Will a Wesley win Lent Madness?

Methodism could score a victory as part of a unique Lenten practice created by an Episcopalian priest in Massachusetts. In 2010, Tim Schenck decided to play off the popular practice of creating brackets to predict the winner of the NCAA college basketball championship, a tradition called March Madness.

In Lent Madness, saints, both ancient and modern, compete against each other for the coveted Golden Halo. People can read the Lent Madness blog and vote for their favorites.

National Public Radio featured this story. Take a listen and please share your comments about the idea below.

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Faith Sharing

Photo by Charity Ponter; graphic by Laurens Glass, UM News. Luke 6:31

Social media graphics from UM News

Illustration for Luke 6:30 is available to download and share on social media.

A portion of Hong Kong at night as seen from Victoria Peak. More than 400,000 migrant domestic workers live in Hong Kong, about five percent of the total population. They cook and clean and care for children, pets, and the elderly. They also at times endure horrible treatment. Photo by Paul Jeffrey, UM News.

United Methodists support migrant workers in Hong Kong

A United Methodist pastor from the Philippines and a deaconess from the U.S. work to empower migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong. The migrants are mostly women who often face difficult challenges in both their workplace and their relationship to families back home.

Mission and Ministry

On the eve of the 2024 United Methodist General Conference in Charlotte, N.C., climate activists hold a candlelight Vigil for Creation to mark Earth Day and to call the denomination to greater stewardship of creation. Participants included Mary Frances Gaston (left) Emily McGinn, students at the Candler School of Theology in Atlanta. The service took place at the First United Methodist Church of Charlotte. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

The year in photos

2024 was a year of great change for The United Methodist Church and the world. General Conference brought big changes for the denomination, while wars and severe weather left millions of people displaced. The contentious U.S. presidential election fueled concerns over immigration, reproductive rights and other issues. But in a world filled with uncertainty, United Methodists continued to live out their faith. UM News documents a year in the life of United Methodism worldwide.

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