NOTE: This is a digest of news features provided by United Methodist Communications for Feb. 23-27. It includes summaries of United Methodist News Service stories and additional briefs from around the United Methodist connection. Full versions of the stories with photographs and related features can be found at umc.org/news.
Top Stories
Severe winter alters church routines but not commitmentBOSTON (UMNS) — Last week, Union United Methodist Church in Boston's South End had a dilemma. A snow emergency parking ban and, well, snow — on the streets, on the sidewalks, piled up to the stained-glass windows, with the promise of a Valentine's Day snowstorm — made it clear that worship Feb. 15 would be difficult if not impossible. Union is one of many congregations across the United States finding ways to deal with severe winter weather. Linda Bloom reports.
Photo courtesy of The Union Church of Boston
Snow continues to pile up around Union United Methodist Church in Boston’s South End as viewed in a photo taken by Gary Bailey, church trustee.
Last week, Union United Methodist Church in Boston’s South End had a dilemma.
A snow emergency parking ban and, well, snow — on the streets, on the sidewalks, piled up to the stained-glass windows, with the promise of Valentine’s Day snowstorm — made it clear that worship Feb. 15 would be difficult if not impossible.
Instead, the congregation, whose history dates to 1796, logged in at FreeConferenceCall.com for about 23 minutes of praising God together.
Severe winter weather has affected United Methodist churches across much of the United States for the past six weeks or so, particularly in the Northeast. To cope with the restrictions brought by snow, ice and plummeting temperatures, congregations have become creative about worship and have expanded community services to assist those left out in the cold.
At 73, the Rev. F. David Wells, pastor of East Douglas United Methodist Church in Massachusetts, has never missed more than one Sunday service anywhere. While it seemed necessary, he wrote inan email, to cancel on Ash Wednesday, the congregation is determined to gather this Sunday for a special baptism and “very large class meeting” for confirmation studies.
“Most of us are saying: ‘Let It snow! We have a great God to celebrate, and we can’t be held back from doing just that!’” he wrote.
Finding ways to worship
The Rev. Jay Williams, Union’s lead pastor, is from Buffalo, New York, so snow normally doesn’t bother him. But the fact that Boston, as of Feb. 16, has had 95.7 inches of snow — a foot short of the all-time record — does. “It really has been a frustrating winter and very challenging on many different levels,” he told United Methodist News Service.
The idea for worship via conference call first arose two years ago during the same week in the liturgical calendar, when Sunday worship and the Ash Wednesday service had to be cancelled “because we were in the same predicament,” Williams said.
With more notice this year, 75 people took part in last Sunday’s call, a little less than half who normally come to worship each week. After the abbreviated service, the pastor sent out an emailwith links to additional resources, including a sermon on YouTube by the church’s ministry intern, and the opportunity to make an online offering.
A MESSAGE FROM BOSTON
"You are not alone...a video messagefrom the clergy of Boston.
This week, the congregation — whose members normally park on the street — is making special arrangements for a Sunday morning shuttle between the church and a parking garage about a half mile away.
“People are yearning to be reconnected,” Williams said. “For the last three weeks, we’ve had to cancel all of our Wednesday meetings.”
In Maine, alternatives to Sunday morning worship include services on Saturday morning, Sunday afternoon and Monday evening, reported the Rev. Beverly Stenmark, Mid-Maine district superintendent, in her newsletter. Others are using live streaming, emails with materials for home worship and Facebook events.
“I worshipped by live stream on Sunday morning and there were about 150 people from all through New England and even someone from Canada,” Stenmark wrote. “What a great opportunity!”
Offering extra help to others
Union is part of BostonWarm, a coalition of Boston’s religious leaders working on both a short- and long-term response, who care deeply about the October closing of a shelter that displaced more than 700 homeless individuals. The crisis became more urgent over the winter and BostonWarm currently is providing shelter at day centers in two downtown churches.
First United Methodist Church in Milford, Massachusetts, about 45 minutes southwest of Boston, has started ministering to people standing in line outside the Daily Bread Food Pantry next door.
The congregation opens its doors at 5 p.m. Tuesdays, said the Rev. Donna Schofield Dolle, pastor, so it can offer hot chocolate, bottled water or even a few minutes of warmth inside the church entry hall to those waiting for the pantry to open at 6 p.m. “Sometimes, we’ve stood in line to hold their place,” she added.
First Church Milford, which averages 40 to 50 in worship, also serves a community meal the last Thursday of the month and has taken on the responsibility of removing snow from the alley between the church building and food pantry to allow the food trucks to enter and unload.
