UMNS Weekly Digest 

June 27, 2008

NOTE: This is a digest of news features provided by United Methodist Communications for June 23-27. It includes summaries of stories, UMTV video reports, audio newscasts and additional briefs from United Methodist News Service. Full versions of the stories with photographs and related features can be found at http://umns.umc.org.

Art By Inmates

Some inmates serving life sentences are becoming illustrators for a series of books that feature their artwork. The chaplain who helped initiate the effort believes the books provide an outlet for prisoners-and a means of understanding for those on the outside. (http://www.umtv.org/newitems/art_by_inmates.htm)

Special Needs Service

Developmentally delayed adults can live independently and have jobs, but sometimes attending a church service can be too uncomfortable for them and their caregivers. That inspired one congregation to create a service with a “no-shush” policy. (http://www.umtv.org/newitems/special_needs_service.htm)

Young adults explore social justice in nation's capital

WASHINGTON (UMNS)-Juliana Abe, a native of Côte d’Ivoire, is exploring a different culture and country while she works for the rights of Africans and African-American people around the world. She is also enjoying getting to know her new "family" - The United Methodist Church. Abe is one of 12 young people participating in the United Methodist Board of Church and Society's Ethnic Young Adults Summer Internship in the nation's capital.

Young adults passionate about social justice and active in the denomination are selected annually from the church's five ethnic caucuses to participate in the summer intern program. Included in this year's slate of interns are young adults from Gambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Philippines. "This is the most international group we have had," said the Rev. Neal Christie, executive at the board. Christie oversees the interns and was an intern himself for the social action agency in 1984. {259}

Clergy effectiveness study will enhance training, says leader

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS)-An analysis of what makes an effective pastor will enhance training provided this summer to United Methodist annual (regional) conferences. The Rev. Sharon Rubey, director of candidacy and conference relations at the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry, said the study would provide useful information for those who work with candidates for ministry, assign pastors to churches and do clergy supervision.

The next step, according to Rubey, is to distribute a survey about the underlying behaviors associated with effective ministry "to learn more about the amount of time and the value that is given to each behavior. Along with that, we hope to survey congregations … to find out the kinds of knowledge, skills, abilities and personal characteristics (that) are desired in pastoral leadership," she said. "Together, these studies will offer guidelines that can be helpful in matching pastors with congregations." {260}

United Methodists join prayers for peace in Zimbabwe

NEW YORK (UMNS)-Both the United Nations and ecumenical Christian groups are calling upon the government of Zimbabwe to end the violence there and postpone the June 27 presidential runoff election. And, as United Methodists and other Christians participated in a worldwide day of prayer for Zimbabwe on June 22, the leader of the opposition party candidate for president withdrew from that election. Morgan Tsvangirai said he was concerned that the lives of voters would be at risk if he participated "in this violent, illegitimate sham of an election process," the New York Times reported. The prayers for Zimbabwe will continue, according to Bishop Felton E. May, currently serving as interim top executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.

The United Methodist Committee on Relief is providing humanitarian assistance in Zimbabwe, assisting a partner organization there that is distributing food and medicine to communities and clinics. UMCOR is helping pay to transport the goods to areas most affected by food shortages and politically related violence. Donations to UMCOR Advance #199456, Zimbabwe Emergency, can be dropped into church offering plates or mailed directly to UMCOR,

. Write the Advance number and name on the memo line of the check. Credit-card donations are accepted online at www.givetomission.org or by phone at (800) 554-8583. {261}

Leaders focus on backbone of denomination: small churches

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS)-The United Methodist Church must focus on small and rural churches and not simply go where the wealthy are to build new churches, says a small-membership church leader. Today, 76 percent of the denomination's congregations are small churches, defined as those having 200 or fewer members and fewer than 120 in worship. More than 40 people working with small churches participated in three June 2 telephone-conference conversations to learn about revitalizing small churches and ministries from the Rev. Terence Corkin, a small church expert and top executive of the Uniting Church in Australia. The pastors, district superintendents, directors of connectional ministries, lay ministers and community developers also discussed emerging issues and challenges facing small churches. {262}

