Our Church in the Winter
Article by Joyce L. Wiedrich
02-27-2025
Church was cancelled this past Sunday due to weather! Brrr! So I thought we could look at some of the missions of Bluff Point United Methodist Church! We do many other things through the years, but here’s a short list of some of our many mission activities.
We have a very active prayer shawl ministry. Kent and Nancy Wilmott moved back east from California many years ago. Nancy brought with her an idea from her prior church to make prayer shawls to give to people that needed healing or encouragement. Since then we’ve given 627 prayer shawls to friends and family as well as members of our own congregation who are in need of prayer. Several people have credited those prayer shawls to the grace of their healing. Blanche Fingar, Leah Dibble and many others have crocheted these prayer shawls over the years. Many are full-size, that people can wrap around them for warmth and comfort. The prayer shawls are passed around the congregation, where people can individually place their hands and say prayers for the person who will receive the shawl. These have really been a blessing for people in need.
One endeavor in Yates County which we participate in is support of the Yates County Christmas mission started by Floyd Tillman, who was a member of our church for many years until his passing. Our church always rings the bell in front of Tops grocery in Penn Yan on the day before Thanksgiving. The distribution of items purchased by raising this money for children and families is before Christmas and many of us help out with this process as well. All of the funds stay locally to benefit Yates county families.
We always put a tree up at Christmas just for mittens, scarves, and hats. These items go to support Yates County Christmas along with the Living Well Mission. Many of our congregation bake and help out with the lunch distributions at the Living Well for the Living Well. In addition, we get a name from Penn Yan school district of a family in need and provide gifts at Christmas time for the family and children.
Our church members support Grandma’s Kitchen, which provides meals and snacks to school children. Many children do not get a warm meal after school and this helps both their spirits and nutrition.
When Lee Wiedrich passed, his sister set up a scholarship fund for students in college or those attending trade school or a post high school educational program. The students receive monies every semester they are in their undergraduate programs.
Another mission is to support Eric Detar’s program of alternate spring break where Keuka college students go on a mission trip to serve others here in America, or any foreign country. The students and their leaders often build or repair items in the area they visit, or aid the underserved in other ways.
We like to help keep the nearby roadways clean and tidy. We have a 2 mile Adopt-a-Highway stretch on 54-A and usually about a dozen of us pick up the trash along the roadways twice a year.
Prior to Covid, we enjoyed going to nursing homes and singing to the residents. Hopefully we will pick up that mission and tradition again.
We help send money to UMCOR when disasters strike, passing the bucket in church!
Everyone can participate with us in these activities, working with nonprofits or helping others in need. It makes one feel good to do little things to help our community and our world. Come join us and come worship with us!
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