God provides our resources – enough to meet our daily needs and share with others. Scripture serves as the foundation to Mount Auburn Church’s mission to “Make disciples of Jesus Christ who worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly.”
The Missions Team affirms Jesus’ call upon the church to serve as Jesus’ ambassadors, locally and globally bearing witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the purpose of making disciples of all nations. (Matt. 28:19-20) We define missions as support for ministries and missionaries that align with Jesus’ call to serve as His witnesses in Jerusalem (Johnson County) and in all Judea (statewide) and Samaria (nationally) and to the ends of the earth (internationally), particularly those that require funding and oversight.
Mission Partners
The Boaz Project
In 1999, Greenwood resident, April Jurgensen, founded
The Boaz Project after living in Russia for two years and
growing a heart for orphans. The Boaz Project is devoted to
serving the 99% of orphaned children who cannot be adopted.
Through structured training, humanitarian aid, and successful
in-home models, they are uniquely positioned to help children feel safe and secure, overcome trauma, know the Gospel message, and receive an education that will allow them to thrive and break the cycle of poverty and prostitution. April and her husband Jim say, “It is all God’s doing! We are just blessed to get front row seats!”
Chi Alpha
Mount Auburn supports Alexis Rasmussen with Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship at Indiana University. Alexis is a Center Grove High School graduate and attended Mount Auburn in her youth. Chi Alpha is a campus ministry that is dedicated to reconciling college students to Christ to transform the university, the marketplace, and the world. Jesus' method of reaching the world was small-group discipleship, so their method is the same: engaging college students through spirit-filled communities of prayer, worship, fellowship, discipleship, and mission so they become disciple-makers and life-long followers of Jesus!
Christ Youth Bible Club
Christ Youth Bible Club (“CYBC”) is on a mission to connect the heart of a child to the heart of God through the truth of His word and the love and compassion of Jesus followers. This is done by helping plant school-based Bible Clubs in collaboration with local believers and churches. We currently have 17 clubs in 12 elementary schools, 4 middle schools and 1 high school. Looking at our most recent numbers, we have over 670 students regularly attending CYBC and over 120 adult volunteers participating. God is doing amazing things in our Bible Clubs and we are so grateful to our Partner Churches such as Mount Auburn.
Faith Community Fellowship
Reverend Manubhai and Roshan Mecwan serve as church planters in Central Indiana, throughout the United States and in India. Rev. Mecwan’s passion for the Gospel is infectious, and through his ministry, thousands have been led into a relationship with Jesus Christ. Mount Auburn has partnered with Rev. Mecwan since 2010. Mount Auburn financially supports Rev. Mecwan’s global ministry, and several from the congregation have accompanied him to India.
Gideon's International
Gideons International is a body of believers dedicated
to making the Word of God available to everyone and,
together with the local church, reaching souls for Christ. Today, Gideons International has taken more than 2 billion Bibles in more than 95 languages to 200 countries, territories, and possessions across the globe. Gideons International exists as an advocate for the lost, to bring them the saving knowledge of the Word through not only placing and distributing Bibles, but also through personal witness and by fellowshipping together for service. Mount Auburn financially supports Gideons International and several congregational members who serve with Gideons International.
Habitat for Humanity
Since 2006, Johnson County Habitat for Humanity has
provided affordable housing for 23 families. Mount Auburn
Church has helped build at least 16 of these houses. This has consisted of providing financial support, work teams and meals for the workers. The best part of these builds is attending the dedication and seeing the smiles on everyone's faces when they get the keys to their house. The excitement and emotion when they realize they now have a place to call home, is a real blessing!
Interchuch Food Pantry
Centrally located on the north side of Franklin, the Interchurch Food Pantry of Johnson County provides people throughout Johnson County with food at no cost to them. At this time, clients may visit the Pantry weekly. A drive-through delivery process is efficient and provides for safe food delivery loading. Produce is made available for clients to self-select what appeals to them. The Pantry has a menu shopping checklist so that the food received is what clients choose for themselves. The Pantry is 100% volunteer staffed. Several Mount Auburn members regularly volunteer at The Pantry.
The Jesus Film Project
The Jesus Film Project, a ministry of CRU, brings the story of Jesus to screens around the world. With the help of the Bible translation community, they translate "JESUS" and other films into new languages - sometimes before the Bible is printed in those languages! Mount Auburn supports Tony and Diana Speziale who have traveled the world, taking the Jesus Film to Papua New Guinea, Haiti, the Middle East and Thailand, where they also trained local pastors how to use the film to evangelize. There are 3 dozen island nations with 300 unreached people groups in the South Pacific. Which is why the Speziales recently moved to New Zealand to establish a new call.
