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Daily Digest - September 14, 2020

“People need to see the face of the church; we want to bring hope … even if it’s just giving them a gas card or food”Judy Lewis, California-Pacific Conference disaster relief coordinator, on the church response to wildfires.


NEWS AND FEATURES

Fires, coronavirus complicate Western disaster relief

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (UM News) — After a hurricane or tornado, church disaster relief teams and volunteers typically spring immediately into action. Such a response isn’t possible in a wildfire. Joey Butler reports. 
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Ask The UMC
What was the first school started by Methodists?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Education is a core value of The United Methodist Church that dates to the earliest days of the Methodist movement in 18th-century England. Founder John Wesley believed everyone should have access to education, regardless of gender or class. In 1748, he enlarged a school he had opened for the children of coal miners near Bristol. Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications, has more on the Kingswood School and the church’s commitment to education. 
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Holston Conference
Struggling church committed to feeding ministry

BISHOP, Va. — Every Thursday, volunteers at Alexander Memorial United Methodist Church mobilize to deliver meals to their low-income neighbors in a former coal-mining community, despite the small church’s own financial woes. The only church in Bishop was attracting about 30 people to Sunday worship before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Annette Spence has the story. 
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Global Ministries 
Long recovery seen for south Louisiana

ATLANTA — Relief work is underway by United Methodists and many others in south Louisiana after Hurricane Laura hit hard there on Aug. 27. Full recovery from the storm’s damage could take three to four years, writes Dan Curran, a public relations consultant for the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries and United Methodist Committee on Relief.
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UM Disability 
Ideas for Deaf Awareness Week

LAUREL, Md. — Deaf Awareness Week is Sept. 20-26, and the Rev. Leo Yates Jr. has suggestions for how churches can observe it. His blog post includes links to helpful videos, including one on Deaf culture and another on offering the Lord’s Prayer in American Sign Language.
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Texas Conference
Houston churches offer ‘Sanctuaries of Learning’

HOUSTON — Online learning at home is a big challenge for kids who don’t have good internet access and whose parents need to be away at work. As the pandemic continues and the school year begins, United Methodist churches in Houston are offering a Sanctuaries of Learning program. Kids come to the churches for supervised, socially distanced learning with the needed technology. Lindsay Peyton reports, with photos by Mike DuBose.
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EVENTS

Wednesday, Sept. 16

Online Panel: Theological Roots of Racism and Colonialism

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