Daily Digest: August 02, 2013

"You have said 'yes' to walking out into the unknown. 'Yes' to worshipping with folks you don't quite know yet. 'Yes' to putting God's concerns first over everything else." - The Rev. Margie Bryce, in her first sermon at DownRiver United Methodist Church, merged from four Detroit area congregations.

Toward a 'vital merger'

DETROIT (UMNS) - Not two, not three, but four Detroit area churches have merged into one. People involved in the creation of DownRiver United Methodist Church are committed to making it a "vital merger."
Read story by the Rev. Dirk Elliott

The ABCs of back-to-school outreach

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - Whether it's assembling backpacks with school supplies or organizing a teacher appreciation event, churches can make a difference when the school year begins. Here are a dozen ideas that are as easy as 1-2-3.
Read story and post a comment

5 ideas for equipping vital congregations

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - Looking for advice on how to engage young people in meaningful mission work? That's one area addressed in a list of five tips for equipping vital congregations, provided by the United Methodist Board of Discipleship.
Read newsletter

One hundred years of Filipino-American ministry

LOS ANGELES (UMNS) - The National Association of Filipino-American United Methodists recently celebrated 100 years of ministry in North America. The observance's theme: "Bagong Siglo, Bagong Sigla," which in English means, "New Century, New Vitality."
Read story

It's not about praise bands

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - The popular Christian blogger and author Rachel Held Evans, who often speaks to United Methodist audiences, gives her view of why millennials are leaving the church.
Read her commentary for CNN

Raised nonreligious

WASHINGTON (UMNS) - Millennials are far more likely than boomers to have been raised in a nonreligious home, and that's one likely explanation for why millennials are an elusive group for churches, says Daniel Cox, research director for the Public Religion Research Institute.
Read his analysis

Correction

An Aug. 1 Digest item about a math camp at Broomfield United Methodist Church said the church is in Connecticut. It's in Colorado.
Read the story

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