“We have been living day by day, without any hope of restoring the things we lost. The support coming through this project gives us hope that we can rebuild our lives, starting with regaining livestock and irrigation crops.” — Rebecca Navaya, on The United Methodist Church’s help for Cyclone Freddy survivors in Malawi.
NEWS AND FEATURES
United Methodists help cyclone survivors rebuild
BLANTYRE, Malawi (UM News) — With a $50,000 grant from the United Methodist Committee on Relief, The United Methodist Church in Malawi is supporting communities affected by Cyclone Freddy. The March 2023 cyclone killed more than 1,000 people in the country and displaced more than 560,000. The church is providing agricultural training and equipment and helping reconstruct community infrastructure. Francis Nkhoma reports.
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Iowa Conference
Bishop asks for prayers amid school shooting
DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Conference Bishop Kennetha Bigham-Tsai called for prayer as news broke of an active shooter situation at the high school in Perry. “Pray for the surrounding communities, the congregation of Perry First United Methodist Church and all those affected by this situation,” she wrote. “Pray for God’s peace.”
Read bishop’s statement
Read updates from CNN
South Carolina Conference
Parish nursing ministry keeps community healthy
ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Three United Methodist churches in the Orangeburg District are using a passion for health to help their community. Their efforts started in September 2021, when the Orangeburg Circuit — comprising Bethlehem, Mount Nebo and St. John United Methodist churches — turned to nurses for help in handling the COVID pandemic. The ministry has since grown. Jessica Brodie has the story.
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Arkansas Conference
Church helps family after fire
THORNTON, Ark. — After a recent fire left a local family homeless, Thornton United Methodist Church provided replacement clothes and temporary lodging. Church members and their pastor, the Rev. Ron Grigsby, are working hard to restore a mobile home for the family.
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PRESS RELEASES
The United Methodist Publishing House
Big grant for Publishing House
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The United Methodist Publishing House will be expanding its Everyday Faith Project, thanks to a $1.2 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. The project provides digital resources to children and parents or other caregivers, to help them explore together questions about Christian faith and discipleship.
Read press release
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 UM News staff.
Personal Reflections on Life and Faith
Pastor remembers Supreme Court justice’s visit
LONGWOOD, Fla. — Whenever Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday, the Rev. Jim Harnish writes that he is reminded of Christmas Eve in 1989, when Orlando, Florida, experienced a sudden freeze. That year, the church he pastored at the time, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Orlando, had the late Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun as a guest.
Read commentary
RESOURCES
Higher Education Foundation
Scholarships available for United Methodists
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The United Methodist Higher Education Foundation welcomes scholarship applications for the 2024-2025 academic year through March 1. Every year, the foundation awards more than $2 million in scholarships to nearly 1,000 students planning to attend a United Methodist-related institution of higher education.
Read press release
To apply
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