When the Nashville, Tennessee, area was crippled by an unusual amount of snow and ice this week, United Methodist congregations were among those churches taking on guests for extra nights or even several days in cooperation with the Room in the Inn program.
Christ United Methodist Church in Franklin, for example, hosted 14 homeless men for three days.
“We have such wonderful guests staying with us,” Allen Johnston told the Williamson Herald. “They are very appreciative and said that they wanted to give back to the church. They offered to shovel the church parking lot and clear the driveway.”
In Michigan, Central United Methodist Church in Traverse City extended the hours of its breakfast outreach last Sunday because of freezing temperatures.
Making a commitment
For Wesley United Methodist Church in Wesleyville, Pennsylvania — a small borough near Erie in the Lake Erie snowbelt — the harsh winter has been a time of discernment, commitment and patience.
As the area becomes more urban, with the accompanying problems of drug and alcohol addictions and inter-generational poverty, the congregation has been trying to define its role and calling, explained the Rev. Pam Gardner.
Last winter, a homeless man who set up camp in a field about a mile from the church froze to death.This year, in cooperation with the Mental Health Association of NW Pennsylvania, the Wesley Warming Center has been open since Jan. 15 “with very few days off.”
Each night, when the temperature drops below 25 degrees, four of 30 trained volunteers keep the warming center open from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
They know that the homeless are out there, Gardner said, but the church had been forewarned by the mental health association that it would take time to convince them to come. So far, only two people have sought shelter there, she added, and one already had frostbite. “That was sort of sobering for all of us.”
The church is looking for more ways to reach out. For example, cases of trenchfoot — a medical condition caused by prolonged exposure to damp, unsanitary and cold conditions — have been a problem because of wet socks, Gardner noted. On Feb. 20, an RV from a nearby hospital set up for the afternoon in Wesley’s parking lot, offering basic medical attention.
Bloom is a United Methodist News Service multimedia reporter based in New York. Follow her athttps://twitter.com/umcscribe or contact her at (646) 369-3759 or newsdesk@umcom.org
Dollars in the plate save lives in AfricaCHICUQUE, Mozambique (UMNS) — When you give a $10 gift to Imagine No Malaria, how does the money go from your local church to saving lives in Africa? The Rev. Arlindo Romão in Mozambique can attest to how those gifts add up, and how they do far more than buy insecticide-treated bed nets. Heather Hahn has the story.
Photo by Keeton Bigham-Tsai
The Rev. Alindo Romão, health coordinator for the Center of Hope in Chicuque, Mozambique speaks to visitors during a 2015 site visit from the Connectional Table.
Dollars in the plate save lives in Africa by Heather Hahn, CHICUQUE, Mozambique (UMNS)
When you give a $10 gift to Imagine No Malaria, how does the money go from your local church tosaving lives in Africa?The Rev. Arlindo Romão can attest to how those gifts do far more than buy insecticide-treated bed nets.
Romão, a United Methodist and a malaria survivor himself, is the health care coordinator at theCenter of Hope, a United Methodist-supported center in rural Mozambique that is dedicated to public health education and disease prevention.
The center recently received its first grant of about $10,000 from the Imagine No Malaria initiative. Romão hopes those funds will be just the beginning of church financial support for the center’s efforts to fight the deadly disease.
First, he wants to assess the needs. And to do that, it’s best to start small.
Here is how your gifts to the #UMC's Imagine No Malaria campaign make it to the people who need it.
TWEET THISMozambique, unlike other sub-Saharan African nations, has no shortage of mosquito bed nets. Both the national government and various nongovernmental organizations distribute nets far and wide.
“But there is no organization that follows up on how people are using the mosquito nets and what the local environmental issues are, like sanitation,” Romão told an international delegation of church leaders that included members of the United Methodist Connectional Table.
He hopes the Center of Hope can fill that gap.
The limits of mosquito nets
The Rev. Alindo Romão, health coordinator for the Center of Hope in Chicuque, Mozambique speaks to visitors during a 2015 site visit from the Connectional Table. Photo by Keeton Bigham-Tsai
Mosquito netting is not a magic bullet to stop malaria.The New York Times in January reported that people in countries across Africa, including Mozambique, are using the tiny-holed nets for fishing rather than their intended purpose, imperiling supplies of a limited food source. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the insecticide used in the nets also can cause cancer in humans when ingested.
Neither Romão nor other Mozambicans who spoke with the church delegation had ever seen mosquito nets used for fishing. In fact, they pointed out that the government fines people for using the mosquito nets to fish precisely because doing so stresses the population of a diet staple.
