Daily Digest - February 28, 2017

“I’m not claiming to be Jesus Christ, but I know what it is like to be persecuted and almost executed.” — Ndume Olatushani, artist.

Artist works to disrupt 'cradle-to-prison' pipeline

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Ndume Olatushani is one of the featured artists in the Stations of the Cross art exhibit in Washington, which begins at the United Methodist Building. Olatushani spent 28 years in prison for a murder he did not commit. Kathy L. Gilbert, Mike DuBose, and Joey Butler have the story, photos and video.
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View video

New church blazes trail to boost attendance

KALIMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (UMNS) — United Methodists built the denomination’s first church in the Kalima District with help from the Memphis Conference. However, many still couldn’t attend worship during the rainy season because the downpours would flood two fishponds and block access. So the congregation contributed money to build a new road to the church. Judith Yanga has the story. 
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Religion and Race at the border

SAN DIEGO (UMNS)  — Directors of the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race dedicated a day of their Feb. 22-25 meeting to learn about the realities of immigrants, refugees and borderland communities. The trip included travel through the San Ysidro Port of Entry as well as worship and communion at the border wall between California and Mexico. 
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Goal: Plant a church a day

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — A Discipleship Ministries report celebrating the success of new United Methodist faith communities also includes a plan to plant a United Methodist church every day in the United States.
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Center preserves African-American Methodist history

MADISON, N.J. (UMNS) — For many years, there was a concern that the legacy of African-Americans in Methodism was being lost because heirs were not always aware that items like papers, journals or photographs were of value to the church. The African-American Methodist Heritage Center was created in 2001 to “preserve, protect and promote” that history. Joey Butler and Lilla Marigza report. 
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'Messy Church' reaches the unchurched

NORTH CANTON, Ohio (UMNS) — Messy Church is bringing “some of the lost and forgotten into the church,” said one woman whose church started the ministry last October. About 75 people attended a workshop on Messy Church sponsored by the East Ohio Conference Spiritual Formation Committee and East Ohio Conference Christians Engaged in Faith Formation. Rick Wolcott reports. 
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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.

Tuesday, March 7

Children’s Ministry webinar, "Creating PrayGrounds in Worship" — 12:30-1:30 p.m. EST. This webinar is part of a series from Discipleship Ministries that opens up the enlivening questions at the center of children’s faith formation: Will our children have faith? Details

See more United Methodist events


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