Daily Digest - September 29, 2020

"I was here for Hurricane Rita; this storm made that look like a baby." — Eric Darling, a retired police officer whose home in Lake Charles, Louisiana, was damaged by Hurricane Laura.

NEWS AND FEATURES

Amazing grace comes to storm survivors
LAKE CHARLES, La. (UM News) — Hurricane-weary folks in Louisiana welcome the helping hands of United Methodists from near and far as they pick up the pieces from Hurricane Laura. Story by Kathy L. Gilbert, photos from Mike DuBose.
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LebTown
Church brews connection with coffee
PALMYRA, Pa. — Awakenings, a new coffee shop that opened in September, has a dual purpose: to nourish the body and the soul. "We want people to awaken to the idea that the church just isn't here to sustain itself, that it is here to serve the community," says the Rev. Jim Anderman of Palmyra First United Methodist Church. James Mentzer reports.
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Texas Conference
Black college offers comfort amid trying times
MARSHALL, Texas — Safeguarding students during the coronavirus pandemic remains the top priority at Wiley College. As students learn remotely, the historically Black college also aims to help them cope through hurricanes in the Gulf, fires on the West Coast, civil unrest and a heated election season. The school is supported by the United Methodist Black College Fund. Lindsay Peyton has the story.
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Arkansas Conference
Conference lauded by food bank
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Arkansas Food Bank named the United Methodist Arkansas Conference its Faith-Based Group of the Year. The food bank also recognized the conference for its work addressing food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Caleb Hennington reports.
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Great Plains Conference
Podcast delves into church hospitality
LEAWOOD, Kan. — "The Art of Hospitality" is a new book drawing on the radical hospitality practices at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, the denomination's best-attended U.S. church. Authors Debi Nixon and Yvonne Gentile were interviewed by David Burke for the "Potluck" podcast.
Listen to podcast
Read about the book

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.

Church and Society
Revised Social Principles relevant to this time
EDMOND, Okla. — While conducting an increased number of small group studies via Zoom, the Rev. Trey Witzel, associate pastor of Edmond First United Methodist Church, decided to "road test" the revised Social Principles. "In many ways this has been helpful to unite around what we have in common rather than what divides," he writes.
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RESOURCES

United Methodist Global AIDS Committee
Oct. 1 webinar focuses on COVID-19, HIV-AIDS
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The United Methodist Global AIDS Committee has announced the panelists for "Confronting COVID-19 and HIV & AIDS," a free webinar set for 1 p.m. U.S. Central time on Oct. 1. The panelists are Kathleen Griffith, United Methodist Board of Global Ministries; Bishop Catherine Mutua, episcopal leader of the Kaaga Synod of The Methodist Church of Kenya; Dr. Neki A. Soriano, program coordinator for the Davao Episcopal Area health board in the Philippines; and Jerry Mallicoat, project manager for LGBTQ Heath Initiatives in Dayton, Ohio.
Read press release
Watch on Facebook
Read more about webinar series

Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
Hispanic Heritage Month talk looks at polarization
EVANSTON, Ill. — The Hispanic-Latinx Center at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary is hosting a Hispanic Heritage Month lecture on "The Cost of Polarization to Latinx Communities," featuring activist scholar and author Maria Teresa Dávila. The Zoom event will be Oct. 6 at 6 p.m. U.S. Central time, and is free and open to all.
Learn more or register

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