Agency awards $51,000 in Peace with Justice grants

WASHINGTON (UMNS)-United Methodist churches around the globe will use grants from the denomination's social action agency to promote peace, restore communities and work for economic justice. Eleven projects from Los Angeles to Liberia will receive Peace with Justice grants totaling $51,000 from the United Methodist Board of Church and Society. Funding for the grants comes from a churchwide offering taken by local churches on Peace with Justice Sunday, celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost. It is one of six churchwide Special Sundays of The United Methodist Church. Annual (regional) conferences keep 50 percent of the offerings, and the remaining funds are used for Peace with Justice grants administered by the agency. {263}

Chaplain works with prisoners on ‘maximum’ ministry

DENVER (UMNS)-After encouraging inmates to write their personal testimonies, the Rev. Yong Hui McDonald, chaplain of the Adams County Detention Facility in Brighton, Colo., saw the prospect of a devotional book to be shared within the prison community as well as beyond its walls. With the help of local United Methodist churches, the chaplain formed the Transformation Project: Prison Ministry and raised enough funds in 2005 to publish the first book of prisoners’ spiritual reflections, Maximum Saints Make No Little Plans. Three years later, there are three volumes of Maximum Saints devotional books.

“When I say ‘maximum saints,’ that means they are using their gifts to the maximum to serve the Lord and help others,” McDonald explains. Often, she discovers “saints” among the Christian inmate leaders who mentor other inmates and encourage them to share testimony or a creative expression of their spiritual journeys. The Transformation Project is a nonprofit corporation and can be reached at

, or (303) 428-9293. {264}

House of the Carpenter gives hope to poor

WHEELING, W.Va. (UMNS)-The House of the Carpenter was created in 1964 to help poor and disadvantaged people as a ministry related to the West Virginia Annual (regional) Conference of The United Methodist Church. The impact was immediate. Families with small children, the newly homeless and the elderly flocked to the two-room storefront on Wheeling Island. On the second floor of its current and much larger location, the Rev. Jack Lipphardt, associate minister of the House of the Carpenter, looks away from his computer screen to gaze at the street below. "I see a city and a region of people that are in distress," he says. West Virginia has a higher-than-average rate of poverty. The House of the Carpenter is an Advance project of The United Methodist Church. {265}

United Methodists unite to send help to Sudan

LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. (UMNS)-United Methodists from five annual (regional) conferences attended a summit to discuss sending urgent help to the suffering people of Sudan. Days after the Holston Annual Conference overshot a goal to raise $125,000 for southern Sudan, a gathering was held to connect other United Methodists who want to serve in the same region. The Sudan Summit also included two bishops, two Sudanese Lost Boys, and two staff members of the United Methodist Committee on Relief. The gathering was June 20-21 in Lake Junaluska, N.C., immediately following Connect, a Southeastern Jurisdiction meeting of United Methodist Volunteers in Mission.

The Holston Conference organized the June summit after signing a covenant with the East Africa Annual (regional) Conference in February. The covenant includes plans for a new school and clinic, scholarship assistance, leadership development, mission teams and a missionary superintendent in Yei, Sudan. Since June 11, the 906 churches of Holston Conference have raised $185,934 for Sudan, surpassing a 2008 goal of $125,000, and advancing toward a total $250,000 goal to be achieved by June 2009. {266}

United Methodists rally to help Iowa flood survivors

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (UMNS)-Flood survivors with multiple losses are not uncommon in hard-hit Cedar Rapids and a special concern of United Methodist Bishop Gregory Palmer. Palmer, of the church’s Iowa Area, surveyed flood damage upriver in Charles City on June 23. In Cedar Rapids, which has suffered the highest concentration of Midwest flooding in recent weeks, some 4,000 homes in mostly blue-collar neighborhoods were submerged after days of heavy rain swelled the Cedar River. The downtown river crested almost 20 feet above flood stage and spilled water over 1,300 blocks. So far, city officials have ordered 300 houses demolished and are determining whether structures in the most flood-prone areas can be rebuilt.

