“The past three weeks have been truly heartbreaking.” — Bishop Hector Ortiz, Methodist Church of Puerto Rico, speaking via livestream about the after-effects of Hurricane Maria to the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.
UMCOR grants to boost hurricane relief efforts
ATLANTA (UMNS) — The United Methodist response to the devastating 2017 hurricane season is getting a boost through new grants from the United Methodist Committee on Relief, part of the Board of Global Ministries. Linda Bloom reports.
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Donate to UMCOR U.S. disaster relief
Testifying to God’s power through mission
ATLANTA — In his report to directors of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, Thomas Kemper, top executive, challenged the church to bear witness and acknowledge the many ways in which United Methodists in mission already testify to the power of God. Elliott Wright has the story from the agency’s Oct. 12-14 meeting.
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Global missionaries commissioned for service
Bishop: Responding to California wildfires
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Bishop Minerva Carcaño, who leads the California-Nevada Conference, asks for continuous prayer and suggests other ways to help amid the destruction caused by the northern California wildfires.
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United Methodists help, struggle amid wildfires
Lots of preaching, little strategizing
THE WOODLANDS, Texas (UMNS) — The Wesleyan Covenant Association, an evangelical group within The United Methodist Church, gathered here Oct. 14. The meeting, simulcast to 64 locations around the U.S., featured lots of preaching but leaders said their group's strategy for shaping the denomination’s future must wait on a report from the Commission on a Way Forward. Sam Hodges has the story.
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Bishop pleads with legislators on gun laws
INDIANAPOLIS — Noting that he writes as “one who prays for you and your leadership on behalf of this country,” Bishop Julius C. Trimble of the Indiana Conference pleaded with members of the Indiana congressional delegation “to do all you can to pass laws and shift our misguided notions of the right to bear arms over public safety.”
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Impact of Boy Scouts admitting girls
IRVING, Texas — The Boy Scouts of America board has approved welcoming girls into its Cub Scout program and delivering a program that will allow girls to advance to the rank of Eagle. Rich Peck of United Methodist Men reports on what this means for United Methodists.
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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.
Thursday, Oct. 19-Thursday, Nov.16
Evangelism for Non-Evangelists Online — This five-week introductory online evangelism course is team-taught by the Rev. Heather Heinzman Lear, the director of evangelism at Discipleship Ministries, and the Rev. Mark Teasdale, E. Stanley Jones associate professor of evangelism at Garrett- Evangelical Theological Seminary. This course invites you to grow deeper in faith and, as you do, reflect on why you believe God is good, articulate your faith in a way that is authentic to that belief, and develop creative practices that grow from those beliefs. It also equips you to implement those creative practices in a congregational setting. Details
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