant one for the Youth Service Fund. We are excited and hopeful for YSF to reach many more people in countries throughout the world during this next decade,” says Sarah Smith, YPM’s grants and scholarships administrator.

For more information about donating to the fund or applying for a YSF grant, go to www.gbod.org/youngpeople/grants/grants.htm or contact Smith by phone at (877) 899-2780, ext 7184, or by e-mail at ssmith@gbod.org.

Update on Haiti from the Bahamas Methodist Habitat
By David and Patty McIntyre (parents of the Director of the Bahamas Methodist Habitat, Abraham McIntyre)


Hello to all who have shown interest:

The need in Haiti continues to be great ... and the response of able people here in the Bahamas and the United States is great as well.

Many supplies, several doctors, nurses and missionaries continue to pour into the country of Haiti bringing hope and help ... many have passed through this channel (being managed by Bahamas Methodist Habitat). Abraham and his two BMH volunteer intern colleagues are doing a remarkable job ... working 18-20 hours per day ... addressing and managing the relentless challenges. Nearly 50 doctors have been carried in on BMH flights and over 80 short-term missionaries who needed to get back to US have been brought out.

By tomorrow our volunteer pilot roster will pass 100 ... men (in this case only men so far ... with exception of Cameron, staff intern, who occasionally flies) who donate their own private planes as well as their time (most are still working; a few are retired), and for the most part paying their own fuel (expensive!!!). If a pilot needs support with their fuel costs BMH has money raised just for this to cover their fuel costs. Otherwise, these pilots are on their own ... all their own expenses for hotels, meals, etc. These people are making a significant contribution!!!

Thousands of pounds (sorry I don't know the current count ... but, lots and lots) of supplies have come in and gone out of here. Patty and I and about three other regular volunteers keep the daily grunt processes going of dealing with "support" details ... loading and unloading planes ... PR with the daily flow of volunteer pilots and medical personnel flowing through the system ... providing hospitality for the whole team (in cooperation with local congregations who bring out breakfast and lunch most days), etc.

Our setting here in Nassau is a private air facility on the far side of the main Nassau airport ... we have a large warehouse where we process all the donated medical supplies and donated food (and it's also where we eat and sleep). This Odyssey Aviation Center is a secured site but with no food service ... and a long way from almost anything. But, we're blessed with many supportive folks here ...

This past Sunday we had a marvelous experience at St. Micheal's Methodist Church, one of the supportive local congregations. We had an overwhelmingly affirming reception and a wonderful time of prayer where the congregation surrounded Abraham and his colleagues, Cameron and Matt, with the laying on of hands in prayer. Today that same congregation had a huge truck load of rice, beans and cooking oil delivered for us to fly down to Haiti. We needed the food ... most of our supplies coming from the States are medical ... and lots of them, Thanks be to God! Interesting Nashville connection: the SMMC pastor, Rev. Philip Stubbs, used to live in Nashville and attended Gordon Memorial UMC and is a dear friend of my former District Superintendent, Rev. Elijah McGee.

Mine and Patty's return home flights were scheduled for 01/31, but in light of the demands here, we forfeited those flights and decided to extend our stay indefinitely to continue the support of the effort. Hey, what's the hurry ... we're both retired ... someone's feeding the dog and cats ... the farm project will wait ... and best of all we're with one of our kids in a very important time in his life! It is pure joy seeing him yield himself to God's use ... a faithful servant he is indeed! Thanks be to God!

We send this in hopes that all is well with each of you. We love hearing from you ... just a quick hello means a lot! Please keep us and the people of Haiti in your prayers.

We each send our love.

Yours, Dave and Patty