Palmer said the church is focusing on residents who have little resources and are dependent on the government, the church and volunteer organizations for assistance. Most residents displaced by the floods don’t have flood insurance. Three Cedar Rapids congregations-St. James, Salem and Trinity-have buildings that were heavily damaged. The bishop expressed his gratitude “for the ways in which we have felt the support and love, tangibly and spiritually, of United Methodists all over the world.”

For information about how to help, visit the conference Web site at www.iaumc.org/storms2008. To donate to UMCOR's relief efforts in the Midwest, drop checks in church offering plates or mail them directly to UMCOR,

. Write Advance #901670 Midwest Flooding Relief on the memo line. Credit-card donations can be made by calling (800) 554-8583 or online at www.givetomission.org. {267}

Church agency leaders continue work on Four Areas of Focus

WASHINGTON (UMNS)-In their first meeting since The United Methodist Church’s legislative assembly, leaders of the denomination’s general agencies continued cementing partnerships and planning their work on Four Areas of Focus. The agencies’ top executives, or general secretaries, met June 24-26 in Washington, D.C., two months after the 2008 General Conference affirmed the Areas of Focus as the emphases of the church. The agency executives met with Bishop Gregory Palmer, president of the Council of Bishops, and Bishop John Hopkins, president of the Connectional Table, as they began concentrated work in joint planning and strategies.

The four areas focus on combating the diseases of poverty by improving health globally; creating new places for new people and revitalizing existing congregations; developing principled Christian leaders for the church and the world; and engaging in ministry with the poor. {268}

Church members asked for input on paperwork

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS)-Over the next three weeks, United Methodists are invited to share their thoughts on the official paperwork of the church. The Committee on Official Forms and Records, under the denomination’s General Council on Finance and Administration, is for the first time asking for input through an electronic public comment system. The committee is responsible for overseeing the design and content of all official documentation for the worldwide, 11.5 million-member denomination. GCFA, which coordinates finances and safeguards the legal interests and rights of The United Methodist Church, will e-mail an invitation to the church’s episcopal and annual (regional) conference leaders to join in the forum. The survey closes July 18. To participate, visit www.gcfa.org/ofrsurvey.

UMCOR Sager Brown in urgent need of flood buckets

BALDWIN, La. (UMNS)-UMCOR Sager Brown Depot has nearly depleted its supply of flood buckets after shipping thousands in response to recent floods in the Midwest. Since June 17, the depot has shipped more than 5,000 flood cleanup kits, compared with approximately 4,000 buckets distributed in all of 2007. “We are down to only 200 flood buckets in stock, and we are only two weeks into the hurricane season,” said Kathy Kraiza, executive of the depot.

The five-gallon buckets are filled with cleaning supplies and costs approximately $45 to put together. UMCOR officials are urging congregations and individuals to send completed buckets, bulk materials or money. For a list of supplies, visit http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/getconnected/supplies/flood-bucket/. Financial gifts can be sent to UMCOR Material Resources Advance #901440.

Native American songbook provides musical gifts

NEW YORK (UMNS)-Singing the Sacred: Musical Gifts from Native American Communities is a new release from the Global Praise program of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. The book of songs are from 15 Native American communities in the United States, and about half are from the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference.

"When you join in singing these songs, we believe that you will experience that blessing," says the Rev. Alvin Deer, songbook editor. Each song entry contains a musical score, a “singable” English translation, a brief history of the song and a paragraph with performance tips called "Sharing the Gift." The songs can also be heard on a companion CD that includes all 21 songs recorded by people from the indigenous communities. For more information about the book, to listen to music clips or learn more about the Global Praise program, go to http://new.gbgm-umc.org/resources/globalpraise/.

Applicants sought for Helping Hands Scholarships

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS)-The United Methodist Association of Communicators is seeking applicants for the 2008 Helping Hand Scholarships from the United States and the central conferences in Africa, Europe and Asia. This is the third year for this program, which promotes commitment and excellence by aligning a United Methodist communicator with churchwide agencies, conferences, districts and local church communicators. It also provides an opportunity to develop partnerships and relationships to enhance their communication ministry within the global church. This relationship has fostered training and exposure to technological advances in the field of communications.

