Daily Digest - March 23, 2015

"The Hispanic/Latino people — especially young people — must have a leading role in the mission of The United Methodist Church." — The Rev. Francisco Cañas, director of the National Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministries.

Time to rethink Hispanic/Latino ministry

DURHAM, N.C. (UMNS) — Did you know Latinos in the U.S. are more likely to be part of an interracial or interethnic couple than any other ethnic group? The diverse and changing realities of Hispanic/Latino people were the main topics of discussion at the recent National Consultation for Hispanic/Latino Ministry. The Rev. Gustavo Vasquez reports on what those realities mean for The United Methodist Church.
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UMW remembers its roots March 23

NEW YORK (UMNS) — To commemorate the date — March 23 — in 1869 when eight women gathered at Tremont Methodist Episcopal Church in Boston to create what eventually would become United Methodist Women, the denominational organization has designated a special giving day for its legacy fund. UMW will mark its 150th birthday in 2019.
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Helping the world access safe water

NEW YORK (UMNS) — Water is essential, yet, 884 million people around the world do not have adequate access to it. Because of this, 5,000 children a day die from waterborne diseases and 2.5 billion people around the world lack basic sanitation. Join with the United Methodist Committee on Relief to make a difference.
Learn how to help
Water is health

NPR host and pastors join seminary’s conversation on race

WASHINGTON (UMNS) — “If it’s in the news and it concerns people, the church should have something to say about it,” NPR Host Michel Martin said. Martin was one of the speakers, along with United Methodist pastors and professors, at Wesley Theological Seminary’s recent conversation on race. Martin is also a student at the seminary. The seminary’s Amy Shelton reports.
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United Methodist resources on mass incarceration

WASHINGTON (UMNS) — More black men in the U.S. are in prison or jail, on probation or parole today than were under slavery in 1850. The United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race is providing churches with multimedia resources to discuss mass incarceration and how Christians can take action. The issue is also a focus of this year’s Ecumenical Advocacy Days.
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More about Ecumenical Advocacy Days

Husband-and-wife doctor team fight malaria

KINGSPORT, Tenn. (UMNS) — Drs. Lynn and Sharon Fogleman, a husband-and-wife medical team with the Mission Society, live in South Sudan where they are part of the denominationwide effort to fight malaria. They talk about their experience in the Holston Conference, which has raised $1.2 million for Imagine No Malaria. The conference’s Annette Spence has the story.
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Piano man restoring Boonton church’s ‘Hope’

BOONTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Little is known about "Hope" except she was found curbside near a church and has been given new life by the Boonton United Methodist Church. "Hope" is a 95-year-old baby grand piano that was spared from being discarded. Northjersey.com tells the story.
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Lent Quiz: What group was not typically crucified in Rome?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Crucifixion was a brutal form of punishment that was not used on every criminal. Whom did the Romans crucify? Find out in today’s quiz.
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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.

Tuesday-Wednesday, March 24 and 25
Bishop Medardo E. Gomez visits Perkins — 7 p.m. CDT Tuesday, March 24 and 11:30 a.m. CDT Wednesday, March 25. The Rev. Medardo Gomez, human rights activist and bishop of the Lutheran Church of El Salvador, will speak at Southern Methodist University's Perkins School of Theology. On March 24, he will speak in Room 106 of Elizabeth Perkins Prothro Hall. On March 25, he will be a guest preacher for a worship service honoring the memory of Archbishop Oscar Romero in Perkins Chapel. Details.

Wednesday, March 25
Eiesland Endowed Lecture "Violence, Disability and the Politics of Healing" — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT, Emory University's Candler School of Theology in Atlanta. Julia Watts Belser, assistant professor of Jewish Studies at Georgetown University, will speak. Details.

Women in the World Conference — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT at Boston University: Photonics Center, 8 Saint Mary's Street, 9th Floor, Colloquium Room in Boston. This conference, hosted by Boston University School of Theology's Anna Howard Shaw Center, will include panels and small-group discussions on the theme, "Celebrating Women and the World." United Methodist Bishop Hope Morgan Ward will preach, and panelists include Eunjoo Kim, Cristian De La Rosa and Diana M. Swancutt. Details.

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