Our Mission: Save Lives

Malaria is a disease of poverty, accounting for over 200 million cases every year and killing one person every minute. The disease continues to affect an entire continent, as the African people and economy are burdened by this preventable and treatable disease. For nearly two centuries, the people of The United Methodist Church have been engaged in partnership with our brothers and sisters in Africa – serving with the poor and creating solutions to these systemic problems.

Our Method: Comprehensive Program to Fight Malaria

In 2006, The United Nations Foundation partnered with The United Methodist Church in the Nothing But Nets campaign, raising more than $7 million to provide insecticide-treated bed nets to the people of Africa. In 2008, building on the success of Nothing But Nets, a new, comprehensive program to fight malaria was created. This initiative, called Imagine No Malaria, is the extraordinary effort of The United Methodist Church to raise $75 million by 2015 to end deaths and suffering from malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is Faith in Action at its finest, and the people of The United Methodist Church around the world have responded to the call.

Our Contributions: Over $65 Million So Far

To date, over $65 million has been raised toward our denominational goal – $40 million of which was raised in just the last year and a half alone. Through the efforts of the United Methodist Church along with our partners at the United Nations Foundation, the Global Fund, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, we have successfully cut the death rate from malaria in half in just the last eight years. Contributions to this life-saving campaign not only fund the distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets but also sustain the efforts of our network of health clinics, hospitals, and churches in Africa committed to creating a world where no one dies from this preventable disease.

Our Goal: Raise $1 Million in Wisconsin

We have a big goal ahead of us, but we serve a God who can do “immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20). Let that truth be an invitation to all of us as we embark on this incredible journey together. We have the chance to save thousands of lives, and we can’t wait to see the amazing things God will do through the people of the Wisconsin Conference.

Volunteers Who are Called to do Mission

VIM provides volunteer opportunities to express Christ’s love by helping our brothers and sisters in our local community, across our nation and around the globe through disaster response activities, housing projects and rehabilitation, education, and medical assistance.

The understanding that we are called and that we are sent is at the foundation of our faith. The scriptures are full of stories of persons who responded to a call and were sent on mission for God. Jesus spent his ministry calling persons and sending them on God’s mission.

Jesus summed up the Christian lifestyle in a simple formula: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Putting our faith into action is at the very heart of our Christian calling. The New Testament instructs those who would be followers of Jesus to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give shelter to the homeless, heal the sick, care for the widows, and nurture the children.

Through United Methodist Volunteers in Mission, every person in the church has the opportunity to serve and to live their lives more faithfully. And when we reach out and use what God has given us in the service of others, we have life-transforming experiences.

Wisconsin VIM (National)

Wisconsin Volunteers in Mission coordinates the VIM activities within the state of Wisconsin, out-of-state, and also works with other agencies for national and international projects. These include disaster response activities, housing projects and rehabilitation, education, and medical assistance. Our committee is part of the Wisconsin Board of Global Ministries, the North Central Jurisdiction Volunteers in Mission, which, in turn, is part of the General Board of Global Ministries.

Wisconsin IVIM (International)

Wisconsin International Volunteers in Mission coordinates the VIM activities throughout the world. This committee is part of the Wisconsin Board of Global Ministries as well as the North Central Jurisdiction Volunteers in Mission.

United Methodist Volunteers in Mission provides volunteer opportunities to express Christ’s love by helping our brothers and sisters in our local community, nation and world. These volunteer opportunities are short term trips for usually one to two weeks in length. Many of the VIM trips are open to youth and adults.