One scholarship will be awarded to a representative from the central conferences not to exceed $3,000. The second award will go to a local church communicator and/or a young adult serving in communications in the United States, not to exceed $1,000. The application deadline for applicants from the central conferences is July 31, and the deadline for U.S. applicants is Aug. 15. Applications may be downloaded from www.GBOD.org/UMAC-HelpingHandScholarship and questions may be directed to Carolyn Dandridge at cdandridge@gbod.org. .

First Virginia Dillon Scholarship awarded to Ohio woman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS)-The first Virginia S. Dillon Scholarship has been awarded to Lynn Phillips, a 45-year-old United Methodist laywoman in Goshen, Ohio, who is working on a bachelor’s degree in special education. The mother of two and wife of a United Methodist pastor received a $1,500 scholarship award from a fund established by the late Mrs. Dillon of Aiken, S.C., who bequeathed $84,338 to the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry’s Office of Loans and Scholarships.

"It's really wonderful, especially because there are not a lot of scholarships out there for non-traditional students,” said Phillips, who attends classes at Xavier University in Cincinnati. She is preparing for a career as an early childhood special needs intervention specialist.

Angella Current-Felder, executive director of the Office of Loans and Scholarships, said the funds Dillon left were used to establish a scholarship for people over 35 who are returning to college to complete their education. The board’s Loans and Scholarships Committee thought that would be appropriate after they learned that Mrs. Dillon, the widow of Tuskegee Institute Professor Ira Dillon, had received a bachelor of arts degree in English from Tuskegee after returning to college later in life.

To learn more about United Methodist loans and scholarships, visit www.gbhem.org/loansandscholarships.

Minnesota helps with Russian mission center

NEW YORK (UMNS)-A new United Methodist mission center will emerge in St. Petersburg, Russia, through a partnership between the denomination’s Minnesota and Northwest Russia annual (regional) conferences. United Methodists in Minnesota have already given $500,000 toward the facility and expect to add $100,000 in the near future. Methodism first arrived in Russia in the St. Petersburg area some 120 years ago but was suppressed during the Soviet era, reappearing after the end of Russian communism in the early 1990s.

To date, however, there has been no physical public presence of the church, worship taking place in homes or rented spaces. There are nine United Methodist congregations in the area. "We see this partnership as a way to help unlock the potential of the church in Russia," said Bishop Sally Dyck of Minnesota. Several teams from Minnesota have visited St. Petersburg since the partnership got under way in 2004, and another team left in mid-June to consult with leaders of the Northwest Russia Conference. The denomination’s Russia Initiative is part of the Board of Global Ministries.

Queen Elizabeth II honors Irish Methodist pastor

LONDON (UMNS)-The Rev. David Kerr, former president of the Methodist Church in Ireland, and chaplain at the East Belfast Mission, was named a Member of the British Empire when the 2008 Queen’s Birthday Honours List was announced June 14. Kerr, who has worked tirelessly for peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland, was recognized for his years of service, especially in relationship to the Skainos Project (http://www.skainos.org/blog/), a major urban regeneration project in inner East Belfast that is developing out of the work of East Belfast Mission. The mission’s pastor, the Rev. Gary Mason, received an MBE last year.

Kerr’s ministry spans 47 years, 16 of them at the Belfast Central Mission which was bombed more than 34 times during the turbulent years of "The Troubles." Glenn Jordan, director of the Skainos Project, told UMNS that it is "wonderful news about David and thoroughly deserved for a man who has spent his life in quiet, understated service of others." The list, which pays tribute to outstanding achievement and service across the community, is compiled annually in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s official birthday.

