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| Wednesday, October 31, 2012 | |||||
"Disasters of this scale have a unique way of uniting people who often are divided by ideology, religion, ethnicity, region or political views. I already have seen evidence of this cooperative spirit, and pray that it will continue after the cleanup has been completed." - Arkansas Area Bishop Gary Mueller on Sandy. Millions fear storm, but the church is thereNEW YORK (UMNS) - United Methodists are just beginning their response to Sandy's wreckage in the Caribbean and in the United States. To help, donate to Hurricanes 2012, UMCOR Advance #3021787. You can also text the word RESPONSE to 80888 to give an immediate $10 donation. United Methodist News Service will continue to monitor the aftermath of Sandy and report on storm damage. Updates will appear on www.umcconnections.org. Happy Reformation DayNASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - On this date in 1517, German monk Martin Luther decided to play trick-or-treat at a Wittenberg, Germany, church door. The Roman Catholic hierarchy at the time viewed his 95 theses as a trick, but to Protestants, Luther's protest against the sale of indulgences became known as a treat. Although the observance of Reformation Day is more significant to Lutherans and Presbyterians than to United Methodists, the principles of the Reformation continue to be ours: salvation, not by works, but by faith; the priesthood of all believers and the primacy of Scripture. Haunted? Even Wesleys heard things go 'bump' in the nightLINCOLNSHIRE, England (UMNS) - Churches are havens of safety, places of welcome and respite, a heavenly pathway to God - but that doesn't mean they can't have their own tales of unexplained happenings. Even John Wesley's childhood home had an uninvited "guest." Pumpkin patch shows church's spiritMELBOURNE, Fla. (UMNS) - For visitors sorting through pumpkins at Emmanuel United Methodist Church to find traditional Halloween fare, the haunted grin of a Jack O' Lantern has given way to a glowing portrait of Jesus Christ. Florida Today has the story. The 2012 State of the Church Report releasedDALLAS (UMNS) - The newly released 2012 State of the Church Report focuses not only on traditional statistics of The United Methodist Church but also highlights ways in which the denomination is moving to create vital congregations. The report is created in partnership with the United Methodist Connectional Table, the Council of Bishops and the General Council on Finance and Administration. The report is available in English, French and Portuguese. It also will be published in Spanish as part of the November/December edition of El Intérprete, and in Korean as part of the November/December edition of United Methodists in Service, a Korean language magazine published by United Methodist Communications. | |||||
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