Missions is a great opportunity for families, youth, young adults, and seniors. Whatever your age or situation, consider exploring short- or long-term mission opportunities with Sterling United Methodist Church. For more information, contact the church office at 703-430-6455.
Each year, our church sends out volunteers to serve in mission ministries that may take us to other states or even other countries. Our teams build new homes with Habitat for Humanity, repair existing homes, pack relief supplies, visit orphanages, share the Gospel, and most of all endeavor to share the love of God, which we have experienced, with the people we encounter. It is a great time for building memories and friendships within our missions teams and learning practical and spiritual life skills.
Sterling United Methodist Church is excited to send out members of our congregation of all ages who want to be available to be used by God to connect others to Him. Short-term missions are one way to step out of your own comfort zone and dare to be something more than you can be on your own. You will be challenged, you will grow, and you will make a measurable difference in someone else’s life – whether it is here in our own community, in another state here in the USA, or in another country.
In prior years our congregation has supported missionary volunteers to Jamaica, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Austria, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Louisiana Since 2014 we have supported missionaries to the rural Appalachian region of Kentucky. In 2016 our Youth Choir went on a mission tour of the Northeast United States, sharing their musical talents and God’s love. Recent teams have traveled to Atlanta to work with the homeless population there and to Louisiana to work with UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) at their relief supply depot which sends supplies to distaster regions all over the world.
In order to fulfill a desire to respond quickly and effectively in times of disaster, the United Methodist Church has established Early Response Teams (ERTs). ERTs are specially trained by the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) and the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) to offer a Christian presence to those who have experienced disasters.
Our Early Response Team (ERT) is trained, equipped and ready to respond quickly after disasters in our own community or within 500 miles of Sterling. We have served after Tornadoes in Georgia, Hurricane Sandy in Maryland, and the Derecho storm here in our own community.
If you are interested in receiving training to join our ERT, please contact the church office at general@sterlingumc.org or 703-430-6455.
As United Methodists, we support the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) as they care for communities throughout the world that have undergone both human and natural disasters. We gather together kits for Annual Conference to be sent throughout the world. In addition, we send a mission team to the UMCOR Sager Brown warehouse in Louisiana each summer to package the relief supplies for distribution.
Appalachia Service Project (ASP) is one of Sterling United Methodist Church’s long-standing mission partners. Each summer, our church sends youth and adults to serve alongside ASP in Central Appalachia, working to make homes warmer, safer, and drier for families in need. Through hands-on construction projects—such as repairing roofs, building ramps, replacing floors, and improving accessibility—participants not only offer practical help, but also build meaningful relationships with homeowners and with one another. ASP’s guiding principle, “No more tears,” reflects a commitment to addressing both physical needs and the deeper call to serve with compassion, dignity, and respect. Our partnership with ASP gives us the opportunity to live out our faith in tangible ways, growing in empathy, teamwork, and understanding as we serve Christ through our neighbors in Appalachia.
Many years. Many places. One calling: love in action.
Pictures from our 2025 Mission Trip to Perry County, Kentucky!