Daily Digest: August 28, 2014

“We’re an old battleship that’s been re-commissioned.”
– Michael Smith, director of the Holding Institute in Laredo, Texas.

Nonprofit finds life in meeting immigrants’ needs
LAREDO, Texas (UMNS) Less than a year ago, Michael Smith found himself trying to breathe life into a dormant community center known as Holding Institute. Now, the United Methodist Women National Mission Institution has become Laredo’s go-to place for humanitarian relief in the summer border immigration crisis.

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Officially closed, but open to new ministry
SAN DIEGO (UMNS) — When it seemed inevitable that Christ United Methodist Church in San Diego would eventually close, the Rev. Bill Jenkins convinced his dwindling congregation to take a slightly different path. Now, rooms that hadn’t been used in decades are providing space for community programs and worship.

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Resources for church planters
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Church planters, who often feel isolated as they work to establish new churches and faith communities, will be more connected and have better resources as a result of a road trip New Church Starts (Path 1) made throughout the five jurisdictions of The United Methodist Church.

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Churches host prom for special needs adults, teens
CLEVELAND, Ohio (UMNS) — Hope United Methodist Church and Garfield Memorial Church hosted the Heart of Rock and Roll Prom for adults and teens with special needs. More than 70 groups and organizations in northeast Ohio worked together to make the evening possible. The East Ohio Conference has a story and slideshow, and television station Fox 8 broadcast a story.

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Applicants sought for talks on Social Principles
WASHINGTON (UMNS) — Applications to participate in consultations about the United Methodist Social Principles are being accepted by the United Methodist Board of Church and Society. Some of the dates have been adjusted including new application deadlines. A consultation for the Philippines has been added. Because of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, a previously scheduled consultation Abuja, Nigeria, is delayed a new dates are still to be scheduled.

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Remembering the beginnings of Methodism in Russia
VORONEZH, Russia (UMNS) — Methodist deaconess Anna Eklund, tended to the poor and the sick of Petrograd. Pastor Young Hah Kim refused to leave for Korea as long as a single Methodist remained in Vladivostok and later died in a labor camp. They were among the heroes and martyrs remembered in August by the Eurasia Area of The United Methodist Church.

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Ebola coverage
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Full coverage of The United Methodist Church's response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa can be found at www.umc.org/ebola.


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