Coordinating with the congregation from His Father’s House, which also worships at Church of the Saviour, the Catalyst community has been serving dinner on the second Thursday of every month at the City Mission men’s shelter for over two years.  Dinner preparation usually takes place in the Calvary Hall kitchen the preceding Wednesday evening.  After serving the meal, the group enjoys sitting down to dinner and conversation with the men of the shelter before starting clean-up. Opportunities to contribute include: helping with preparation or serving, financial donations, and, of course, prayer. Contact: Pete Evangelista, (216) 647-4774

Habitat for Humanity works to end substandard housing by renovating simple, decent affordable houses for lower-income families.   Since 1987, Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity has built/rehabbed just over 200 homes using volunteer labor. This work has been accomplished using a variety of skill levels. Contact: Bob Layton, (216) 297-1812, email r_w_layton @ yahoo.com

Food donations from COTS go to two food distribution sites of the Hunger Network of Cleveland, Heights Emergency Food Center at Disciples Church on Mayfield Rd in Cleveland Heights and Cory United Methodist Hunger Center.   Non-perishable donations are collected on a continuous basis with items left in the Tower Entrance plus special donation events, e.g. ‘Souper Bowl Sunday’.  Cory UM provides emergency food assistance in the Glenville area; their center can also use cloth grocery bags and light rolling carts.  Contact: Mary Taylor, (216) 378-1756, email senies @ att.net

The world’s future leaders are on campuses in Cleveland right now! The International Student Ministry with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship is a strategic opportunity to share Christ’s love through meeting the practical and spiritual needs of these international students in the Greater Cleveland area. You can be a world missionary (without language study, visa or travel) by sharing a holiday meal, picking someone up at the airport, hosting a new student for 3 days, donating unused furniture or being a friendship partner; For further info, contact Bok or Heidi Chew at (216) 371-3114 or bokchew @ yahoo.com.

“Kairos” is a Greek word, meaning “God’s special time”.  The mission of Kairos is to build Christian community within the prison. To introduce inmates into that community, Kairos holds two long-weekend events per year, per prison. Trained volunteers show, live, and teach the transforming love of Jesus Christ over the course of the weekend, in addition to on-going programs to support the Kairos community “inside”.  Church of the Saviour supports Kairos in the form of volunteers, home-baked cookies, posters, placemats, and, of course, prayer.  Contact: Pete Evangelista, (216) 647-4774

The ECHO group represents COTS at the St. Philomena Food and Clothing Pantry in East Cleveland. Along with volunteers from other churches and organizations we pack and distribute groceries, sort and distribute clothing, and/or provide hospitality assistance, registration and check-in for the clients.  The pantry is open every Saturday from 9:30 – 1:00; ECHO service dates are periodic based on need and availability.  

Scranton Rd. Ministries C.D.C. actively contributes to the spiritual, economic and physical restoration of Cleveland.   Over the past 14 years, Scranton Rd. Ministries has provided over 12,570 traditionally under-served Cleveland youth and adults with a comprehensive portfolio of Biblically-based services, including workforce development, educational enrichment, legal services, medical assistance, leadership development and computer training.  Our Vision is to revitalize our community, one life at a time; as lives are transformed by the Gospel of Christ and restored to His noble purpose. Contact: Tom Wadsworth, (216) 321-3890, email tewadsworth @ gmail.com

Church of the Saviour has established the Urban Scholar’s Grant to aid inner city students’ in their college education.  Students from our East Tech Mentoring program are attending Cuyahoga Community College.  The Metro Missions Committee has donated half the amount allowed for each student for the year, and COTS members will donate the other half.   This year we are supporting three students.  If you wish to help support the education of an inner city student, contact Metro Missions. Contact:   Juanita Taylor, (330) 217-2412, email  jajuarez1 @ yahoo.com

Read the latest update (July 2022)

Read the latest update (June 2018)

See what UMC missionaries are doing in Cambodia!

