Preparations are underway for the annual Kyle Sonnemann Memorial Youth Meal,
Scholarships and Sponsor Drive, and this summer’s Youth Mission Trip to the Windy City!

About the Kyle Sonnemann Memorial Dinner on March 20:
This ever-popular family meal will help fund Central’s Youth Mission Team as our high school students make plans for the summer mission adventure to Chicago. The youth group members will be soliciting sponsorships to help cover the costs of the trip. Registration is not required and all donations will be used to support the mission trip. Dinner includes Bonnie Sonnemann’s specially prepared blintz, plus mashed potatoes, red sauce, porcupine meatballs, salad, and dessert. Our youth group will assist with serving and cleanup.

About the Kyle Sonnemann Mission Fund Scholarship:
The scholarship fund is named in honor of the late Kyle Sonnemann, son of long-time Central Church members John and Bonnie
Sonnemann.  Kyle was active as a youth in many programs, including mission trips at Central. Later, he served as a volunteer youth group and mission trip leader.  Kyle passed away at the age of 28 due to complications from a medical issue. The menu for the annual dinner was one of Kyle’s favorites. Donations for this mission will go directly to the Kyle Sonnemann Youth Mission Scholarship Fund.

About the summer 2024 Youth Mission Trip to Chicago:
The summer 2024 trip will be coordinated by BridgeBuilders, a program of Sunshine Gospel Ministries, which
utilizes short-term missions through a week-long experiential service-learning model that combines learning with active engagement in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood. Dates for the 2024 trip will be July 21 through July 26, with a special blessing and send-off at Church in the Park prior to departure.

The trip will provide first-hand experience and engagements in neighborhoods, community partners, and people with living conditions and lifestyles that may be quite different than ours. According to BridgeBuilders, “The rhythm of the week is to listen, learn, serve, and return to your own home, taking with you the tools to healthily engage the vulnerable and embrace Biblical justice.”

If you are interested in being a part of the summer 2024 Youth Mission Trip to Chicago as a high school participant, adult volunteer or if you’d like to be a contributor/youth sponsor, please contact Erica Kozlowski,  CUMC Director of Children and Youth Ministries at (231) 946-5191 ext. 226, or erica@centralumc.org

 

Northport Indian United Methodist Church
In June of 1856 Rev. missionary David Thomas of the Grand Haven Methodist Church led a long pilgrimage by
boat to the Northport area in Leelanau County. His group of indigenous Christian people were joined by
several people from the Three Fires Council: the Odawa, Ojibwa, and Potawatomi. This core group became the first members of the Northport Indian UMC.

In 1882, property was purchased for a permanent church, and later more property was acquired for a campground that now includes a tabernacle, cabin, and kitchen.  The campground has a deep spiritual history. It is the summer meeting place for church services and the annual August revival services, which attracts local and regional tribal people and others who seek to find or renew their walk with God. In honor and respect of an ancestral resting place, in 2006 the church assumed responsibilities for restoration of a nearby and long-neglected Onominese cemetery where more than 160 grave sites of tribal ancestors and several veterans of the Civil War and World Wars I and II, are located.

Today, the Northport Indian UMC is comprised of the church, campground, and cemetery, and is assisted by
financial and  hands-on volunteer support as a priority mission of Central United Methodist Church.  The
CUMC liaison for this missional initiative is Cindy Armbruster, who works closely with church Pastor Wava
Hofmann, and church leaders Val Maidens and Anna Miller. Several recent improvements to the church and grounds have been made, and others are being planned:

• In the past year, repairs to stabilize the church steeple were completed.
• Eave trough installations were coordinated by Staton Lorenz and Jack Squires.
• The church has received several bids to level and stabilize the church floor joists. It is hoped this
  project will be completed this year by a professional contractor.
• To allow expanded congregational access, the 11 a.m. Sunday church services are live-streamed on
  YouTube, and can be found by putting Northport Indian UMC in the YouTube search. This service was
  made possible by a grant from UMC-MI.
• Several years ago, property near the church grounds was given to Northport Indian UMC, on which a
  parsonage will be constructed.
• Plans are in the works to restore the campground to its original state, including the construction of
  cabins for housing and expansion of the revival meeting structure.

Pastor Wava and other pastoral and tribal leaders work closely with community members to help ease
vulnerability, restore trust, and sustain ancestral culture.  Many indigenous neighbors have lived and continue
to live with historic trauma caused by the intergenerational legacy of pain for those who endured disease, loss
of land, forced relocation, and the destruction of families because of the boarding school experience. Years of
oppression, lack of access to basic needs for the tribe and others have left deep scars that only time, trust and
cultural recovery, including use of the native language, will heal.

“These places and the rich religious and cultural traditions of Native Christians have been a source of wisdom
and strength for leaders and members of the Northport Indian UMC. From ancient wells, God as Creator
continues to affirm their sacred worth as beloved children of God. Past and present saints surround them, lifting prayers in faith and cheering them on.” James Deaton, Mi Conference UMC

The 20th annual Northport Indian UMC Spring Cleanup (campground and cemetery) will take place on Sat., May 18, 2024. This event will coincide with the annual CUMC Super Serve Saturday activities. All are welcome and the cleanup crew will meet at the church campground; carpooling from Central is planned and a lunch will be provided at the campground. More information, included directions and a list of work activities, will be made available in early May.

 

 

Your support of Central’s Missions Ministry Team supports our work to restore justice for the vulnerable and displaced in neighborhoods near and far. CLICK HERE to make a donation now.

Thank you to Zeke Fleet for compiling these stories about our March mission partners.  Photos courtesy of James Deaton, Jim Huckle and Erica Kozlowski.