News and Views

Blast of Love is a ministry of Middletown UMC that seeks to share love in the community, born out of the Baltimore-Washington Conference's Catalyst Initiative. 

Catalyst is year-long process of discovery, exploration, and renewal. It empowers a church to initiate a Spirit-led vision and understanding of its community; ignite faith into action, and invigorate people to claim God’s vision for their lives and community. 

Middletown is one of 11 churches participating in this first wave of Catalyst. The congregation distributed 230 Blast of Love bags into the Middletown and Myersville communities this year. For a month, the church collected nominations of persons to receive the bags. Groups of volunteers from the community, including members of the High School UNICEF club, came and stuffed bags before teams of drivers delivered the bags on Saturday and Sunday, spreading love over the Valentine’s Day Weekend. 

Children in the Middletown UMC Preschool and Before and After Care Kids Club programs made valentines along with community members. Donations of tea lights, seed packets, hand lotion, gloves, lip balm, and snacks like Hershey Kisses and popcorn were dropped in the collection bin outside of the church building or delivered by mail. The Prayer Shawl ministry team spent hours knitting and crocheting pocket prayer shawls to be added to the bags. Rev. Katie Bishop, senior pastor, Rev. Kirstin Shrom-Rhoads, the church deacon, and the congregation, prayed a blessing over the bags. 

“It doesn’t matter that I don’t know who is getting the valentine,” one of the children shared as they wrote a word of encouragement across the front of the card, “I think they will feel the love I put into it.” For “extra” love, she added a second layer of glitter and a few more stickers. 

“We know that the bags will mean different things to each person who receives them,” Bishop said. “For some, it is a lifeline in a season of isolation. For others, it will be a chance to find the hope of community. We pray everyone will feel loved.”

“This bag is really going to make a difference,” one volunteer said, as she picked up her set of bags for delivery. The individual they had nominated to receive a bag has been dealing with a health concern that has left them feeling isolated. Another person receiving a bag had nominated themselves. “Things are really hard right now,” they wrote on their form, “and this would help me remember that I am not alone.”

 “Thank you,” one recipient wrote, “that was just the best surprise! It brought tears to my eyes.” Another shared that it made her day.

“Lip balm and a bag of popcorn might not feel like much individually," Bishop prayed,  "but these bags are more than just the items in them. They are a blast of love!”