Almost a decade ago, members from Church of the Saviour started the North Coast Haiti Mission (NCHM), a ministry to empower theEglise Methodiste d’Ayiti (The Methodist Church of Haiti) in the Cap Haitian Circuit.  The Circuit includes 9 churches, 5 schools, and 2 clinics.  The district superintendent asked the team to begin work in a village called Dondon, located about 20 miles from Cap Haitian.  The school and church in Dondon were the most remote location in the circuit.  Travel at that time took over 3 hours one way!

Today, the NCHM has expanded to become a ministry of the East Ohio Conference UMC, seeking to connect local congregations with churches, clinics, and classrooms within the Cap Haitian Circuit.  Church of the Saviour continues its relationship with the people of Dondon through a variety of ministries, including yearly mission trips.

Each year, at least one trip is made by a mission team of no more than 8 people to Dondon.  The objectives for each trip vary, but all primarily focus on building relationships for long-term mission and ministry.  Is God calling you to join us in ministry to Dondon, Haiti?

NORTH COAST HAITI MISSION STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

A mission of the East Ohio Conference, United Methodist Church

MISSION

Improve the lives of the people of the Cap Haitien Circuit of Eglise Methodiste du Haiti, with a primary focus on the Methodist School and Church in Dondon, through active application of the Gospel message and coordinated investment in development of collective human capital.

VISION

Every child who first attends a Methodist School in the Cap Haitien Circuit will have the opportunity to know Jesus Christ, successfully complete high school, achieve literacy in English, and gain entrance to a Haitian university.

OBJECTIVES

These measurable outcomes will mark our progress towards our vision.

1. Every teacher at the Dondon school will be paid their salary, in full, on time.
2. No child who attends the Dondon school will be malnourished at any time during the year.
3. The Dondon school will have access to clean drinking water  year ‘round.
4. Any child who first attends the Dondon school will be not be denied continued attendance at the Dondon school due to a family’s inability to pay tuition.
5. Every child who attends the Dondon school will wear a complete school uniform to school.
6. Every class at the Dondon school will have the basic educational resources determined necessary to the curriculum, and each child in that class will have the necessary student supplies to complete that curriculum.
7. The physical plant at the Dondon school will provide a clean, safe learning environment.
8. Every child that successfully completes the curriculum at Dondon will not be denied attendance at the Methodist High School at Cap Haitien due to a family’s inability to pay tuition.
9. English teachers at the Cap Haitien school will achieve [some standard] competency in English instruction and will have access to the educational resources determined necessary to the curriculum.

OPERATING PRINCIPLES

1. With God, all things are possible.
2. Within the objective statements, targets such as “clean,”  “safe,”  “necessary,” and “successfully” are relative to Haitian social norms.  Our mission is to enable the achievement of full human potential within the existing norms, and encourage those we lift up to work towards the alignment of those norms to Christian principles.
3. Our mission is executed primarily through the Cap Haitien District of the Methodist Church of Haiti, and secondarily through periodic mission teams that operate under the UMBGM VIM (Volunteers in Mission) program.
4. Active, frequent, and informed visits by members of the North Coast District to the Cap Haitien District and to the village of Dondon are the primary means for ensuring local accountability for proper use of resources provided and for measuring progress towards objectives.
5. The curriculum of the Dondon School will incorporate the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Bible and the Methodist Church.

GOVERNANCE

A Mission Leader(s), approved by the North Coast District Missions Committee, will be responsible for advancing the goals the mission, raising funds for the mission, managing the mission’s relationship with the Cap Haitien District of Eglise Metodiste d’Haiti (Methodist Church of Haiti), and reporting all mission activity back the North Cost District Missions Committee.  The NCD established a named fund for North Coast District Haiti Mission and provides administrative support to receive and disburse funds in support of the mission.  Funds raised for the North Coast Haiti Mission will be used only for purposes of the Mission as described in this document, only as requested by the Mission Leader(s) and approved of the District’s then-authorized fiduciary agents.