Missions and Ministries

Fuente de Vida UMC in Agua Prieta, Mexico

Fuente de Vida is our sister church in Agua Prieta.  We support the education of students through our annual donation of backpacks and school supplies, as well as scholarships for elementary and high school students, and the Roche Family Scholarships for higher education.  Each year we attend their Celebration of Learning and organize games and prizes for the children.  

Family First

Family First Pregnancy Care Center is located in Oracle and Winkelman, serving local families providing parenting education classes, children’s story hours and a family diaper bank.
In 2018, we donated filled backpacks to the children and teens.

Creative Hands

The Creative Hands group meets from September through May every Friday at 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM at the church to design and create new clothing for children for the clothing bank at Catalina Community Services. In 2011 this small group created over 475 beautiful new garments for boys and girls. New “creative hands” are always welcome and no experience or equipment is necessary, training will be supplied. Also, remember both women and men are welcomed.

Prayer Bead Ministry

Vista de la Montaña Prayer Bead Ministry In February 2022, Vista Adult Education offered the first Protestant Prayer Bead class. Twelve women attended that class, an informal Prayer Bead Ministry was formed, and we didn’t even know it had begun. Many of us made Prayer Beads for our family and friends. As we began using them ourselves and making them for others, we realized what a wonderful tool they were for calming our spirits and connecting us with God. They are helpful, especially when we’re feeling fidgety and restless.

A small group met in July 2022 to make small sets of Prayer Beads to give out to members and visitors of Vista. As we were creating and sharing our experiences with the beads, we understood that we wanted – needed – to do more. We decided to establish an official Vista de la Montaña Prayer Bead Ministry. Starting the first of September 2022, we placed small sets of Prayer Beads on the Sanctuary entry table for any member to take for themselves or someone they know who has a need for prayer. The beads are packaged with a short description of how to use them. There is no wrong way! The group is also working with Chaplains at Davis-Monthan and the Air National Guard to provide beads for men and women being deployed to various posts.

Full sets of Prayer Beads consist of:

  • A cross or other pendant
  • One large bead, called the “Invitatory” bead – reminds us that God invites us to a time of prayer. We can use this bead to begin our prayer – like our Call to Worship
  • A Resurrection bead to focus on Christ’s gift to us of eternal life.
  • There are 4 more large beads, called “Cruciform” beads.
  • Between each of the Cruciform beads is a set of 7 smaller beads, called “week” beads.

Small sets consist of only two sets of “week” beads, and are easy to carry in a pocket, purse or keep in the car.

The team meets frequently to make prayer beads as a community mission of this church. After the prayer beads are completed, the group prays over them for the future owners. It is their prayer that these beads will bring comfort in times of trouble and help deepen relationships with God.

When the Israelites felt lost and afraid, God gave them a prayer tool of knotted fringe. The fringe helped them stay focused on God. Have you ever felt lost or does your mind wander during prayer? Prayer Beads can help. Join Nancy Yob, on April 12th, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm, to explore the history of the beads, and create your own unique set. We will look at ways to use the beads to enrich our prayer time and strengthen our connection with God.
Blessings from your Vista de la Montaña Prayer Bead Ministry Team
For more information you may contact Nancy Yob at mamayob@gmail.com. You can also read more about the history and use of beads in Kristen E. Vincent’s book, “A Bead and A Prayer.”

Snak Paks

Vista de la Montana UMC, in cooperation with Santa Catalina Catholic Church, each week during the school year provides a bag of nutritious, child-friendly food to 60 students at Coronado K-8 School in Catalina who have been judged to be nutritionally at risk. Most of these children depend heavily on the federally funded Free and Reduced-Price Breakfast-Lunch program at the school Monday through Friday. Vista and Santa Catalina purchase the food from the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona through donations from their members and friends. Volunteers pick up the food from the food bank, package the food into Snak Paks and deliver these to the school on Friday to be given to the students at the end of the day.

Impact of Southern Arizona

IMPACT of Southern Arizona (formerly Catalina Community Services) is among the many mission projects the Vista congregation generously supports.  IMPACT helps area residents improve their lives through a variety of services. Vista’s mission outreach team is currently involved with three programs provided by IMPACT.

COMMUNITY FOOD BANK:  Donations of food and money are collected the first Sunday of each month.  IMPACT gets more “value for the dollar” through cash donations they use to make bulk purchases.  Donations of dry cereal, peanut butter, pasta and rice, canned fruit and toiletries are always in high demand for those who prefer to give tangible items.  Approximately 400 different families in Pima County District One and the Pinal County Copper Corridor are served monthly through this program. CLOTHING BANK:  Vista sponsors a warm clothing and bedding drive each winter.  New and gently used items are donated to the Clothing Bank where they are sorted and displayed on racks at Loving Threads, a storefront in Catalina Point Plaza.  Financially eligible area residents can periodically select needed clothing at no cost, which helps to stretch their limited income. 

Memorial Day for Davis Monthan Air Force Base

In honor of those who has made the ultimate sacrifice, we remember Memorial Day during the month of May by collecting donations to provide phone cards for deployed troops from Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson so that they are able to “call home”. The contributions are divided between the phone cards and the family service program for deployed troops called “Hearts Apart”. This program provides family assistance and programs for the troop’s children.

UMCOR

As the humanitarian relief and development arm of The United Methodist Church, the United Methodist Committee on Relief – UMCOR – assists United Methodists and churches to become involved globally in direct ministry to persons in need. UMCOR comes alongside those who suffer from natural or human-caused disasters – famine, hurricane, war, flood, fire or other events—to alleviate suffering and serve as a source of help and hope for the vulnerable. UMCOR provides relief, response and long-term recovery grants when events overwhelm a community’s ability to recover on their own. UMCOR also provides technical support and training for partners to address emerging and ongoing issues related to disaster relief, recovery, and long-term health and development.
Vista provides both monetary support and have mission trips to work centers for national and international disasters.