"That's the cool thing. They lost their home, and the next day they were serving other people." - The Rev. Andy Stoddard, pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church, talking about his youth pastor, Jeff West.
In wake of personal loss, they served others
PETAL, Miss. (UMNS) - "We were just thankful that no one was hurt," said Jeff West, 27, a youth pastor at Asbury United Methodist Church. The Hattiesburg American reports that West and his wife, Ashlie, helped others before they turned to picking through their badly damaged home after a Feb. 10 tornado devastated the area. Now, the crew of the HGTV show, Catastrophe Inc., is on site helping to put hammer to nail so the Wests can get back in their home.
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British Methodists remember Margaret Thatcher
LONDON (UMNS) - The Rev. Mark Wakelin reflected on the late British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, noting on the website of the Methodist Church of Britain that "her roots in a personally responsible Methodist tradition were greatly admired by many."
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Keep your church website engaging
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - Once you have covered all the basics of your website - location, worship times, staff bios and events - you need to keep things fresh and engaging if you want visitors to come back often. Learn how to keep the content relevant, inspiring and maybe a little edgy.
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Argentina sustains historic flooding
NEW YORK (UMNS) - The United Methodist Committee on Relief is assessing damages and relief needs in the province and city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, after record rainfall last week caused severe flooding that took the lives of 57 people and shut down power for more than a quarter million.
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Children's home in Japan offers safe haven
FUKUSHIMA, Japan (UMNS) - The Horikawa Aiseien Children's Home is helping children recover from Japan's 2011 "triple disaster" of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis. Read how the United Methodist Committee on Relief is lending support.
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Growing German church in online competition
BREMERHAVEN, Germany (UMNS) - The United Methodist congregation in Bremerhaven, Germany, takes church to the people to worship beyond church walls once a month. In three years, the congregation has grown from 12 members and almost closing its doors to having 80 people at worship each Sunday. The church is competing in an online competition in Germany to raise funds for their work. Voting is daily through April 15.
To vote. Then click Abstimmung and look for the Bremerhaven church in the list.
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