“Exodus House is where God turned my life around. If I didn’t get sober and straighten up, I was going to be in prison the rest of my life.” — Shane Vaughn on how a United Methodist ministry helped him stay out of prison.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Oklahoma ministry helps prisoners re-enter society
OKLAHOMA CITY (UMNS) — A United Methodist ministry in Oklahoma aims to help prisoners re-enter society and stay out of jail. The state has the highest incarceration rate in the U.S. The Rev. Boyce Bowdon reports on Exodus House.
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Widows pay it forward in Nigeria
KARIM LAMIDO, Nigeria (UMNS) — The United Methodist Church in Nigeria is helping widows obtain new skills and become more self-reliant — and then watching as those efforts multiply when the women return home and train other widows. Ramson Danjuma has the story.
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Ask The UMC
Is this the first special General Conference?
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — How often has there been a special called General Conference, and has the quadrennial gathering ever been held in the same place twice? Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications, has the answers and a list of the locations of past General Conferences.
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Greater New Jersey Conference
Caravan of Hope feeds 5,000
HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. — Taking inspiration from Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000, Trinity Church spent two days last summer providing lunch for 5,532. The two-day Caravan of Hope brought together hundreds of parishioners, community residents and food ministries. The Rev. Frank Fowler III has the story.
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COMMENTARIES
Iowa Conference
Coming alongside others in care
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa — In choosing to serve as a distribution center after a tornado, members of Marshalltown Hope United Methodist Church were way over their heads, writes the Rev. Nan Smith. “But through this process, we discovered that we were taller than we realized as we served as one example of God’s love for our community.”
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RESOURCES
Society of St. Andrew
Advent devotions available
BIG ISLAND, Va. — The Society of St. Andrew, a United Methodist partner that combats hunger, has released its annual Advent devotional booklet. The free booklet, titled “Surprises Along the Way,” features all new meditations for 2018.
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RECENT HEADLINES
Pension staff plans for possible ways forward
Church finds new life as immigrant welcoming center
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Monday, Oct. 8-Monday, Oct. 29
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