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Daily Digest - February 13, 2015

"At this first stage, we are just looking for food because we have children going hungry.”— Mozambique Bishop Joaquina Filipe Nhanala about needed flood relief.

Church responds to devastating Mozambique floods

MAPUTO, Mozambique (UMNS) — United Methodists are responding to deadly floods in the northern part of Mozambique with much-needed food and prayer, Bishop Joaquina Filipe Nhanala told church leaders meeting in her country this week. Heather Hahn reports.
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Snowfall brings windfall for Maine church

CARIBOU, Maine (UMNS) — It’s fair to say that all the snow that’s fallen on New England this winter has not been warmly received by many folks. But all the plowing had an upside for Gray Memorial United Methodist Church. When their regular snowplow driver hit one of the pillars in front of the church a few weeks ago, he unearthed a 1913 time capsule the congregation had been seeking for nearly two years.
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Fight to save historic tabernacle

DOWAGIAC, Mich. — A tabernacle constructed in 1890 once held thousands of worshippers who came by train and horse-drawn wagon to attend revivals at Crystal Springs, Michigan's oldest religious camp. The Stella Cooper Memorial Tabernacle at the United Methodist camp is still used for summer camps, weddings and other events. But major repairs are needed to save the 12,000-square-foot building. John Matuszak of the Herald-Palladium reports on efforts to save an important piece of the denomination’s history.
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Pastor education fund reaches $3 million goal

OKLAHOMA CITY (UMNS) — Jay Smith, a seminary student at Asbury Theological Seminary and an associate pastor, is the first recipient of the Oklahoma United Methodist Pastor Education Fund scholarship. The scholarship made his dream of a seminary education a reality. In amounts from $10 to $100,000, gifts added up to $3 million to provide seminary scholarships for Oklahoma United Methodist clergy. Holly McCray, editor and Oklahoma Conference communications director, has the story.
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SMU professor shares in Grammy Award

DALLAS (UMNS) — Paula Elrod Huffman, an associate professor of music at Southern Methodist University, is part of a professional choir that won a Grammy Award earlier this week for best choral performance. Huffman sings with Austin, Texas-based Conspirare, which won for its recording "The Sacred Spirit of Russia." Huffman is a featured soloist on one of the tracks.
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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.

Sunday, Feb. 15
Transfiguration Sunday — Worship resources from United Methodist Discipleship Ministries

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


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