"It’s pretty crazy. I’m 61, and I’ve never seen this in Houston, and I’ve been through maybe 10 hurricanes and three or four major floods. And this is the worst ever." — The Rev. Rudy Rasmus, St. John’s United Methodist Church, Houston.
Honduras, Guatemala pastors rely on prayer
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (UMNS) — A small group of United Methodist bishops and church leaders from the United States recently visited churches in Honduras and Guatemala, two of the most violent countries in the world. The United Methodist Mission in Honduras was started by the Board of Global Ministries in 1997 and is the only United Methodist church in Latin America. Kathy L. Gilbert has the story and photos.
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Watch video
Relief efforts in flooded south Texas
DALLAS (UMNS) — As Tropical Storm Harvey floods the Houston area, United Methodists are finding ways to help. Churches have used boats for rescues and opened their doors to take in those forced out of their homes. The denominational relief response is gearing up, and emergency response teams have begun to arrive on the Texas Gulf Coast, which was battered Aug. 25-26 when Harvey hit at hurricane force. Sam Hodges and Linda Bloom report.
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From inside an ark in Texas
Service mourns mudslide victims
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (UMNS) — As the death toll continues to rise, United Methodist Bishop John Yambasu helped organize a service of remembrance that allowed survivors to mourn the dead. The scale of the disaster meant many families could not have funeral services before a mass burial of some 300 victims. Phileas Jusu reports.
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United Methodists in Ministers March for Justice
WASHINGTON (UMNS) — United Methodist clergy, from bishops to local pastors, were among 3,000 clergy gathered in the shadow of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington for the Ministers March for Justice. Erik Alsgaard reports.
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State fair staple for 120 years
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Since 1897, the congregation of what is now Hamline Church United Methodist has been serving food at the Minnesota State Fair. One item that has stayed in demand is its signature Hamline Ham Loaf with mustard-vinegar-brown sugar sauce. Fred Melo of the Tribune News Service has the story.
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Character-development curriculum available
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The United Methodist Publishing House announces a new resource, “Love in a Big World,” a curriculum designed to help young people turn from risky behaviors and choose to live faithfully through meaningful encounters and conversations with caring adults. The curriculum focuses on character development for kindergarten through eighth grade.
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To review curriculum
Resources for Hunger Action Month
BIG ISLAND, Va. — The Society of St. Andrew is offering downloadable resources for Hunger Action Month in September, including a daily calendar for prayer and action, weekly newsletter and bulletin announcements, children’s sermons and hunger-focused study resources.
See resource page
Looking ahead
Here are some of the activities ahead for United Methodists across the connection. If you have a United Methodist event to share, you can add it to the calendar with this submission form.
Thursday, Aug. 31
Early Bird registration deadline for Leadership Institute 2017 — The institute will be Sept. 27-29 at United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. Details
See short video about the event
Thursday, Sept. 7
Webinar "Manage Your Screen Time, Manage Your Life" — 1:55 p.m. CDT. This interactive webinar will provide tips and strategies for breaking away from your electronic devices. Wespath Benefits and Investments and the United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women are sponsors. Details
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