“I found many gaming communities with a stronger sense of community than some of the local churches I had known.” — The Rev. David Petty, senior pastor at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Online gamer ministry offers unique outreach
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (UM News) — When a video game-playing pastor realized the strong communities that gamers were building online, he saw an untapped opportunity for ministry. Aaron Cross reports.
Read story
Commentary: How faith, gaming help us survive worst of times
Ask The UMC
What is the purpose of a Christian funeral?
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — What are we doing when we gather at a Christian funeral? Why do we say and do certain things? Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications, explores these questions and others related to United Methodist beliefs about death and resurrection in a new series.
Read story
Read more Ask The UMC
Minnesota Conference
Soul care during a pandemic
MINNEAPOLIS — Every night for more than a year, a group of laity and clergy in the Minnesota Conference has gathered via Zoom to share a devotion and ask one another: “How is it with your soul?” Becky Boland, a certified lay minister, leads the group.
Watch video
Tyler Morning Telegraph
Church moving forward after vandalism
TYLER, Texas — Church members and community volunteers gathered June 17 to pray and to clean up Tyler First United Methodist Church after a recent break-in and major vandalism of the interior, including the altar. The Rev. Sunny Farley, pastor, said the church has shown resilience through other difficult periods and will bounce back from this one. Raquel Torres reports.
Read story
ABC-11
Residents help clean up tornado damage
LONG BEACH, Miss. — The Rev. Ben Barlow, associate pastor at First United Methodist Church Long Beach, and several church members spent their Saturday putting a tarp on a neighbor’s home after two EF-0 tornadoes with 70-75 mph winds moved through the area. Hugh Keeton has the story.
Read story
PRESS RELEASES
Wespath Benefits and Investments
Sustainable Investment Report released
GLENVIEW, Ill. — The United Methodist agency that administers benefit plans for the denomination is reporting about its work in 2019-20, including the agency’s commitment to net-zero and other climate change actions, responding to COVID-19 and growing its affordable housing program. The Sustainable Investment Report was issued June 21 by Wespath Benefits and Investments.
Read press release
Read report
United Methodist Communications
Celebrating Social Media Day
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — United Methodist Communications will celebrate Social Media Day on June 30 with free learning opportunities throughout the day, including a special live learning session Q&A at noon Central time. “Social media is more than just being social, it's ministry,” said Poonam Patodia, the agency’s chief marketing officer. “Social Media Day is a good time to celebrate how it can help churches reach out beyond their surrounding communities.”
Read press release
Register and submit questions for the live Q&A
COMMENTARIES
UM News includes in the Daily Digest various commentaries about issues in the denomination. The opinion pieces reflect a variety of viewpoints and are the opinions of the writers, not the UM News staff.
Living as a United Methodist pastor in Nomadland
SOUTH MILWAUKEE, Wis. (UM News) — Like the main character in the Oscar-winning film "Nomadland," itinerant pastors learn to form community and connection even though they are always on the move. “If we are desiring to settle down, we will ignore connectionalism as the spirit of United Methodism,” writes the Rev. Dr. Sun-joong Kim.
Read commentary
RECENT HEADLINES
Nurse leads Korean church’s vaccine ministry
Connecting with people through prayer
EVENTS
Tuesday, June 22-Thursday, June 24
Minnesota Annual Conference
Wednesday, June 23-Friday, June 25
Mississippi Annual Conference
NEWS AND FEATURES
Online gamer ministry offers unique outreach
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (UM News) — When a video game-playing pastor realized the strong communities that gamers were building online, he saw an untapped opportunity for ministry. Aaron Cross reports.
Read story
Commentary: How faith, gaming help us survive worst of times
Ask The UMC
What is the purpose of a Christian funeral?
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — What are we doing when we gather at a Christian funeral? Why do we say and do certain things? Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications, explores these questions and others related to United Methodist beliefs about death and resurrection in a new series.
Read story
Read more Ask The UMC
Minnesota Conference
Soul care during a pandemic
MINNEAPOLIS — Every night for more than a year, a group of laity and clergy in the Minnesota Conference has gathered via Zoom to share a devotion and ask one another: “How is it with your soul?” Becky Boland, a certified lay minister, leads the group.
Watch video
Tyler Morning Telegraph
Church moving forward after vandalism
TYLER, Texas — Church members and community volunteers gathered June 17 to pray and to clean up Tyler First United Methodist Church after a recent break-in and major vandalism of the interior, including the altar. The Rev. Sunny Farley, pastor, said the church has shown resilience through other difficult periods and will bounce back from this one. Raquel Torres reports.
Read story
ABC-11
Residents help clean up tornado damage
LONG BEACH, Miss. — The Rev. Ben Barlow, associate pastor at First United Methodist Church Long Beach, and several church members spent their Saturday putting a tarp on a neighbor’s home after two EF-0 tornadoes with 70-75 mph winds moved through the area. Hugh Keeton has the story.
Read story
PRESS RELEASES
Wespath Benefits and Investments
Sustainable Investment Report released
GLENVIEW, Ill. — The United Methodist agency that administers benefit plans for the denomination is reporting about its work in 2019-20, including the agency’s commitment to net-zero and other climate change actions, responding to COVID-19 and growing its affordable housing program. The Sustainable Investment Report was issued June 21 by Wespath Benefits and Investments.
Read press release
Read report
United Methodist Communications
Celebrating Social Media Day
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — United Methodist Communications will celebrate Social Media Day on June 30 with free learning opportunities throughout the day, including a special live learning session Q&A at noon Central time. “Social media is more than just being social, it's ministry,” said Poonam Patodia, the agency’s chief marketing officer. “Social Media Day is a good time to celebrate how it can help churches reach out beyond their surrounding communities.”
Read press release
Register and submit questions for the live Q&A
COMMENTARIES
UM News includes in the Daily Digest various commentaries about issues in the denomination. The opinion pieces reflect a variety of viewpoints and are the opinions of the writers, not the UM News staff.
Living as a United Methodist pastor in Nomadland
SOUTH MILWAUKEE, Wis. (UM News) — Like the main character in the Oscar-winning film "Nomadland," itinerant pastors learn to form community and connection even though they are always on the move. “If we are desiring to settle down, we will ignore connectionalism as the spirit of United Methodism,” writes the Rev. Dr. Sun-joong Kim.
Read commentary
RECENT HEADLINES
Nurse leads Korean church’s vaccine ministry
Connecting with people through prayer
EVENTS
Tuesday, June 22-Thursday, June 24
Minnesota Annual Conference
Wednesday, June 23-Friday, June 25
Mississippi Annual Conference
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