News

Church Offers Resources in Wake of Tragedy

  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — We can never know why or where tragedy will strike, but The United Methodist Church offers resources to help those seeking consolation following the bombings at the Boston Marathon on Monday. UMC.org has a page devoted to "Responding to Violence" with links to news coverage and resources on coping with grief in the wake of violence and tragedy. Resources include: News articles from UMNS and other sources Articles on how to deal...

Come Together: Transformation through Cooperation

"Come Together: Transformation through Cooperation" will take place on October 17 to 19 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The gathering will be both a conversation and a celebration focusing on transforming churches, communities, and individuals through multiple styles of ministry; exploring new models and equipping leaders to move forward in collaborative efforts in both rural and urban communities; and identifying ways to work together with ecumenical, interfaith, community partners and...

A Lenten Social Experiment

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Sophia Agtarap, minister of engagement for United Methodist Communications' Rethink Church, decided that one way to approach the Lenten journey was with a Bible in one hand and a smartphone in the other. The result was an online community that shared more than 19,000 images reflecting different topics of Lent including silence, help and love.   Read blog about the project See images  ...

This Year, Reclaim Christmas

The United Methodist Church's Christmas advertising has begun – contrasting the usual sales ads with an alternative: Reclaim Christmas. How does your local church benefit from national advertising? Rethinkchurch.org highlights local church activities on the home page, allowing seekers to get a sense of your congregation's "personality." As you post information on www.find-a-church.org/advent, Rethink Church pulls that information into church profiles so...

It's Time to 'Change the World'!

Think your church can't do anything to change the world? Think again. Change the World 2012 challenges congregations to reach out and become involved in their community locally – while fighting malaria globally. The local event could be planting a community garden or cleaning a local park. As for helping eradicate malaria, a congregation could sponsor a walkathon to raise money and awareness.   Change the World is an annual event sponsored by Rethink Church. This year, the...

Share Your Ministry with a Stranger, to Change the World

Share your ministry with a stranger…you'll have less work for yourself and you'll make a new friend along the way. Flip the 80/20 Rule Change the World is just around the corner (May 19-20), and you may be wondering how you're going to achieve the goal you have in mind. After all, it's usually 20% of the people doing 80% of the work, right?   Share the Work, Make New Friends Recent research demonstrates that young adults may be more willing to join in a church's mission...

Want to Change the World? Imagine No Malaria!

It likely is no coincidence that The United Methodist Church's annual Change the World event (May 19-20) comes on the heels of World Malaria Day (April 25). From the beginning, Change the World has partnered with the Church's Imagine No Malaria campaign, "to build community locally through service projects, and fight malaria globally." As World Malaria Day approaches, consider the role that "imagining no malaria" can play in "changing the world." And realize that...

UMCom Offers Web Ministry, Welcoming Training This Month

United Methodist Communications (UMCom) is offering two online course opportunities this month – a Web Ministry Training series and the Welcoming Ministry 101 Training Course. More and more people are now on line. Did you know that 1.6 billion (yes, billion, with a "B") people are on line? People are doing more and more this way – they shop on line, do their banking on line, read on line, and search for a church on line. That's why a web ministry is an important and...

Register Your Church to Change the World

In 2012, the Church will come together – not only for General Conference, but also to change the world. United Methodists will extend justice and compassion in community on May 19 and 20.  In 2011, 25 Cal-Nevada churches participated and more than 2,000 events were registered worldwide: everything from developing/enhancing community gardens to fighting human trafficking. Think now about how your congregation will Change the World!   Your event will be charted on the...

Two New Ministry in Action Stories Reflect Commitment Plus Creativity

In Ministry in Action stories just posted to the Conference website, two California-Nevada Annual Conference churches share examples of commitment coupled with creativity. Merced UMC: Pastor Jay's Challenge is the story of how a sermon illustration generated hundreds of dollars for ministry – when the pastor "put his money where his mouth is"!   FUMC Santa Rosa Calendar Supports Youth tells how a desire to help youth inspired a creative – and successful –...

America's Sunday Supper Promotes Service

United Methodist Communications and the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society are urging communities to Rethink Church with America's Sunday Supper on January 15, 2012, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. America's Sunday Supper will be a nationwide night of simultaneous dinners and discussions shared in churches, homes, community centers, and kitchens to promote positive change in the world. As an activation partner with Points of Light, United Methodist Communications has...

