“I am asking all churches with the ability to quickly produce and send flood buckets to do so.” — Amy Fuselier, director of United Methodist Committee on Relief, on the urgent need for flood buckets.
Churches outside Florida feel effects of Irma
MACON, Ga. (UMNS) — While United Methodists across Florida began to take stock as Hurricane Irma left the state, church members in Georgia and South Carolina were dealing with flash flooding, downed trees and power outages as the storm headed north. And some reports have emerged from Hispanic-Latino churches in the Caribbean, where Irma began. Linda Bloom has the story.
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United Methodists helping one bucket at a time
BALDWIN, La. (UMNS) — People hit by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma need time to “get their arms” around the most pressing needs, but United Methodists around the connection can start helping by donating to the United Methodist Committee on Relief, collecting and assembling flood buckets and earnestly praying. Kathy L. Gilbert reports.
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Bishop to lead Congo ecumenical organization
MUTARE, Zimbabwe (UMNS) — East Congo Area Bishop Gabriel Yemba Unda has been elected moderator of the ecumenical organization Eglise du Christ au Congo, a Protestant ecumenical group of 95 denominations in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Eveline Chikwanah reports.
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Way Forward group to meet in Berlin
WASHINGTON — The Commission on a Way Forward will hold its next meeting Sept. 18-20 in Berlin. The moderators are asking all United Methodists to continue to pray for commission members as they work to discern options for a way forward for The United Methodist Church in the midst of disagreement regarding church teachings related to homosexuality.
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Bishop: Connection is a strength, struggle
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Bishop David W. Graves, who leads the Alabama-West Florida Conference, said The United Methodist Church’s connection “is the great thing about our denomination. Also, right now, it’s our biggest struggle.” In an interview with Mary Catherine Phillips, he reflects on what he has learned as a new bishop.
Watch or listen to interview
College association focuses on mission
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The National Association of Schools and Colleges of The United Methodist Church focused on mission and innovation for the future at the second of its biannual meetings. The theme for the Summer 2017 gathering was “Articulating and Embracing Institutional Mission.” The group also welcomed new leadership.
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Looking ahead
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, Sept. 18-Friday, Oct. 6
Online Lay Servant Workshop: Life Together in the United Methodist Connection — This course will help newcomers to The United Methodist Church get their bearings. It will help longtime members consider the specific structural challenges the church faces in the 21st century. This course has been approved by Discipleship Ministries as an advanced course in Lay Servant Ministries and is the “polity” course required for Lay Speaker certification. Cost: $70, plus cost of book. Details
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