Missions

In the Gospel of Matthew we read the words of Jesus: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I needed clothing and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you visited me. And the righteous asked, “When did we do these things?” And he said to them “When you have done it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did for me..” (Matthew 28)

We believe outreach to our Nantucket community and the world community is the greatest commission of our church. This commission is expressed throughout the Bible.

Our outreach to our community and the world is divided into four categories – international, national, regional and local. In addition, we encourage the giving of help and financial support to a number of special appeals created by locally and globally.

Listed below are a few of programs in our outreach ministry.

Acts of kindness and outreach don’t depend on a large congregation or big organization. One person can make a difference in the lives of others.  Annie’s Kindness Blankets is a pay-it-forward mission founded by three young women who, in 2015, lost their mother Anne Marie Verney, to suicide. At Nantucket United Methodist Church the spirit is strong and God’s work is evident in acts of loving kindness beyond the walls of the church to those in need. The Nantucket United Methodist Church Annie's Kindness Blanket Team is headed by Kathie Batchelder and and she is joined by Zannie Johnson and Sybil Nickerson.

Kathie and her team sent out two Annie's Kindness Blankets to two women: Liz, a mom who recently lost her son to a drug overdose, and Carrie, a young woman from Nantucket who now lives off island and has been battling metastatic breast cancer. Carrie’s family posted her story on Facebook with a GoFundMe campaign, and when a church member noticed it she brought Carrie’s story forward one Sunday for prayer. The outreach team responded by making and sending her an Annie’s Kindness Blanket, a soft reversible fleece throw that fills the bill when cozy moments are needed. When Carrie received her blanket, she shared her gratitude on Facebook saying she now had a fuzzy, warm blanket to take with her to the hospital for her chemo treatments.

When someone is struggling and in pain, knowing that others are thinking of you and receiving tangible proof of that, can make an enormous difference. Neither Liz nor Carrie are members of the Nantucket UMC, but both were known by church members, and both in great need of love and support. Annie’s Kindness Blankets are no-sew fleece throws made from kits available at Jo-Ann Fabrics. Making, receiving or requesting an Annie’s Kindness Blanket provides hope, stability purpose and understanding in a mission of spreading kindness and love, say their founders. This is a good low-cost, high-impact mission activity for congregations of any size, or any individual who wants to make a difference in the lives of others.

For more information about Annie's Kindness Blankets , go to http://www.annieskindnessblankets.org/  If you would like to receive or make blankets, please email Kathie Richardson at church@nantucketunitedmethodist.com and in the email subject show Kindness Blanket Request. Each blanket has a patch sown on it, provided by the AK organization, which explains the mission of Annie’s Kindness Blankets.