Webinar on Immigration Planned for Oct. 4

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Immigration is a front-burner topic in today's political world, yet people of faith who work with immigrants often avoid talking about immigration issues. To help Christians foster fruitful conversations on immigration, Rethink Church will conduct a webinar at 8 a.m. (PDT) on Tuesday, Oct. 4. To participate, sign in as a guest. Rethink Church, part of United Methodist Communications, also offers a free resource guide to help organize and facilitate discussions....

Reclaiming Sept. 11 as 'Day of Hope'

As we prepare to observe the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and Washington, D.C., it is worth remembering that that day also galvanized United Methodist hands to be a force for change in their community. On Tuesday, United Methodist Communications launched a national digital and audio advertising campaign, asking everyone to Rethink Church and reclaim September 11 as a day of hope.   The ads point out that 10 years ago, 9/11 made many of us rethink our...

Vital Churches Share Common Characteristics

A UMNS Feature By Barbara Dunlap-Berg* Bishop John R. Schol shepherds the Baltimore-Washington Annual (regional) Conference, and he is always on the lookout for standout congregations. As team leader of the Vital Congregations initiative, he rattles off the description with ease.   A vital congregation, he explains, has five things: Inviting and inspiring worship Engaged disciples in mission and outreach Gifted, equipped, and empowered lay leadership Effective,...

'Rethink Immigration' Resources Now Available

Nashville, Tenn. (UMNS) — Rethink Church is ready to help you rethink immigration, by offering a free package of materials to use in many different ways. The package features a 12-minute video about Jasmine, a Michigan teen who found solace in The United Methodist Church when the complications of immigration left her alone. It also includes bulletin graphics, promotional poster designs, and newspaper ads to help you advertise to your community, along with supplementary resources...

Change the World Weekend: Cornerstone UMC 'Gathers in' to Spruce up Homeless Shelter

A group from Cornerstone United Methodist Church in Rocklin gathered at the Gathering Inn, a Placer County nomadic/homeless shelter, and painted the day room as part of "Change the World" Weekend May 14-15. Pastor Joan Pell promoted the project with congregants by tying the themes of "Rethink Church" and "Be. See. Do" (theme for the 2011 Annual Conference Session) to the Change the World concept....

Change the World Weekend: Weather Reminds Fremont Crop Walkers of Their Purpose

By the Rev. Anne Lau Choy Pastor, St. Paul's UMC, Fremont Unfortunately the weather wasn't cooperating for this year's Crop Walk but everyone was a good sport in spite of the rain. As people asked whether we would still be walking that day, as we watched the weather, the slogan "we walk because they walk" was a sobering reminder. Indeed, people in developing countries walk not only in sunny weather but also in the rain. And even in our country, many people do not have...

Change the World Weekend: Two Churches, Several Languages, One Pentecost-Themed Event in Clovis

By Sara Glazebrook Memorial UMC, Clovis On the evening of Sunday, May 15, three language ministries gathered together and invited their neighborhoods to join in a Pentecost-themed event. Fresno Korean Fellowship of Clovis joined the English and Hmong language ministries of Memorial United Methodist Church, also in Clovis, celebrating with an ice cream social and multicultural music festival, complete with dances from all three of the language ministries. The best part was getting to learn the...

Change the World Weekend: Wesley UMC in Bakersfield 'Paints the World' on May 15

By the Rev. Karen Stoffers-Pugh Pastor, Wesley UMC, Bakersfield Thirty-nine folks from Wesley UMC in Bakersfield began Sunday morning with worship on May 15. After a quick half-hour service, we traveled 1/2 mile east of the church to Horace Mann Elementary School. One of our church/choir members is a teacher at HM. Several members of the congregation either attended HM or their children attended HM. Along with the principal and her daughter, we touched up murals in the "reading...

Cal-Nevada 'Change the World' Participation Doubles This Year

Twenty-five (25) churches in the California-Nevada Annual Conference are planning events to "Change the World" this weekend (May 14-15). That's more than double the 12 churches which participated in the inaugural event last year! From cleaning – to building, painting, repairing, and landscaping; from fundraising for worthy causes to distributing food and planting gardens; from visiting shut-ins, to praying and tutoring – these are just some of the many ways that thousands...