Missions

• ADA JENKINS CENTER - The umbrella caring agency for the Mt. Zion/Lake Norman area.  Mt. Zion supports this broad ranging effort with some volunteers and substantial financial support. Visit their website for more information-www.adajenkins.org.
• AMIGOS DE CRISTO - Northern Mecklenburg County is home to an ever-increasing community of Spanish-speaking families.  Amigos de Cristo (Friends of Christ) is an ecumenical group of seven area churches and the YMCA which provides tutoring assistance to Latino/Hispanic children during the school year, a Vacation Bible School in the summer and a Fall Festival on October 31.  Volunteers do not have to be able to speak Spanish.  To volunteer, contact Sherry Washam, Mt. Zion's Educational Assistant, at the church at 704-892-8566 or swasham@mtzionumc.net.
• GUARDIAN ANGELS - The Guardian Angels help the elderly and disabled in our church and local community.  Their services include yard work, storm debris cleanup, light home repair, window cleaning, and assisting with medical appointment transportation.  To become a Guardian Angel, contact Rick Wilson at 704-892-5820, 704-663-2788 or srraw@aol.com.
• HABITAT FOR HUMANITY - Mt. Zion is one of many churches in our area participating in the Habitat for Humanity Interfaith Build program.  We contribute financial support through funding in our outreach budget and provide volunteers who participate in actual home construction.  To serve as part of Mt. Zion's Interfaith Build team, contact Lynn Harriman at 704-575-2870 or lharriman@coldwellbanker.com.
• HOT LUNCH PROGRAM - Volunteers serve lunches on weekdays to residents who participate in this program located behind the Ada Jenkins Center.  If you have one or more days a week when you can give just a few hours to serve lunch, please contact Doris Sims at 704-892-8317. 
• LOAVES & FISHES - Groceries for neighbors in need.  Mt. Zion has an ongoing food drive to help stock the shelves of the Ada Jenkins Center Loaves & Fishes Pantry.  Click here for more information.
• PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY- Prayer shawl ministry groups began meeting at Mt. Zion in the fall of 2005.  A prayer shawl is a shawl that is knitted or crocheted for someone who might have a physical, mental, spiritual or emotional need.  The knitter prays for the receiver of the shawl throughout the time that it is being made.  The knitter can select a person to receive the shawl or it could be donated to our church's Stephen Ministry or to Hospice.  No knitting or crochet experience is required.  You will be taught the basics of how to crochet or knit.  We will pray together and knit together at our meetings, although knitting on the shawl is not limited to our meeting time.  If you have any questions about this outreach ministry at Mt. Zion, please contact Laurie Knight at 704-875-1071 or at appfan1188@carolina.rr.com.        
• PRISON MINISTRY - The first aim of Mt. Zion's prison ministry is to seek, through Christian fellowship, to encourage and give hope to inmates who have often been told of their worthlessness throughout their lives.  Hope is offered through the knowledge that they are individually, uniquely created by God and that He loves them and has a better plan for their lives.  Secondly, we offer Bible study, music, and prayer, each of which is applicable to their lives both in prison and upon their release.  Tools are provided to help the inmates cope with their current situation, as well as readjust to life outside the gates. Our ministry takes place at the minimum-security North Mecklenburg Prison on Highway 21 near the Metrolina Fairgrounds.  Working in two-man teams, we meet with both the younger population (ages 18-21) and adult offenders. To volunteer, contact Doug Shanks at 704-896-9053 or dspaintworks@bellsouth.net.
  
• REPAIRERS OF THE BREACH - Repairers of the Breach is a ministry to help families in need that live in our immediate communities through the Ada Jenkins Center.  During the Christmas season, we will provide these families with new clothing, gift cards, toys, and food including a frozen turkey.  Our goal is to help 50 families (200 children, plus adults).  We need assistance in two ways.  1) It will cost about $150 to sponsor one family.  Please consider making a monetary donation in any amount, from $5 to $50 to the entire $150 for one family or more.  Make checks payable to "Mt. Zion UMC" and indicate on your payment this is for the "Repairers of the Breach Ministry".  2) We need volunteers to fill three different jobs.  We need Shoppers to go out and buy the food, clothing, and toys for each family.  This is a great job for families to do together!  We need Sorters/Wrappers to sort the items and wrap the toys as they are brought in.  And we need Distributors in the middle of December to hand out the items to the families at the distribution center in the Magnolia Estates shopping center.  If you want to volunteer for this ministry, contact Tom Russell either by phone (704-507-2493) or email at tom@moisturewarranty.com.  The collection and distribution center is located in the Magnolia Square Shopping Center in Cornelius, #8301-17 (the shopping center where the K&W Restaurant is located).
• ROOM IN THE INN (RITI) - Click here to download a Word Document listing available volunteer opportunities.  Then email Katie Reimer if you would like to volunteer.  Room in the Inn is a ministry that Mt. Zion participates in every Tuesday night from December through March. We do this by partnering with the Urban Ministries Center in Charlotte.  Each night we offer a warm, safe place to sleep and provide 3 meals (dinner, breakfast and a bag lunch) for 10 people who are homeless.  There are a number of things that need to come together to make this ministry successful … and that is where you come in! There are many ways that you can volunteer: cooking a warm meal, packing a bag lunch, driving the church mini bus, doing laundry, staying overnight and more. If you are interested in volunteering please email Katie Reimer.
• STARFISH CAMP (YMCA SOCIAL SERVICES COMMUNITY OUTREACH) - The Starfish Camp at the Lake Norman YMCA provides tutoring services to disadvantaged children in our surrounding community.  Mt. Zion supports this program financially through the outreach budget and by providing volunteer tutors.  To volunteer to make a difference in a child's life, contact Mike Bailey, Senior Pastor at Mt. Zion, at 704-892-8566 or mbailey@mtzionumc.net.        
• UMAR - Through the encouragement and support of the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, Mt. Zion spearheaded major fundraising efforts to support the construction of a UMAR home on church property.  This home provides independent living to residents with developmental disabilities.
• SPECIAL MONTHLY COMMUNION RAIL OFFERING - When the Lord's Supper is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month at Mt. Zion, a special communion rail offering is received that is placed into the pastor's discretionary fund specifically to help those in need first, in our faith community, and secondarily the greater community.  The surplus goes to the Ada Jenkins Center Sunshine Fund which is the community's “last resort” ministry for people in dire need.