Daily Digest - July 26 2021

“When (Jesus) said that we are to love our neighbors, we are challenged to truly care for people near and far … now and in the future, in regards to our impact on the earth.”Bishop Sally Dyck, ecumenical officer of the Council of Bishops.

NEWS AND FEATURES
 
Young Methodists raising climate change awareness

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — Young Methodists around the world are trying to educate as many people as possible about the danger of climate change and ways to combat it. The effort is called Climate Justice for All, or CJ4A. Jim Patterson reports.
Read story
UM News: Agencies set greenhouse gas emissions goal

South Georgia Conference
Friendship, outreach help church grow

BRUNSWICK, Ga. — A proponent of friendship evangelism, the Rev. Ken Sharpe has a habit of starting conversations and making friends wherever he goes. Members of Emanuel United Methodist Church have started to follow his lead. Kara Witherow has the story of how the small church doubled in size.
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Duke Today
New Duke Divinity dean steps into office

DURHAM, N.C. — The Rev. Edgardo Colón-Emeric has stepped into his new role as dean of United Methodist Duke Divinity School. An ordained elder in the North Carolina Conference, Colón-Emeric has served on the Duke faculty since 2008. He also is part of the denomination’s Committee on Faith and Order and Methodist-Catholic dialogues.
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Citizen Times
Church makes ‘hard decision’ to sell property

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Biltmore United Methodist Church, which has occupied a spot on the southeast side of Interstate 40 for over a half-century, decided this month to sell its property. It is on the market for $4.9 million. "It was a hard decision to make," the Rev. Lucy Robbins said. “We've been in that process for a couple of years now, beginning with the question of, ‘What do we do with all this empty space? And how do we use it to offset the maintenance costs?’” John Boyle has the story.
Read story

 
PRESS RELEASES

United Methodist Men   
Virtual National Men’s Gathering announced

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Commission on United Methodist Men has announced that its 2021 Virtual National Men’s Gathering will be Aug. 28, beginning at 10 a.m. U.S. Central time. The event will feature keynote speeches from the Rev. Ron Bell of Camphor Memorial United Methodist Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the Rev. Tom Albin, recently retired as director of Spiritual Formation and Congregational Life for The Upper Room.
Read press release
Register for event


RESOURCES

Discipleship Ministries
Rebuilding church choirs after the pandemic

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The impact of the year-plus-long pandemic on singing in the church and on choirs in particular is difficult to overstate. Diana Sanchez-Bushong, Discipleship Ministries’ director of music ministries, gathered a panel of church musicians for a podcast on revitalizing the church choir.
Listen to podcast


RECENT HEADLINES

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2 jurisdictions plan for church future


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