“It’s documented that COVID-19 affects Black people and other people of color more than other communities, so it’s a priority for us that the vaccine is available to our community.” — The Rev. Leah Burns, pastor of Lennon-Seney United Methodist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Holston Conference
Churches get more shots in arms
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Lennon-Seney United Methodist Church parking lot is bustling midweek with a large medical van, health care workers and patients arriving to get their COVID-19 vaccines. At least six churches in the Holston Conference have served or plan to serve as vaccination site hosts. Annette Spence has the story.
Read story
Dakotas Conference
Circle of Friends ministers to disabled
RAPID CITY, S.D. — A childhood incident involving his cousin motivated Gene Mason to start Circle of Friends, a ministry for people with intellectual disabilities, at Open Heart United Methodist Church. He has never forgotten the time his cousin Bobby wasn’t picked to play in a football game. Doreen Gosmire has the story.
Read story
South Carolina Conference
Men’s retreat focuses on unity
COLUMBIA, S.C. — It was shorter than years past — just two hours on a Friday night — and many of the participants weren’t even gathered in person. But those who attended the Men n Ministry “One in the Spirit” retreat said it was just as powerful and Spirit-filled as the rest. The event focused on unity both in the wider society and at home. Jessica Brodie has the story.
Read story
United Methodist Communications
5 surprising ways churches move outside the building
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The year 2020 may have forever changed our picture of church. A Barna Group study found that 59% of churchgoing Gen Zers will not return to regularly attending in-person church gatherings, meaning they will engage with their church communities in other ways. The Rev. Ryan Dunn, minister of online engagement for Rethink Church, looks at creative ways the church has been and may continue to be in ministry outside of in-person worship.
Read story
TheBurgNews.com
Church zeroes in on neighborhood’s needs
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Since October, Linglestown Life’s Rockville Church campus has welcomed about 25 local students regularly to complete their online schooling from the church building. Through the Community Classroom experience, they zeroed in on what the neighborhood’s needs were, including child care and education assistance. Now, the United Methodist congregation is finishing work on a new community center. Maddie Conley Gittens reports.
Read story
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.
‘I believe in the resurrection and reparations’
INDIANAPOLIS (UM News) — Indiana Conference Bishop Julius C. Trimble recounts experiences of racism from his mother’s and his own childhood and acknowledges that so many others have suffered from systemic racism. “We, as a nation, owe them at minimum an apology and a calculated commitment to address the generational harm that has been done,” he writes.
Read commentary
RESOURCES
Celebrate Native American Ministries Sunday
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Native American Ministries Sunday was created in 1988 to develop and strengthen Native American ministries. Last year, United Methodists donated more than $273,000 to the Special Sunday offering. For this year’s celebration on April 18, congregations can download worship materials (available in English, Spanish and Korean), infographics, videos, pew cards and more to help celebrate the ministry and contributions of Native Americans.
Download resources
RECENT HEADLINES
African bishops not united on church future
Racial diversity linked to church growth
EVENTS
Thursday, April 22
Earth Day
NEWS AND FEATURES
Holston Conference
Churches get more shots in arms
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Lennon-Seney United Methodist Church parking lot is bustling midweek with a large medical van, health care workers and patients arriving to get their COVID-19 vaccines. At least six churches in the Holston Conference have served or plan to serve as vaccination site hosts. Annette Spence has the story.
Read story
Dakotas Conference
Circle of Friends ministers to disabled
RAPID CITY, S.D. — A childhood incident involving his cousin motivated Gene Mason to start Circle of Friends, a ministry for people with intellectual disabilities, at Open Heart United Methodist Church. He has never forgotten the time his cousin Bobby wasn’t picked to play in a football game. Doreen Gosmire has the story.
Read story
South Carolina Conference
Men’s retreat focuses on unity
COLUMBIA, S.C. — It was shorter than years past — just two hours on a Friday night — and many of the participants weren’t even gathered in person. But those who attended the Men n Ministry “One in the Spirit” retreat said it was just as powerful and Spirit-filled as the rest. The event focused on unity both in the wider society and at home. Jessica Brodie has the story.
Read story
United Methodist Communications
5 surprising ways churches move outside the building
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The year 2020 may have forever changed our picture of church. A Barna Group study found that 59% of churchgoing Gen Zers will not return to regularly attending in-person church gatherings, meaning they will engage with their church communities in other ways. The Rev. Ryan Dunn, minister of online engagement for Rethink Church, looks at creative ways the church has been and may continue to be in ministry outside of in-person worship.
Read story
TheBurgNews.com
Church zeroes in on neighborhood’s needs
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Since October, Linglestown Life’s Rockville Church campus has welcomed about 25 local students regularly to complete their online schooling from the church building. Through the Community Classroom experience, they zeroed in on what the neighborhood’s needs were, including child care and education assistance. Now, the United Methodist congregation is finishing work on a new community center. Maddie Conley Gittens reports.
Read story
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.
‘I believe in the resurrection and reparations’
INDIANAPOLIS (UM News) — Indiana Conference Bishop Julius C. Trimble recounts experiences of racism from his mother’s and his own childhood and acknowledges that so many others have suffered from systemic racism. “We, as a nation, owe them at minimum an apology and a calculated commitment to address the generational harm that has been done,” he writes.
Read commentary
RESOURCES
Celebrate Native American Ministries Sunday
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Native American Ministries Sunday was created in 1988 to develop and strengthen Native American ministries. Last year, United Methodists donated more than $273,000 to the Special Sunday offering. For this year’s celebration on April 18, congregations can download worship materials (available in English, Spanish and Korean), infographics, videos, pew cards and more to help celebrate the ministry and contributions of Native Americans.
Download resources
RECENT HEADLINES
African bishops not united on church future
Racial diversity linked to church growth
EVENTS
Thursday, April 22
Earth Day
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