Daily Digest - August 5, 2024

“My heart bleeds when I see the distress of these innocent men, women and children, forced to flee their homes and live in such precarious conditions. We cannot remain indifferent to their suffering.” — Bishop Gabriel Yemba Unda, Eastern Congo Episcopal Area.

Church helps thousands of displaced families in Congo
GOMA, Congo (UM News) — Financial support from the United Methodist Committee on Relief helped to provide food and other necessities to more than 12,500 people displaced by war in eastern Congo. The United Methodist Church also supported women living in the camps by providing feminine hygiene items and education sessions. Chadrack Tambwe Londe reports. 
Read story 

NEWS AND FEATURES

Florida Conference, UMCOR
Responding to hurricane, wildfires
LAKELAND, Fla. — The Florida Conference and the United Methodist Committee on Relief are gearing up to respond to Hurricane Debby, which made landfall Aug. 5 in Florida’s Big Bend region. The Category 1 hurricane is forecast to drench north Florida, south Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina in the days ahead. UMCOR also is working with the California-Nevada and Pacific Northwest conferences in responding to fires in the Western U.S.
Read NPR story on Hurricane Debby https://www.npr.org/2024/08/05/nx-s1-5063893/hurricane-debby-florida-georgia-south-carolina
See Florida Conference updates
Donate to UMCOR U.S. Disaster Response 

Greater New Jersey Conference
Knitting ministry wraps others in prayer 
BOUND BROOK, N.J. — For 10 years, a group of women has gathered at Bound Brook United Methodist Church to minister to bodies and souls by knitting prayer shawls. To date, they’ve distributed more than 565 shawls and other comfort items, including hats for cancer patients and baby blankets to celebrate the newest little ones who have joined the church through baptism. The Rev. Sarah Borgstrom Lee reports.
Read story 

California-Nevada Conference
Micheal Pope named lay leaders' president
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Association of Annual Conference Lay Leaders has elected Micheal Pope, California-Nevada Conference lay leader, as the group’s president. She will serve in this role for two years. Conference staff have the story. 
Read story 

COMMENTARIES

UM News includes in the Digest commentaries about issues in the denomination. The opinion pieces reflect a variety of viewpoints and are the opinions of the writers, not UM News staff. 

Florida Conference
Churchgoers join in Olympics of life every day
LAKELAND, Fla. — Those leaving Paris without a medal are just as important to the Olympics and their fellow competitors as those standing on the medal stand. So it is with The United Methodist Church, where people don’t have to be pastors to make a contribution, writes Joe Henderson. 
Read commentary 

UM & Global
ATLANTA — Keep Discipline's connection to discipleship in mind
The recent General Conference approved continued work on the General Book of Discipline, including identifying the portions of the policy book that are adaptable and those that are not. David W. Scott urges United Methodists to remember the Discipline’s historic connection to Christian discipleship.
Read commentary 

RESOURCES

Finance and Administration
Academy planned for church administrators
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The General Council on Finance and Administration plans to host the Academy of Church Business Administration on Aug. 19-29 at the Denman Building. Attendees can come for one day or all nine. Topics include personnel/human resources, strategic planning, financial management and congregational leadership. The academy is intended for pastors, church office managers and church business administrators. 
Learn more and register 

RECENT HEADLINES

Prison visits help inmates, families 

Bishops, deaconesses and exits on court agenda 

EVENTS

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, Aug. 19-Saturday, Aug. 24
Online microcourse: Focusing on the Last Supper 

Monday, Aug. 19-Friday, Sept. 27
Online course: Engaging the Bible in Rural Ministry