“But there are still (girls) with us. Those ones we don’t know if their parents are alive or dead. The school is doing all we can to support them.” — The Rev. Jane Lahai of girls left at a United Methodist school after the Ebola outbreak.
Parents missing since Ebola
MOYAMBA, Sierra Leone (UMNS) — The effects of the deadly Ebola outbreak in West Africa still linger at June Hartranft Memorial Primary School for Girls. Several of the school’s boarding students face an uncertain future as authorities struggle to locate their parents nine months after Ebola ended in the country. Phileas Jusu reports.
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California wildfire destroys 170-year-old church
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. (CBS13) — The Clayton Fire, which has forced the evacuation of 10,000 people, has already destroyed some 200 structures — including Lower Lake United Methodist Church. The 170-year-old church runs a thrift store and is known as a cornerstone in the community, reports CBS 13 in Sacramento. “Fire destroys but it also purifies so let’s see where it takes us,” says the Rev. John Pavoni, the church’s pastor.
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Bishop: ʽWe are stories, not symptomsʼ
WHITE ROCK, S.C. (UMNS) — Retired United Methodist Bishop Kenneth Carder serves as chaplain in a memory care unit. In his latest blog post, he writes about how people with dementia are often treated by medical personnel as a collection of symptoms rather than as individuals with stories that deserve to be heard and understood.
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Read UMNS story about Carder’s work
Finding contemporary songs in Wesleyan tradition
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Worship leaders and music ministers can now use a new online tool developed by Discipleship Ministries to select contemporary worship songs that most closely align with Wesleyan theology. The songs are rated numerically in three categories — theology, language and singability — and the interactive tool also suggests where the songs could fit into a worship service.
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See tool
UMCOR trains water pump caretakers
KAFURA, Zimbabwe (UMNS) — The borehole at the Kafura Secondary School, the main water source for the community, broke down amid persistent drought. The United Methodist Committee on Relief, in partnership with the government, restored the borehole and made it the focus of their training of village water pump caretakers. Admire Mukorera reports for UMCOR.
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Board named for New Room Books
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — The United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry has announced the editorial board members for its academic publishing imprint, New Room Books. The imprint is named for John Wesley’s New Room in Bristol, England, and offers works by scholars in the Methodist tradition.
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Looking ahead
Here are some of the activities ahead for United Methodists across the connection. If you have an item to share, email [email protected] and put Digest in the subject line.
Tuesday, Aug. 23
Webinar “Embracing Stewardship” — 7 to 8 p.m. EDT. To many, embracing stewardship can feel a bit like embracing a porcupine, especially when stewardship is just another code word for financial giving to the church. Join Grace Duddy Pomroy as she explores what stewardship is really all about and share a few ideas to help members and leaders of a congregation embrace stewardship together. Details
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