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Monday, January 7, 2013 | |||||
"I know people come with big fancy family Bibles. Mine's a little more modest." - United Methodist Elizabeth Warren as she carried the Bible she has used since third grade to her swearing-in as a U.S. senator. Sunday Supper events reach out to militaryCLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - Seeking new ways to honor veterans and embrace military families? United Methodist congregations share special plans to do so this month. Merry Christmas to Eurasia Episcopal Area MOSCOW (UMNS) - Merry Christmas to our fellow United Methodists in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Moldova and other parts of the Eurasia Episcopal Area. We're too late, you say? That's not the case everywhere in the world. Due to a trick of calendars, many United Methodists in the former Soviet Union celebrate Christ's birth twice. They celebrate the Nativity on Dec. 25 in the Gregorian calendar that the rest of the denomination uses and again on Dec. 25 in the Julian calendar used year-round by their Russian Orthodox neighbors. The Julian calendar places Christmas 13 days later - Jan. 7 in the west. For these United Methodists, one Christmas observance is typically more worshipful; the other more light-hearted. And isn't Christ's coming into the world worth celebrating multiple times? Lawsuit against conference alleges abuse by pastor PORTLAND, Ore. (UMNS) - A lawsuit has been filed against the Oregon-Idaho Annual (regional) Conference alleging sexual abuse by the Rev. William Walker when he was pastor of First Eugene United Methodist Church. Walker served the church from 1982 to 1992 when he died of AIDS. The suit filed anonymously by "Jack Doe" alleges that he was sexually abused as a youth in 1984. Bishop Grant Hagiya, who has established a legal response team, said he and other conference leaders take the allegations very seriously. "I am deeply grieved by this situation and pray for all those who were directly involved," Hayiga said. Providing places of safety is a key value within the conference, and each church is required to have a safe sanctuary policy to provide for the protection of children and vulnerable adults. More information on the safe sanctuaries program is available on the conference website at www.umoi.org/safesanctuaries. Senator takes well-used Bible to swearing-inWASHINGTON (UMNS) - United Methodist Elizabeth Warren, the new U.S. senator from Massachusetts, arrived for her swearing-in carrying the Bible she has used since the third grade, the Boston Globe reported. A healing Christmas: Church reaches out to Newtown JOHNS CREEK, Ga. (UMNS) - Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church members came to their Sunday worship a few days after the shootings in Newtown, Conn., asking what they could do, North Fulton.com reports. The congregation wrote more than 800 prayer cards and collected almost $40,000, all of which will be sent to Newtown United Methodist Church. After Sandy, Maryland town quietly suffers CRISFIELD, Md. (UMNS) - The Federal Emergency Management Agency did not approve aid for this town of 2,600, though Gov. Martin O'Malley requested the declaration, but the work of United Methodist relief teams has caused FEMA to re-evaluate its decision. First volunteer teams for 2013 arrive in HaitiPORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (UMNS) - As the first three United Methodist volunteer teams in 2013 for the Haiti earthquake recovery began their work, the Rev. Tom Vencuss, project coordinator, said there are no new safety threats, despite a recent U.S. State Department advisory. The three-year Haiti recovery report from the United Methodist Committee on Relief is expected to be available Jan. 12.
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