SERVE GLOBALLY
We want to help members embrace a biblical worldview…one that broadens our sights beyond ourselves, our community and even our nation and sees the needs of “all nations.” We obey Christ’s call to a global vision by sending teams on short-term mission trips, where they can use their passions, gifts and resources to share Jesus, the Light of the World, with those in spiritually dark places.
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For more information about these opportunities, email missions@fumcgt.org.
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ZOE Empowers
First United Methodist Georgetown has partnered with ZOE Empowers, an organization that equips orphaned children and youth-led families with solutions to overcome extreme poverty—for good. Through this three-year educational experience, the youth learn trades, human rights, healthcare, and more. At the end of the three years, these youth are self-sufficient and do not require further assistance from individuals or Zoe Empowers.
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Starting at Christmas 2023, we were able to support two groups of orphans and vulnerable youth in Rwanda - about 200 youths. Both of these groups are now over one year into the program, and they are already accomplishing so much. They are learning vocational and agricultural skills to start businesses, growing small gardens to be able to feed themselves and their community, and the younger members of households are getting integrated into school, with school supplies provided by ZOE. These youth become hairdressers, tailors, farmers, taxi drivers, cobblers, and much more who are able to fully care for their siblings and families. They are able to eat three meals a day, have adequate housing, and healthcare for their families.
In January 2025, FUMC Georgetown was able to support a third group of orphaned youths, and our 2025 Christmas Eve offering will go to ZOE Empowers to continue our empowerment of these youths.
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On May 14th, we had the opportunity to see and hear the Rwandan Youth that FUMC Sponsors:
Meet Claudine and her family. She is a part of FUMC's Unity Group in Rwanda.
ZOE Empowers
Since 2023, First United Methodist Georgetown has partnered with ZOE Empowers, an organization that equips orphaned children and youth-led families with solutions to overcome extreme poverty -for good.
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Zoe Empowers equips orphaned and vulnerable youth to overcome poverty for good through a three-year, community-based empowerment program. Through mentorship, education, vocational training, and support, youth are equipped to become safe, healthy, and financially independent while building sustainable futures for themselves, their families, and their communities -knowing they are deeply loved by God.
ZOE'S Beginnings
Founded in 2004 in response to the HIV/AIDS crisis in Zimbabwe, Zoe Empowers began through feeding programs, medical care, and relief efforts for vulnerable children.
In 2007, Zoe was introduced to a radically new way of empowering orphaned kids and youth-led families to become self-sufficient. This approach was designed by Epiphanie Mujawimana with a group of Rwandan social workers responding to the 800,000 orphaned children created over 100 days during the 1994 genocide.
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Rather than creating long-term dependency on aid, Epiphanie and her team focused on helping youth-led families become self-sufficient through a three-year, community-based program where participants lead their own journey out of poverty.
Today, Zoe Empowers has impacted more than 246,300 vulnerable children across 11 countries, with each program locally led and community-driven.
ZOE and FUMC
Learn about our history with the ZOE Empowers Ministry.
2023
Christmas Eve Offering
Starting with our Christmas 2023 offering, we aimed to support a single group of orphaned youth for one year of the ZOE Empowers program. Due to the immense generosity of this church, we were able to raise enough to support our first group for the full three years, plus enough to begin to support a second group into their first year of the ZOE Program.
2024
Christmas Eve Offering
For our 2024 Christmas Eve Offering, we continued to give away our entire Christmas Eve Offering, which finalized our commitment to our second group of Rwandan youth, and gave us the ability to begin a third group.
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2025
Christmas Eve Offering
For Christmas 2025, we were able to finalize our 3-year commitment to our third group, as well a fully fund a fourth group of Rwandan Youth all through the three years of the Zoe Empowers program.
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This means that in three years of Christmas Eve Offerings, FUMC Georgetown was able to fully fund four groups of orphaned youth in Rwanda.
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2026
Trip to Rwanda
In February 2026, we sent 5 members of FUMC Georgetown to Rwanda to witness firsthand the impact of ZOE Empowers. We got to
2026+
The Future
Looking to the future, we hope that...
Identifying Vulnerable Youth
Vulnerable youths start as outcasts, homeless, and hungry. They are invited into peer groups by local community leaders. The groups help them develop a sense of safety, community, and trust.
Weekly Training Classes
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Each week, the Heads of Households gather for a training meant to educate and uplift. Zoe Empowers focuses on 8 key areas of education. If an individual in the group stumbles, their peers lift them up, help them correct what went wrong, and they continue on their developmental path. They find their voices, care for each other, and transform their lives and the lives of their communities.​
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8 Key Areas of Training
Secure Food & Housing
Youth are immediately taught about nutrition, safe food storage, agriculture, and animal husbandry. Within twelve months, they’re growing and buying food, plus selling or sharing surplus.
Hygiene & Healthcare
Youth learn hygiene and disease prevention, such as hand washing, mosquito net installation, and latrine construction. Many children enter the program suffering from illnesses, so Zoe staff facilitate access to medical care.
Child Rights
Youth are trained about human rights and gender equality. Up until this point, many participants are unaware they have rights and lack the resources to enforce them. With support from Zoe Empowers and their peers, they become advocates for themselves, and in some cases, receive assistance to seek justice.
Access to Education
By year three, many of the program participants already have sufficient funds from their business profits to pay for their own education, and their sibling’s, school fees and supplies. Some even go on to attend college and beyond.
Business Skills & Financial Fluency
Youth receive a small grant at the beginning of the program in conjunction with business training. Children develop a business plan and are provided guidance in executing their vision. Subsequent lessons are given on accounting, investing, and how to leverage their funds for long-term success.
Vocational Training
Youth are encouraged to pursue individualized training in their vocation of choice using resources from their group, this might include writing a business plan, raising livestock, growing crops, tailoring, beauty shops/barber shops, weaving, transportation and more. ​ Zoe graduates often become mentors in their community and/or employ other vulnerable youth, amplifying the ripple effect of empowerment.
Community Reintegration with Agency
Youth experience a sense of comfort and belonging in their Zoe Empowers peer group, and their customers bear witness their talents and transformation. As their businesses succeed, the children grow increasingly independent and confident.
Spiritual Strength
While Zoe Empowers is a religiously non-restrictive program, children experience the gospel in both action and words in ways that are always inviting but never coercive. The majority of participants find joy and meaning in collective prayer and feel confident attending worship.
ZOE Empowers Case Studies
Jean Marie
FUMC first met Jean Marie in 2024 when he was selling 6 live chickens at local markets. By 2026, he had 20 chickens on his bike, ready to sell them to restaurants in a major city (Huye) (who-yee). He was taller and healthier. His business, now thriving, includes 60 chickens, one cow, 2 pigs, 2 goats, and 12 sheep. His family eats 2 meals a day. He owns a bike, and his dream is to own a motorbike to improve his deliveries.​
Ettiene
Ten years after graduating from Zoe Empowers, Ettiene employs over 100 full-time Zoe graduate basket weavers with a fair, living wage weekly, fulfilling large orders and exporting. In 2014, he was exporting through a distributor for Target in the US.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:24
Identifying Vulnerable Youth
Vulnerable youths start as outcasts, homeless, and hungry. They are invited into peer groups by local community leaders. The groups help them develop a sense of safety, community, and trust.
