"Protecting the weak and the vulnerable … that’s what this church has always done and will always do." — The Rev. Jill Zundel, pastor of Detroit Central United Methodist Church on why the church offered sanctuary to a family.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Michigan Conference
Family finds sanctuary in United Methodist church
DETROIT — The Rranxburgaj family is living in Central United Methodist Church in Michigan. Ded Rranxburgaj reported to the church on Jan. 16 instead of to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement because he feared deportation, and the church offered them sanctuary. Kay DeMoss has the story.
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Read NPR coverage
Next week: UMNS reporter Kathy L. Gilbert looks at the church’s response to Dreamers and the sanctuary movement.
Missouri Conference
Pastoring in partisan times
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Preachers face a challenge during these highly polarized times in making worship a holy experience. Fred Koenig summarizes the advice shared during the conference’s webinar series, “Pastoring in Partisan Times.”
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PRESS RELEASES
Council on Finance and Administration
Local churches to be listed on Guidestar
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Local churches and other United Methodist organizations will soon have new avenues to receive donations. The General Council on Finance and Administration has worked to get Guidestar, a respected database of nonprofits, to list these United Methodist groups. That means that United Methodist churches and organizations can be recognized as charitable organizations by Guidestar partners such as Amazon Smile, Network for Good, Facebook and Google for Nonprofits.
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To sign up
Commission on Status and Role of Women
'Women Called to Ministry' curriculum now in Korean
CHICAGO — The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women translated its “Women Called to Ministry” curriculum into Korean. The six-session study explores women's roles in The United Methodist Church. The curriculum grapples with questions such as, “Why are women ordained?”
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COMMENTARIES
Northern Illinois Conference
A bishop’s book reviews
CHICAGO — Chicago Area Bishop Sally Dyck got a lot of reading done during a recent renewal leave. She offers mini-reviews of such books as “Eleanor: a Spiritual Biography,” about Eleanor Roosevelt, and “Moral Combat: How Sex Divided American Christians and Fractured American Politics.”
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RECENT HEADLINES
Faith groups put human face on migration
Commentary: 5 propositions for the Korean United Methodist Church
EVENTS
Here are some of the activities ahead for United Methodists across the connection. If you have a United Methodist event to share, you can add it to the calendar with this submission form.
Monday, Feb. 5-Friday, March 2
Online Lay Servant Workshop: Your Ministry of Leading Worship 101
Monday, Feb. 12-Friday, March 16
Online book study: Lord, it’s boring in my prayer closet
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