Daily Digest - September 06, 2012

"It gave me a sense that the Lord was really taking care of me. It gave me some physical relief, as well as mental and emotional." - Harriett Marshall, talking about the help she received from the Care Team Ministry.

Who cares for caregivers?

DOVER, N.H. (UMNS) - Harriett Marshall's husband, Bob, required 24-hour care the last five years of his life. Marshall said she is thankful she had the assistance of volunteers with the Care Team Ministry at her church, St. John's United Methodist, to do some of her chores and give her a respite now and then.
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United Methodist 'church' on a ferryboat

ST. IGNACE, Mich. (UMNS) - How do you attract tourists to worship with your church during the months of summer vacation? The little Michigan towns of St. Ignace and Mackinaw City have both tourists and locals standing in line for 30 minutes for a seat at their Vesper Cruise services led by various local denominations.
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Philippines 'still in desperate need'

NEW YORK (UMNS) - "The Philippines is still in desperate need," reminds Jay Rollins of the United Methodist Committee on Relief. Typhoon Saola tore into the region in early August and combined with seasonal monsoon rains to force more than 270,000 people to flee their homes in the provincial areas around Manila. Emergency teams used rafts and makeshift boats to rescue people from the city's districts of poor and cramped housing.
Read what UMCOR has been able to do and what still is needed

Louisiana outlines ways to help

BATON ROUGE, La. (UMNS) - Louisiana Annual (regional) Conference officials have expressed thanks for the prayers for those affected by Hurricane Isaac and ask that those prayers continue. They also provided a list of additional ways in which United Methodists can help:

• Thousands of flood buckets have been used and continue to be needed. Learn how to prepare and send these buckets.
• Give to the UMCOR fund for Hurricanes 2012.
• Volunteer to serve on a disaster response team.

For more information on disaster relief in Louisiana, watch the conference website and the conference Facebook page.

Alabama-West Florida asks for help

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (UMNS) - The Alabama-West Florida Annual (regional) Conference is asking for help with three homes as it continues its long-term recovery efforts from 2011 storms in the aftermath of Hurricane Isaac. "We have had a very active team from Slidell, La., who has been carrying the load of the recovery work in Choctaw County," writes Charles Walters, the tornado recovery coordinator. "Sadly, Hurricane Isaac flooded their hometown and they are busy in their own recovery at the moment. To finish the houses we are working on, we need your help!"
Read how you can help

Hurricane season: Loss and recovery

NEW YORK (UMNS) - From Andrew to Katrina and Irene to Isaac, United Methodists have become more adept at responding to hurricane season, writes UMNS reporter Linda Bloom in her "Bloombytes" blog.
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Texas pastor 2012 distinguished evangelist

LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. (UMNS) - The Rev. Charles Anderson, directing pastor at University United Methodist Churchin San Antonio, Texas, is the 2012 Distinguished Evangelist of The United Methodist Church.
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Report: Older clergy bubble grows

WASHINGTON (UMNS) - The Lewis Center for Church Leadership on Sept. 6 released its 2012 report on "Clergy Age Trends in The United Methodist Church." The report, prepared with assistance from the United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits, found that United Methodist elders ages 55 to 72 represent 53 percent of all active elders. The preponderance of older clergy is a trend across all mainline denominations, the report also found. The Lewis Center is part of United Methodist-related Wesley Theological Seminary.
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