“It would be hard to underestimate the value of the prayers and support and offers of help. We are telling people to just wait a few weeks; help will be needed.” — The Rev. Blake Busick, pastor of First United Methodist Church in Santa Rosa, California, where he and more than 20 families lost their homes to a wildfire.
Photos by Sue Larson
Santa Rosa residents return to ashes
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (UMNS) — More than 20 families in one United Methodist congregation here lost their homes to the wildfires that roared through California. In Napa, members of another church are taking people left homeless by fires into their homes. Kathy L. Gilbert reports.
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UMCOR responds to Rohingya refugee crisis
ATLANTA — The United Methodist Committee on Relief, through its partnership with Muslim Aid, is working to address humanitarian needs of vulnerable Rohingya in Myanmar, where more than half a million have fled their homes to escape violence. UMCOR is also prepared to provide additional funding and support to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, where the mass influx of refugees has led to a crisis.
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Joint statement from UMCOR, global humanitarian agencies
United Methodist education leaders meet in Africa
ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire (UMNS) — Officials from United Methodist higher educational institutions and theological schools in Africa voted at a meeting here to establish a body that will review the educational institutions in Africa to ensure consistency and quality.
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United Methodist keeps going with rescue tool
HOUSTON — Crowdsource Rescue was the web-based way that Chapelwood United Methodist Church member Matthew Marchetti and colleagues came up with for getting people rescued during Hurricane Harvey flooding. Their tool helped in the Florida Keys during Hurricane Irma and in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Marchetti plans to improve the service, now that hurricane season is winding down.
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Cataracts found in young Ebola survivors
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (NYTimes) — Ebola survivors, including children, are showing a high rate of cataracts. Doctors from United Methodist-affiliated Emory University and the eye hospital at Kissy United Methodist Hospital are playing a key role in responding to the problem. The New York Times reports.
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Committee explores Native American concerns
ATLANTA — A newly formed Committee for Native American Concerns met to act on the next steps to raise awareness of the harm caused by some U.S. sports teams that use Native American mascots and symbols. The United Methodist Board of Global Ministries has the story.
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St. Andrew's offers Advent devotional
BIG ISLAND, Va. — An Advent devotional booklet, “Lifting Up the Lowly,” is being offered by the Society of St. Andrew. The daily meditations, all new for 2017, can be ordered in quantity at no charge, downloaded for e-readers or subscribed to as a daily email.
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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.
Monday, Oct. 30-Monday, Nov. 27
Online Lay Servant Workshop: Life Together in the United Methodist Connection — Why does The United Methodist Church do things the way it does? What happened at General Conference that may affect us? This course from United Methodist BeADisciple.com will help newcomers to The United Methodist Church get their bearings and help longtime members consider the specific structural challenges the church faces in the 21st century. This course has been approved by United Methodist Discipleship Ministries as an advanced course in lay servant ministries and is the “polity” class required for lay speaker certification. $70. Details
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