A Moment for Mission
“…Then Jesus said again, “Peace be with you. It was the Father who sent me, and I am now sending you in the same way.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit…” — John 20:19–31, CEB
After the resurrection, the disciples gathered behind locked doors. Fear had closed them in, and uncertainty filled the room. They did not know what would happen next. In the depth of their uncertainty, Jesus came and stood among them. His first words were simple and powerful: “Peace be with you” (John 20:19, CEB).
Then Jesus did something even more remarkable. After showing them his hands and his side, he said, “As the Father sent me, so I am sending you” (John 20:21).
The resurrection was not only proof that Christ lives. It was also a call. The disciples were sent.
That sending continues today. In The United Methodist Church, the call to mission can take many forms, but it always begins the same way: Jesus sends his followers into the world to serve.
For some, that calling takes shape through United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM), where individuals and teams serve on short-term mission projects. Volunteers may help rebuild homes after storms, repair churches, support community ministries, or offer their time and skills wherever there is need.
Others respond through Global Ministries as Mission Volunteers, offering their gifts in service alongside ministries around the world. Still others follow a deeper calling to serve as missionaries, dedicating their lives to long-term ministry, relationship-building, and sharing the love of Christ.
Many people never travel far at all. They pray for those who serve, gather supplies, encourage volunteers, and support mission efforts within their own communities.
Each act of service echoes the moment in John’s Gospel when Jesus stood among his disciples and said, “As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.”
Mission is not something we do alone. It happens through the connection of The United Methodist Church, where individuals, congregations, and conferences work together in ministry.
That is why we recognize Volunteers in Missions Awareness Sunday. This Special Sunday invites us to celebrate the many ways people answer Christ’s call to serve. Some go. Some organize. Some pray. Some encourage. Together, the church continues the mission Jesus began when he sent his disciples into the world.
In John 20, Thomas struggled to believe until he saw Jesus for himself. When he finally encountered the risen Christ, he declared, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).
Mission often begins in a similar way. Someone sees Christ at work—through compassion, through service, through a helping hand—and faith begins to grow. Every mission effort carries a story. A repaired roof becomes a story of hope. A week of service becomes a story of faith. A volunteer trip becomes a story of discipleship. And often, those stories begin with something simple: a gift given in faith.
When we celebrate and recognize those who are sent into mission, we share in the sending that Jesus began in that locked room. Our support strengthens the ministry of volunteers who live out Christ’s love through service. Through love, compassion, and connectional giving, we help make those stories possible.
Reflection Question:
Where might Jesus be inviting you to step beyond the locked doors of comfort and participate in his mission this week?
Children’s Message
Title: Jesus Sends Us to Help
Materials: A small toy hammer or screwdriver, backpack, a paper heart, and a bandage
Good morning, friends! I’m so glad to see you today. Today I brought a backpack with me. Let’s see what’s inside.
(Pull out the bandage.) What do we use a bandage for? That’s right—to help someone who is hurt.
(Pull out the toy hammer.) What about this? A hammer helps fix things.
(Pull out the heart.) And what does a heart remind us of? Love!
In our Bible story today, Jesus came to visit his friends, the disciples. They were hiding in a room because they were afraid. The doors were locked. But suddenly Jesus stood with them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then Jesus told them something very important. He said, “As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.” That means Jesus was asking his friends to go out and help people.
They could help people who were hurting, fix things that were broken, and share God’s love.
In The United Methodist Church, many people do this through something called Volunteers in Mission. That means people go and help others when homes are broken, when churches need repairs, or when communities need kindness and care.
And guess what? When we give an offering in church, we help support those volunteers who are helping others.
Every gift we give can help someone somewhere.
Just like this backpack carries tools to help people, Jesus sends us with hearts ready to love others.
You might help someone by sharing a toy, helping clean up, or saying a kind word.
That is one way we can follow Jesus.
Prayer: Dear Jesus,
Thank you for loving us. Thank you for sending people to help others. Help us share your love, help people in need, and follow you every day. Amen.
Offertory Prayer
Risen Christ, you came to your disciples in their fear and said, “Peace be with you.” Then you sent them into the world to share your love. On this Volunteers in Missions Awareness Sunday, we remember that you still send your church today. Bless these gifts offered through The United Methodist Church so that volunteers may serve, hope may grow, and lives may be touched. Through our connectional giving, join our hearts and resources so that the ministry of your church may reach farther than any one of us alone. Use these offerings so that every gift may help tell the story of your love. Amen.
From Discipleship Ministries
Compassionate and faithful God, you meet us behind locked doors and in the doubts we dare not speak aloud. Like Thomas, we long to see, to touch, to know—and yet, by your grace, you call us blessed for believing without seeing. Accept now these gifts we bring, signs of our faith, acts of our trust. Use them to reach others still searching for hope, healing, and connection. Let our giving testify to your Resurrection power and shape us into a community where wounds are not hidden but held with love. In Christ, who breathes peace upon us, we pray. Amen.
Newsletter Nugget
On Volunteers in Missions Awareness Sunday, we remember Jesus’ words in John 20:21: “As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.” Through the ministry of Volunteers in Mission, people across The United Methodist Church respond to Christ’s call to serve—repairing homes, supporting communities, and sharing the love of Christ through action. This Special Sunday is one of five Annual Conference Special Sundays that support ministry within each annual conference. Through connectional giving, our gifts help equip volunteers and strengthen the mission of the church. Every gift tells a story, and every story can begin with the impact we make together.
Join us this Sunday for worship as we celebrate Volunteers in Missions Awareness Sunday and support this important ministry through prayer, participation, and giving.