Kairos Prison Ministry
Kairos Prison Ministry International, Inc. (Kairos) is a
lay‐led, interdenominational Christian ministry in which
men and women volunteers bring Christ's love and forgiveness
to prisoners and their families. The Kairos programs take the
participants on a journey that demonstrates the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. The programs involve a structured model that includes the weekend experience, followed by participants gathering regularly for accountability, support and prayer. Several members from Mount Auburn serve with Kairos bringing the Gospel to many Indiana prisons.
The Lord's Locker
God blesses those in need through the Lord's Locker, a charity in Trafalgar, IN, with food, clothing, and household items, with the goal to not create a dependency on the facility but rather on JESUS CHRIST.
Frequent guests are offered prayer and a biblical devotion to teach them about Jesus. Each week, approximately 95% are rewarded extra food points for completing a simple Bible homework assignment.
The Lord’s Locker considers it a JOY to be the middlemen in what GOD does in the hearts of people. Mount Auburn Church supports The Lord’s Locker through financial support, food collections and service projects.
One Mission Society (OMS)
OMS is an evangelical, interdenominational faith mission (with roots in the Wesleyan Holiness tradition) that partners with more than 400 organizations and church denominations around the world for one purpose … to help fulfill the Great Commission by seeing the Gospel of Jesus Christ spread throughout the world with the greatest number of disciples made, and seeing God glorified in all that we say and do. OMS firmly believe the the power of the Gospel,
in the hands of disciple-makers,
will transform all nations. Mount Auburn supports many missionaries with OMS!
Mount Auburn Meal Ministry (MAMM)
Mount Auburn Meal Ministry (MAMM) began in 2016 as the fruition of an idea developed by a Life Group at Mount Auburn Church. MAMM provides dinner and prayer on Thursday
nights (except the third Thursday) at Mount Auburn to those in need throughout the local community. Many congregation members support MAMM by volunteering with food preparation, serving, prayer ministry, and clean-up. MAMM regularly offers "Upper Room" devotionals, communion, and prayer.
N.O.M.A.D.S.
Nomads on a Mission of Active and Divine Service was
started in the late 1980s and has grown over the years.
Gene and Carolyn Freeman were active Mount Auburn members
who joined the NOMADS prior to their retirement. They continue this important work today. Gene and Carolyn commented, “God has been amazing putting the right people on the team.”
NOMADS travel by RV to work on projects in the United States. Regular 3-week projects are mission outreach to churches, children’s homes, retirement communities and camps. NOMADS Disaster Rebuild ministry projects are in communities impacted by floods, tornadoes, fires, and hurricanes.
Trinity UMC
Trinity United Methodist Church is located in Jinja,
Uganda. Trinity Hall bears its name as a reminder of our
collaboration in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Trinity UMC’s
current church building was constructed as a result of Mount Auburn Church tithing 10 percent of the money raised to build the O’Dell Family Life Center. Ever since, Mount Auburn has helped to support Trinity by partially underwriting the salary of their pastor Julius Mugabi. In 2023,
we are sending extra support to help Trinity begin a sustainable farming project involving black soldier fliesmand farm animals.
Appeal for the Unreached
There are communities around the world that have little
or no access to the Gospel. After 12 years of marriage,
Greenwood residents, Steve and Rebecca, were called to
bring the Gospel to one of these communities in North Africa.
The dominant religion is Islam and Christian evangelism is illegal. Most of those in North Africa do not know about the redemptive work that Christ has done and have had no chance to receive this gift.
Our team's goal is to be a witness and shine the light of Jesus in the community. What a privilege we have that we can live, work, and do life in this land. Thank you for your partnership. We greatly appreciate your prayers!
Salvation Army Bell Ringing
Each Christmas season, Mount Auburn Church
encourages volunteers to participate in The Salvation
Army’s “Red Kettle” campaign. The money raised provides meals for the hungry, nights of shelter, life skills counseling, Christmas gifts for kids, and much more. In 2022, we had 16 ringers at the Meridian Parke Kroger and raised over $850 for The Salvation Army.
United Way Christmas Angels
Every December, Mount Auburn Church partners
with United Way of Johnson County to provide Christmas
presents to families in need. In 2022, Mount Auburn Church helped 17 families, including 52 children. Volunteers are needed to 1) purchase and wrap presents; 2) deliver presents to families; and 3) offer prayer to families.
World Vision
World Vision is the largest non-governmental provider of
clean water in the world. Last year World Vision reached
over 4.6 million new people with clean water. World Vision aspires to be like Jesus, so they serve all people, regardless of their religion, ethnicity or gender. Mount Auburn's "Team World Vision", a team of several persons from and related to Mount Auburn and coordinated by Gretchen Beaman, was formed in 2017 to run/walk as a World Vision team to raise awareness and funding for clean water, improved sanitation, and hygiene to those in need around the globe. In 2022, our team raised over $11,000 bringing clean water to 220 people.
