Written by Dr. Larry R. Hygh, Jr.
October 11, 2010–In the heart of New York City’s Greenwich Village, in a diverse United Methodist congregation, an electronic, denominational mission initiative, 10-Fold, was born and broadcast to the world. Singing “We Will Rise,” at the Church of the Village (a United Methodist congregation), the first day of the 10-day event focused on United Methodist relief efforts in Haiti.
“We are embarking on a mission movement for the 21st century,” said Thomas Kemper, general secretary (chief executive), of the General Board of Global Ministries. “Today, we will bridge the gap of generations,” he added.
10-Fold is an electronic mission event launched on October 10, 2010 (10/10/10), which lasts for 10 days. Each day, visitors to the 10-Fold.org website will see a new theme that relates to a United Methodist mission opportunity around the world. The website uses current technology, including Skype, streaming videos, online chats, and downloadable podcasts.
There is also a presence on social-networking sites. On the first day, there were more than 7,000 visitors to the 10-Fold website, 3,000 project advocates, 500 fans on the Facebook site, and 200 Twitter followers.
The worship procession was led by Nancy M. Thevenin, who is a native of Haiti. She described her experiences trying to locate family members immediately after the earthquake. “The tragedy,” she said, “showed me we’re all in this together.”
Melissa Hinnen, the director of communications for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), said, “Since January, I have been blessed to spend time in Haiti, and as I met with people and glimpsed their day-to-day reality, I was reminded that while our personal sadness is justified, the magnitude of what the Haitian people face still lies before us.” She added, “They have all lost people they love, and they are all still struggling to survive, and they do it with grace and purpose.”
Shortly after the earthquake, UMCOR distributed food to 160 of the most vulnerable families in a community in Haiti called Mellier. “I was so moved to learn that volunteers from the Methodist Church in Haiti helped our team package the food, identify those most in need regardless of religious affiliation, and distribute the provisions,” remarked Hinnen.
Each day, there are live webcasts for persons to learn about projects that are related to the daily theme. The projects are supported by The Advance, the designated-giving program of The United Methodist Church.
Visitors to the website are encouraged to sign up to become an advocate for the daily specified project. For each click from October 10th through the 19th, various church groups will donate one dollar to the selected project, up to $10,000. Organizers hope to get 10,000 advocates each day to raise a total of $100,000.
Kemper said, “Talk to your friends, your neighbors…we not only want to raise funds, but we want to raise awareness.”
For more information about the 10-Fold initiative, and a full schedule of events, log on to www.10-Fold.org.
Hygh is the associate general secretary, director of mission communications for the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church.
Source: General Board of Global Ministries
Also see: SPECIAL REPORT: Amidst Catastrophe in Haiti Lies a Beacon of Hope
Watch 10-Fold video
10-Fold Video from General Board of Global Ministri on Vimeo.
