UMC Partners

Participants of the Healing through Art Therapy and the Word of God ministry proudly display the artwork they created. Photo courtesy of the Michigan Conference.

Art therapy ministry helps heal

Artist Contreda Navarro-Jewell is using her talents and teaching skills to provide art therapy in Detroit area churches. A member of Hope United Methodist Church in Southfield, Mich., Navarro-Jewell teaches children there and has served as the art director for the district’s Urban Methodist Youth Camp during the summer.

Congregations

A child chooses a scooter at a Kids Free Christmas Shopping event sponsored by ARK and Velva United Methodist churches in North Dakota. Photo courtesy of the Dakotas Conference Facebook page.

Small churches offer place for kids to shop

Kids Free Christmas Shopping helps youngsters buy Christmas gifts for their families, and the price is right: free. ARK United Methodist Church in South Dakota and Velva United Methodist Church in North Dakota work together on the project each year. “It is such a joy to see the faces of the children … and the delight in the volunteers that are helping.”

Bishop Delores J. Williamston of the Louisiana Conference places a stole on the shoulders of the Rev. Deen Thompson at Edgehill United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn., on Dec. 1. The Rev. Ali Young (far left) of the Louisiana Conference and Thompson's husband, John, also attended. Photo by Susan Ruach, courtesy of the Louisiana Conference.

Elder’s reinstatement marks healing moment

The Rev. Deen Thompson is an ordained elder again nearly 50 years after he was removed from ministry because of his sexuality. “This moment was important for Deen, so it was important period,” said Louisiana Conference Bishop Delores J. Williamston.

Local Church

Volunteers at Klein United Methodist Church in Spring, Texas, spend Monday through Wednesday cooking turkey and preparing side dishes before welcoming guests on Thanksgiving Day. Photo courtesy of The Texas Conference.

Church Thanksgiving Feast feeds hundreds

For over a decade, Klein United Methodist Church in Spring, Texas, has turned Thanksgiving into a celebration of generosity, community and connection. This year, the congregation expects to serve more than 1,000 people at its annual Thanksgiving Feast.

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