2025 Upper Peninsula Work Camp
FUMER’s 2025 Work Camp to GCCP
(God’s Country Cooperative Parish)
August 10-16, 2025
In August of 2024, FUMER sent a Volunteers in Mission (VIM) Team to Newberry in Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula where they worked for five days at God’s Country Community Ministries (GCCM), formerly God’s Country Cooperative Parish in Newberry Michigan. The new mission carries forward the same programs and goals, but allows more community partners to participate while welcoming other denominations beside Methodists.
The team stayed at the Dunlap Ministry Center, headquarters for GCCM, preparing and eating meals in the Bethel Church next door. Most of the week the team was broken into two work groups. One group working at the Dunlap Ministry Center or at Paradise United Methodist Church 40 miles away. The team completed a long list of tasks. Inside the Dunlap Ministry Center clothing and donated items were sorted, then set out in the Free Store for the general public when it opened on Wednesday afternoon. Many other tasks were completed inside the center such as cleaning, organizing, taking care of recycling, taking back returnable cans and bottles, lettering some new room signs, shopping for food and preparing meals for the team.
The team enjoyed working with the other local GCCM volunteers throughout the week. On Wednesday and Thursday, the group headed to the Paradise United Methodist Church and worked with other volunteers from the church making baked goods; cookies, muffins and pies for a bake sale. The proceeds of the Friday/Saturday bake sale held during the Paradise Wild Blueberry Festival will pay the propane heating costs of both the church and parsonage for the upcoming winter.
Throughout the week the team shared meals, fellowship, devotions, prayers, laughter and even a few tears. At the end of the day we gathered in a common area to visit and share the events of the day or went into Newberry for ice cream. Our team appreciates the financial and prayer support from the FUMER congregation that made it all possible. A scripture found on several signs inside the Dunlap Ministry Center references 1 Peter 4:10 telling us that “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” That’s what we did all week. The team is grateful for the opportunity to share their time and talents as we helped GCCM assist those in need throughout the area. Thanks be to God for all He provided and for a successful week.
The team stayed at the Dunlap Ministry Center, headquarters for GCCM, preparing and eating meals in the Bethel Church next door. Most of the week the team was broken into two work groups. One group working at the Dunlap Ministry Center or at Paradise United Methodist Church 40 miles away. The team completed a long list of tasks. Inside the Dunlap Ministry Center clothing and donated items were sorted, then set out in the Free Store for the general public when it opened on Wednesday afternoon. Many other tasks were completed inside the center such as cleaning, organizing, taking care of recycling, taking back returnable cans and bottles, lettering some new room signs, shopping for food and preparing meals for the team.
The team enjoyed working with the other local GCCM volunteers throughout the week. On Wednesday and Thursday, the group headed to the Paradise United Methodist Church and worked with other volunteers from the church making baked goods; cookies, muffins and pies for a bake sale. The proceeds of the Friday/Saturday bake sale held during the Paradise Wild Blueberry Festival will pay the propane heating costs of both the church and parsonage for the upcoming winter.
Throughout the week the team shared meals, fellowship, devotions, prayers, laughter and even a few tears. At the end of the day we gathered in a common area to visit and share the events of the day or went into Newberry for ice cream. Our team appreciates the financial and prayer support from the FUMER congregation that made it all possible. A scripture found on several signs inside the Dunlap Ministry Center references 1 Peter 4:10 telling us that “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” That’s what we did all week. The team is grateful for the opportunity to share their time and talents as we helped GCCM assist those in need throughout the area. Thanks be to God for all He provided and for a successful week.