Thank You for Your Support of Missions
News
Pastor
It is a privilege for me to share with all of you the amazing things we have accomplished together over the past year in our mission outreach. We have helped communities here in the 15th district, but also much wider afield, in Albania, Ukraine, Gaza and the West Bank. When I look out at our congregation, I see so many who have put into practice what we heard today from Peter: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
This season’s Wärmestube began on 2 December and finished up on 31 March. We welcomed over 2,500 guests, a significant increase in numbers over the previous year. Our patrons were able to receive a three-course hot meal including dessert each Tuesday; select canned food and personal care items to take home; and browse our ever-changing selection of clothing, footwear and bags. Most of the above were donated by you; your generosity is much appreciated.
How did our volunteers serve each week? They welcomed our guests, served hot meals and desserts, handed out fruit and poured cups of tea and coffee, distributed personal care items and canned goods, managed the clothing room, cleaned up tables, and dealt with cleaning the mass of dishes that over 150 guests each week use. I mention all these little tasks, so perhaps you can see a volunteer job that would suit you when our next season of the Wärmestube in early December rolls around! You don’t have to commit to a weekly roster, but all help when you can is most welcome. As it is written in 2 Corinthians 9:7: “Each of you must give as you have made up your own mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” You can be assured that our community of volunteers is full of “cheerful givers!”
Our weekly visitors come for a variety of reasons: neighbourhood folks on fixed incomes and affected by rising heating and food costs, elderly people who live on their own and crave a chance for conversation and fellowship, older Ukrainian displaced persons, and younger homeless people. They all receive a warm, welcoming place to have a good meal and companionship each Tuesday for a few hours.
In the world around us, the needs are great and the cries of God’s children are loud. As followers of Jesus, we are invited to carry forward his ministry, giving opportunities for compassion, and in a sense, to be “God with us” for our neighbours in need. Moving from the 15th district and Vienna and out into the wider world, our United Methodist Church says yes to God’s invitation to serve, crossing boundaries and reaching those who might otherwise feel forgotten.
In the past year, your donations to our church budget in part made possible the allocation of mission funds to reach out to that wider world. I first want to make special mention of an extra amount, not part of our annual budget, which was raised from the very successful Talent Show, which was great fun for all who attended and performed. That evening in February raised 407 Euros, which was then donated to a wonderful organization, Doctors Without Borders, for their compassionate and skillful work in refugee and war situations like Ukraine and Gaza. Bravo to the performers, entertainers, and the audience who came out!
UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, has been our denomination’s hands and feet in times of crisis. Beyond our Austrian border, UMCOR continues to heed God’s call wherever suffering strikes. Volunteers from UMCOR and partners step into chaos and loss, bringing practical aid and compassionate presence. Through the support of Methodists like you, UMCOR partners with local organizations to bring relief and hope. Given their track record, this past year the Church Council approved support for two projects under UMCOR auspices:
- a donation of 700 Euros for an innovative shelter project in western Ukraine, to provide accommodation for up to 40 persons displaced by the ongoing war and create a space for various recovery ministries, including rehabilitation for war-related trauma survivors;
- a donation to UMCOR of 300 Euros to support shelter and food assistance ministries in temporary camps set up for families displaced by the war in Gaza, in partnership with the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC).
We have all read the headlines and the stories of the horrendous suffering, especially by women and young children, in both Ukraine and Gaza. You can be sure that our donations will help bring some relief to these affected communities.
Turning to other mission projects closer to home, you may remember our Mission Sunday service last spring, when Rev. Wilfried and Jean Nausner offered a moving testimony about the ministry of UMC congregations in Albania. Recently Wilfried and Jean wrote to our congregation in thanksgiving for our recent 2,600 Euro donation to the UMC in Albania in support of the congregation in Buzaishte, a farming community in the Mokra mountains of Albania. They write that our donation supports the community's potato project. Let us hope and pray for a good potato harvest, now being seeded, which will provide significant earned income for the families in the village and that congregation. The congregation continues to meet for Sunday worship services, although most church members are women and children, as many men have left temporarily to work in neighbouring countries.
The mission work of ESUMC will continue: in 2026, the Church Council has adopted a budget which includes continued funding for these and other mission projects. The Church Council, Pastor John and I welcome your ideas about other humanitarian and relief projects, here in Vienna or in the wider world. I am always happy to share further information about any of the projects supported by our congregation.
Again I thank you for your generosity in support of the mission work of our church, as we strive to live up to Jesus’ teaching in word and deed. In closing, the words of Acts 20:35 express our faith: “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way, we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'” I say a loud AMEN to that!
Barbara Gibson, Mission Sunday 19 April 2026
