MISSIONS @ PARK AVE
Being on Mission
It is the goal of the Missions Department to live out Acts 1:8 by serving and sharing Jesus in Jerusalem (Valdosta), throughout Judea (Lowndes), in Samaria (US), and to the end of the earth (International).
The past several years have brought new and exciting ways that you were able to love God’s people. And Park Avenue loves so well! This year alone, we provided thousands of meals to groups like LAMP, The Boys & Girls Club, Thanksgiving meals for the homeless, and many other events. We supplied almost 1,000 snack packs to children at Clyattville Elementary School. We have provided many Blessing Bags to those who came in to the church hungry. We have housed and clothed countless families through our Benevolence Program and our Clothes Closet.
We have supported Living Bridges, Called to Care, and LAMP. We have supported an International Mission Trip, given school supplies, candy, Homeless Bedrolls, shoes, playpens, and innumerable other items. Equally important, we have given of our time and our love by serving meals, working with children, cleaning up our church campus, donating blood, delivering snack packs, and serving at our Rise Against Hunger Packing event.
We're excited for you to join us to be on mission at Park Avenue Church! If you have any questions about our Missions Ministry or organizations we partner with, please call the Church Office at (229) 242-3562.
Showing God’s Love to The Most People Through The Most People
Our Local Ministries

Shower Ministry
The Missions department at Park Avenue purchased and received a two-stall Shower Trailer in early 2019 to serve those in our community with the basic necessity of receiving a clean shower.
We are so excited about launching the Shower Trailer Ministry! The last thing we need is YOU! If you would like to come with us to help serve others, we need you! Please be praying for this ministry. We truly believe that this is going to be a beautiful way to love people in our community and we know that there is nowhere that loves better than PAUMC!

Homeless Bedrolls
There are many in Valdosta who go without a bed every night. Our homeless bedrolls are a crocheted 3' x 6' mat to provide a bit of cushion from the wet and cold so homeless individuals are off the ground and can sleep with some comfort. These bedrolls are incredibly durable, easy to carry, and can been cleaned very easily. Bedrolls are made completely from donated plastic grocery bags. Each bed takes about 500 bags. Once the bags have been donated, volunteers flatten them into stacks of 10, then cuts them into 4 strips each. Strips are then tied together to make Plarn (plastic yarn) balls. Finally, the plarn is crocheted or weaved on a loom into a bedroll.

Mother-Son Luau
The Mother-Son Luau is a great bonding experience for Moms and Sons as you spend a special evening together! Our Luau is mindful of small children as we begin at “sunset” with the first hour geared towards little ones as they adjust to the evening. As we progress into the “night,” we’ll continue to luau with lots of music, dancing, yummy treats, and Hawaiian fun! All proceeds will go to support the Missions of Park Avenue UMC. We know that life is busy and there are a million things begging for your time, but we hope that our Luau offers mothers and sons an opportunity to spend one-on-one, uninterrupted time together.

Clothes Closet

Benevolence
Park Avenue seeks to provide a hand up not a hand out to those in need in our community. Our Benevolence program gives individuals the opportunity to volunteer at local businesses to earn money every 30 days toward their rent or utilities. Once the volunteer hours have been completed individuals place their card in the offering plate of either our 8:55 or 11 o’clock services, and can then pick up their check on Monday afternoon. ID and Bill are required.

Snack Packs
Every Friday our church delivers packs of food to hundreds of children at the Clyattville Elementary School who would otherwise have little to no food to eat through the weekend. We have groups that purchase food and packs the bags through the week in preparation for delivery.
Local Mission Partners
Conference Partners
- VASHTI - Thomasville
- Wesley Glenn - Macon
National Partners
International Partners
- Chris & Rachel Coleman (Konbit, Haiti)
- Jerry & Kay Smith (Russia)
- The Greathouses (Brazil)
- Shade & Fresh Water
- Lily of the Valley
- I Want to Live
Our Mission Teams

Early Responder Team
UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) is the arm of the United Methodist Church that responds to disasters throughout the world. Our church is home to a certified early responder team that is dispatched by UMCOR to disaster areas.

International Teams
Our church has participated in many international mission trips and will continue to pursue them in the future. Currently, our focus is the Bahamas. We have wonderful relationships throughout the world through our missionaries in various locations such as Haiti, Honduras, Russia, and the Philippines. We look forward to coming experiences in the lands where God will lead us!