Imagine reaching out to over 100,000 kids through the churches of the Dakotas Conference.  It's a God-sized dream that you can make happen.

Over 100,000 children across North and South Dakota are living in poverty according to the Casey Foundation’s Kids Count report. Over 75% of the children have parents who work out of the home during their school years.  Church-school partnerships can help fill the gaps for kids who are lacking in school supplies, clothing, books and afterschool supervision.

The theme of the 2017 Annual Conference session—taking place June 8-10 in Bismarck, ND—is “Encounter the Spirit: Live Expectantly.”  This year’s offering, “Kids Count Miracle Offering,” has both a hands-on and financial component.

One of the goals of the 2017 Kids Count Miracle Offering is to raise $100,000 for grants for church-school partnerships and to help new worshipping congregations send the children in their target communities to our United Methodist camps.  Eighty percent (80%) of the cash offering will go to support church-school partnerships and twenty percent (20%) will go to help our new churches send children and youth to camp. 

Watertown First UMC has been involved in a church and school partnership for over five years. Every weekend over 500 children in the Watertown area receive nutritious food to take home, thanks to the Watertown People Against Childhood Hunger (PACH) program.  PACH started at First United Methodist Church in Watertown, South Dakota under the leadership of Rev. Sara Nelson.  

“There were a few of us who started talking.  We knew there were hungry kids who would go without over a weekend when school lunch was not available,” said Rev. Sara Nelson.

The group started reaching out to few schools and about 80 children in Watertown. Donations of food and cash were sought from church members and the local HyVee grocery store.

In April, 2011, the group packed the first bags with food items and distributed to children.  The word got out about PACH and the requests to help more children came pouring in.

“When we started we were serving 80 children and now we are serving over 500,” said Nelson. “We have formed a board, obtained 501c status and have grown into a community service organization.”

Partnering your church family with a public school can be a rewarding experience, but it also presents some unique spiritual experience.  Click here to read more.

Watertown First also provided school supplies to over 123 children. It all started with prayer and the work of several volunteers. Each child had all the necessary supplies for the first day of school.  Click here to read the details.

Churches will be asked to apply for a grant from the funds that are raised from the 2017 Kids Count Miracle Offering.  “Our hope is that we will have lots of applications. We are praying for the Holy Spirit to break through to make the miracle happen for the funds and churches to form new partnerships with schools,” said Rev. Rebecca Trefz, Dakotas Conference director of ministries.

All churches recently received a packet with materials (click to download: poster, pledge card, offering envelope, bulletin insert, letter from the Bishop) to help them promote the Kids Count Miracle Offering to their congregations. Please share this giving opportunity!

Feeding Kids and Souls in Watertown from Dakotas UMC on Vimeo.