CWS assists nearly a million Myanmar cyclone survivors

BANGKOK/WASHINGTON (UMNS)-Church World Service reported June 23 that it has provided temporary shelter and fresh water supplies sufficient for nearly 1 million Myanmar (Burma) cyclone survivors. As of June 19, the CWS team based in Bangkok reported that its local partner in Myanmar had reached a total of 572 villages in the disaster-affected region, provided supplies sufficient to serve more than 980,000 beneficiaries and had delivered 3,944 "water baskets." Each plastic water container holds the equivalent of a day's clean drinking water for 250 people. CWS said its local partner has also provided temporary shelter plastic tarpaulins for 41,374 households.

The United Methodist Committee on Relief has been working on cyclone relief through CWS and other partners. Donations to UMCOR Advance #3019674, Myanmar Emergency, can be made online at www.givetomission.org. Checks also can be dropped into church offering plates or mailed directly to UMCOR,

. Write the Advance number and name on the memo line of the check. Credit-card donations are accepted by phone at (800) 554-8583.

News in Brief

C. Irene Howard, chief executive Officer of the United Methodist Property and Casualty Trust (PACT), announced this past week that the national PACT Service Center, based in the Chicago area, has appointed Carol A. Alberts as the director of member services and Ken Thomas as director of ministry protection.

Too Many Irons In The Fire: … And They're All Smoking, is the title of the second devotional by Cynthia Bond Hopson, the director of the Black College Fund and Ethnic Concerns and the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Published by Abingdon Press, the $8 book is available at Cokesbury bookstores and through Amazon.com.

The annual meeting for the United Methodist Association of Annual Conference Communicators is Oct. 14-17 in Providence, R.I. The theme for the annual meeting is “Light the Way,” and the Rev. Leonard Sweet will be the opening keynote speaker. The annual jurisdictional meetings will be held simultaneously on a dinner cruise ship.

“The Heart of Pilgrimage: Living By the Spirit” is the theme of the July 20-24 event known as SOULfeast 2008. This gathering at Lake Junaluska, N.C., is designed as a place of rest, resourcing and quiet space along the faith journey. Leadership will be provided by the Rev. Rudy Rasmus, pastor of St. John's United Methodist Church, Houston, the Rev. Marjorie Thompson, director of pathways in congregational spirituality for Upper Room Ministries, and Marcia McFee, a consultant on worship and the arts. Registration, lodging and workshop and other information are available at www.upperroom.org/soulfeast/2008/index.htm.

"The Welcome Table: Sharing Stories & Raising Praise" is the theme for the 2008 Summer Music Institute at United Methodist-related Drew Theological School, Madison, N.J. The July 24-26 institute features worship, music and art that enhances and expands the shaping stories and praise. The Rev. Cynthia Wilson will be the keynote speaker for the event designed for clergy, laity, musicians, worship leaders "and all faithful followers with songs to sing and stories to tell." Other leadership and registration information is available by calling (973) 408-3718 or online at www.drew.edu/theo.

Emergent Church Leaders' Nationwide Roadshow Revival is arriving July 31 in Washington, D.C. Sponsored by United Methodist-related Wesley Theological Seminary, the tour of 32 cities will arrive at Kay Spiritual Center at United Methodist-related American University. Three popular emergent church leaders--Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt and Mark Scandrette--are traveling across the United States in a biodiesel-fueled RV to preach a message that combines old time revival flair with 21st century gospel. For information about the event, visit www.wesleyseminary.edu. More on the revival is at www.churchbasementroadshow.com.

United Methodist-related Hiwassee College, Madisonville, Tenn., is launching two online degree programs - criminal justice with a homeland security emphasis and business with an entrepreneurship emphasis. Both online programs will allow students to earn an associate of applied science degree. The integration of distance learning will appeal to both traditional and non-traditional students, including adult learners, students seeking degree completion, “drop-outs” or “stop-outs,” students looking to make a career change, and students who need additional training due to changes in the job market.

