"I know now that if I would have responded the way I wanted to initially, I would have pushed this student away." — The Rev. R. Scott Miller, Cincinnati, Ohio, on communicating with young people.
How can churches help with incarceration epidemic?
DALLAS (UMNS) — The epidemic of incarceration has reached an all-time high, especially for people of color. This weekend, pastors, church and community leaders, executives, nonprofit officials and family members of the imprisoned will gather at Hamilton Park United Methodist Church for the National Prison Summit. Rethink Church will be leading workshops on how churches can rethink their prison ministry.
Talking to young people: How to help, not hurt
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Broken bones heal in six to eight weeks, but words like “stupid” and “ugly” can hurt for years. Those who work with youth most often use words to build up and inspire, but there are times when the wrong words come out. United Methodist Communication’s Joe Iovino has some tips from United Methodist youth and children’s ministry leaders to help keep miscommunication to a minimum.
West Virginia state senator pastor of three churches
HARPER’S FERRY, W. Va. (UMNS) — John Unger thinks the interaction between his three churches – United Methodist, Episcopal, and Lutheran congregations – can be a model for the rest of the country. Unger, who is also a state senator, believes the example of individual congregations working together but still keeping distinctive traditions would be a great model for national politics, too. Religion and Ethics Newsweekly has the story.
Nov. 30 deadline to apply for ecumenical study at Bossey
BOSSEY, Switzerland (UMNS) — The World Council of Churches Ecumenical Institute in Bossey is inviting applications for the 2015-16 academic programs in ecumenical studies. The deadline is Nov. 30 and applicants may apply for a scholarship if they fulfill the conditions for financial support.
World Toilet Day: No joke
NEW YORK (UMNS) — A toilet can be a lifesaving device for the more than 2.5 billion people who do not have access to basic sanitation. Mike Barbee, technical officer for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) for the United Methodist Committee on Relief, shows why in a video supporting World Toilet Day Nov. 19.
United Methodist joins NCC staff
WASHINGTON (UMNS) — The Rev. Steven D. Martin, a United Methodist pastor, and the Rev. Aundreia Alexander, an American Baptist pastor, are joining the staff of the National Council of Churches as director of communications and development, and staff executive for action and advocacy for justice and peace, respectively. United Methodist Jim Winkler is the NCC’s top executive.
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, Nov. 17
New missionaries commissioned — 11 a.m. ET. The United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries will commission seven new missionaries for service around the world. The new missionaries come from South Korea, the United States, Paraguay and the Philippines and will be serving in Tanzania, Côte d’Ivoire, Honduras, the United States and Taiwan. Bishop Silvio Cevallos of the Evangelical United Methodist Church will preach at the service in Quito, Ecuador.
You can see more educational opportunities and other upcoming events in the life of the church here.
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