Daily Digest - March 17, 2015

"… It pretty much saved my life, really." — Pride Jones, a regular at the homeless encampment at McMinnville Cooperative Ministries.

Church threatened with fines for taking in homeless

MCMINNVILLE, Ore. (UMNS) — McMinnville Cooperative Ministries, a joint United Methodist-Lutheran church, has been threatened with fines of up to $500 a day if it doesn't soon close an encampment of homeless people on its campus. Sam Hodges reports.
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UMCOR assessing response to Vanuatu cyclone

NEW YORK (UMNS) — After a Category 5 cyclone tore through the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu over the weekend, the United Methodist Committee on Relief has been in touch with United Methodist Board of Global Ministries’ missionaries and church partners in the region to assess damages and needs.
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WCC expresses solidarity with Vanuatu churches

Women church planters recognized

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Methodism has long depended on women to spread the gospel and help the church grow. March is Women's History Month, and Interpreter magazine uses the occasion to spotlight two contemporary women who are church planters, the Revs. Amy Peters and Molly Simpson.
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Alternative spring breaks: Vacation with more meaning

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Beaches and amusement parks are popular destinations but not the only places to find renewal. Some United Methodists choose an alternative spring break experience, spending the week serving people in need. Joe Iovino shares their stories.
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7 Abingdon Press books awards finalists

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — The United Methodist Publishing House has announced that seven of its Abingdon Press books are finalists for IndieFab Awards. The awards, voted on by librarians, honor books from the independent publishing community.
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History of Hymns: ‘Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah’

DALLAS (UMNS) — The well-known hymn was part of two of the most widely watched services of the past 20 years — the funeral of Princess Diana and later the wedding of her son, Prince William, to Catherine Middleton. The hymn is the creation of William Williams, a minister who left the Church of England for Methodism. Gabriel Edwards of Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology shares Williams’ story.
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Lent Quiz: What song from St. Patrick would be a Lenten devotion?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — United Methodists sing a hymn adapted from words on the breastplate of the famous early evangelist. Take our daily Lenten quiz to find out if you know which one.
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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.

Wednesday-Friday, March 18-20
Conference "Prophetic Voices: Confronting Theological Challenges of the Next Century" — Emory University Candler School of Theology continues the yearlong celebration of its 100th birthday with this academic conference. Topics include theological imagination and the issue of secularization, the image of God in contemporary society, creation and care of the earth, and the kingdom of God and global pluralism. Featured speakers include Candler’s Luke Timothy Johnson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Marilynne Robinson, Cambridge University’s Janet Soskice and Duke University’s Norman Wirzba. Details.

Wednesday, March 18
Deadline to register for Equipping Your Church for Change workshop — Workshop is 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. EDT Saturday, March 21, at Cornerstone United Methodist Church, 1675 84th St. SE, Caledonia, Michigan. The Rev. Bob Farr, director of the Center for Congregational Excellence in the Missouri Conference, will be the keynote speaker. The event costs $20. Details.

Thursday, March 19
Lecture "Russia and Ukraine: Is Reconciliation Possible?" — 2:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. EDT at the United Methodist Building, 100 Maryland Ave., Washington. Konstantin Sigov, a Russian Orthodox intellectual at Ukraine’s National University of Kyiv-Mohyla, will speak on the tension between Russia and the West. Elena Glazov-Corrigan, a Moscow native and an associate professor of Russian literature at Emory University in Atlanta, will respond. The United Methodist Board of Church and Society is sponsoring the event. Space is limited so RSVPs are requested by Tuesday, March 17. Details.

You can see more educational opportunities and other upcoming events in the life of the church here.