United Methodist-related Adrian (Mich.) College is accepting applications for "Operation Education," its newest scholarship program benefiting disabled American veterans for the fall 2008 semester. The program will offer a disabled U.S. veteran, injured during combat in Afghanistan or Iraq, a full scholarship toward a college degree. The scholarship will be given each year and will accompany the student through his or her education at the college until graduation. The college will offer books, housing, meals, a laptop and school supplies, as well as physical and emotional support. The soldier’s spouse or family will also be provided for through the college’s benefits. Interested applicants should contact Mallory Frailing in the Office of Admissions at (517) 265-5161, Ext. 4326, or mfrailing@adrian.edu. More information, including the online application, can be obtained by visiting www.adrian.edu and clicking on the “Operation Education” button.

The Society of St. Andrew (Advance #801600) has opened its Western Headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. Its goal: to fight hunger by salvaging excess produce grown west of the Mississippi and getting it to those in need. Though the Society of St. Andrew sends produce to all of the 48 contiguous states, the bulk of its work has been concentrated east of the Mississippi River. SoSA West in Kansas City will tap into sources of excess produce from California, Oregon, Washington and New Mexico. For more information, contact the Society of St. Andrew’s national headquarters at sosausa@endhunger.org  or online at www.endhunger.org .

The West Virginia Annual (regional) Conference demonstrated the use of an empty bag while celebrating the 60th anniversary of The Advance, the "second-mile" mission-giving program of The United Methodist Church. Delegates and friends filled it with $2,924.11 for the Global AIDS funds in a spontaneous June 6 offering after Bishop Ernest Lyght received the fabric bag, imprinted with The Advance logo, from the Rev. Chris Heckert, a representative of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.

UMCOR provides emergency relief in many areas of the world. To find out more about UMCOR's ministries, please visit  or by calling 1-800-554-8583, where credit card donations are accepted.

You can also give online by clicking on any of the "Give Now" links. UMCOR is exempt from tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States and qualifies for the maximum charitable contribution deduction by donors.

And, please pray for those who are hungry, displaced, sick or in poverty because of these and other natural and human-made disasters, and for the workers who minister to them.

 The Sager Brown campus has been a beacon of hope in Southern Louisiana for more than 140 years. Originally a school and orphanage, today it is a relief supply center that sends health, flood, sewing, layette and other kits to people in need around the world. UMCOR's most recent DVD tells the story of UMCOR Sager Brown and provides additional resources for those who want to participate in its ministries.

In addition to an informational video about UMCOR Sager Brown, the DVD has three short instructional videos illustrating how to assemble health, school and layette kits. The DVD also includes instruction sheets for each kit in addition to sewing patterns for layettes and school bags, and information about volunteering at the Baldwin, Louisiana campus.

Order your free DVD today by sending an email with your name and mailing address to umcor@gbgm-umc.org. You can also support this ministry by giving to Material Resources, UMCOR Advance #901440.

You can now give to One Great Hour of Sharing online. This important offering underwrites UMCOR's "costs of doing business" helping us keep our promise that 100 percent of gifts made to specific UMCOR projects can be spent on those projects—not on home office costs.

UMCOR receives no World Service funds or any other apportionments. Your gifts allow us to be right there with hardworking families, people who are affected by storms or war, disaster or disease.

Now it’s easier than ever before to support UMCOR’s work through the One Great Hour of Sharing offering. Click here to

UMCOR provides emergency relief in many areas of the world. To find out more about UMCOR's ministries, please visit umcor.org. You can donate to any project by placing a contribution in the offering plate at a local United Methodist church; by sending a check to UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068; or by calling 1-800-554-8583, where credit card donations are accepted. You can also give online by clicking on any of the "Give Now" links. UMCOR is exempt from tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States and qualifies for the maximum charitable contribution deduction by donors.

And, please pray for those who are hungry, displaced, sick or in poverty because of these and other natural and human-made disasters, and for the workers who minister to them.

BE SURE TO RECEIVE OUR HOTLINE EMAILS. MAKE UMCOR YOUR BUDDY! Some Internet Service Providers like AOL, Yahoo!, Hotmail, and Juno use email filtering software that allows you to add email addresses to a "buddy," "trusted," "safe," or approved list. Please add umcor@gbgm-umc.org to your list so that our messages don't end up in "junk mail" or the "trash."