But Romão did talk of seeing people sleep beneath worn-out nets with holes big enough to let in mosquitoes or not using nets at all. A net typically works for only three years before needing replacement and sleeping under them without air conditioning — as the international delegation learned — can be uncomfortable during Mozambique’s hot, muggy nights.
Nets are just one tool in preventing the spread of the mosquito-borne parasite that causes malaria. Another important step is to reduce the standing water where mosquitoes breed. Romão said his center has learned that most mosquitoes develop in households.
“One of our strategies is to go to the community and train community health workers,” he said. “We train them to find the sanitation conditions that can most lead to the production of mosquitoes and help correct those conditions.”
The center plans to use part of its initial Imagine No Malaria grant to survey conditions in a Mozambican community where — despite national trends — malaria is on the rise. The survey will aim to identify those who are receiving nets from the government and how the nets are being used.
The Rev. Gary R. Henderson, the executive director of the Global Health Initiative at United Methodist Communications, was part of the international delegation that met with Romão.
“Part of what donors have been asking is what is the impact, what is the difference made by the money being raised,” said Henderson. The center’s survey will provide a baseline from which future progress can be measured.
The Center of Hope then can use its findings to apply for more Imagine No Malaria grants, Henderson said, which could end up being worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
How Imagine No Malaria funds are distributed
Since April 2010, The United Methodist Church’s Imagine No Malaria initiative has raised around $66 million in gifts and pledges to reduce deaths and suffering in sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative aims to have a commitment of $75 million by the end of the year.
TO GIVE
To learn more and support Imagine No Malaria, visit imaginenomalaria.org/
The Center of Hope is in part supported through the United Methodist Advance. You can support its work here
So far, the initiative has used those funds to distribute more than 2.3 million bed nets, train more than 11,600 health workers and help support more than 300 United Methodist clinics and hospitals.
The Imagine No Malaria grants aren’t awarded to just anyone.
“What we are looking at is the need in that area, the successful implementation in the past, and the efficiency — are you getting the right bang for your buck?” said Dr. Olusimbo Ige, a physician and executive director for global health at the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.
Imagine No Malaria works with United Methodist health boards across Africa to implement the grants, she said.
Each health board includes health care professionals, lawyers and other experts selected by the United Methodist conferences in Africa. They identify health needs, distribute resources and help document how the money is used.
Imagine No Malaria’s technical review panel in New York reviews grant applications from the health boards three times a year. Typically, the panel receives three to five grant requests at each review.
The grant distribution system began in 2012 with five health boards and has now grown to 12 health boards. Mozambique is the most recent addition.
Paul, in his first letter to the Thessalonians, advised the early Christians to “examine everything carefully and hang on to what is good.” That is a guiding principle for Imagine No Malaria. Each health board is expected to report to the panel regularly about how the money is used, what is working and what is not.
They each receive an initial grant for $10,000. “If that is implemented properly and the report completed satisfactorily, you go up to $50,000 and from there to $100,000,” Ige said.
After repeated success, a health board can receive grants of up to $300,000. After multiple reviews, the health boards in Sierra Leone, East Congo and Central Congo have all reached the maximum level.
Bearing fruit
The United Methodist Church’s approach, along with the efforts of international partners, is bearing fruit.
The number of people dying from malaria has fallen dramatically since 2000 and malaria cases also are steadily declining, said the World Health Organization’s World Malaria Report 2014, released in December. Between 2000 and 2013, the report says, the malaria mortality rate decreased by 47 percent worldwide. In the WHO African Region — where about 90 percent of malaria deaths occur — the decrease is 54 percent.
But there is more work to do. Romão pointed out that while malaria rates are declining in Mozambique overall, the disease is still the top killer of children under 5 in his country.
Pregnant women and people who are HIV-positive also are especially at risk of dying from malaria, Ige said.
Romão, who studied public health administration at United Methodist-related Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe, is a member of Mozambique’s health board. Before applying for a grant, he attended training on how to integrate malaria control with his center’s work in preventing the spread of HIV. He also learned how to measure and document grant results.
His health board’s first grant will focus on children. In addition to the survey, he said the center’s staff also plans to do educational programs at schools in the targeted community.
One of the main problems the center has already identified is that as many as 40 percent of children in the community are not using their government-supplied bed nets.
If at the end of the current grant, the center finds that the vast majority of children are sleeping soundly under their nets, Romão said he will consider this first effort successful.
“The Bible says, ‘Teach the children while they are young,’” he said. “If we start with them, I believe the Bible is true, it will make a difference.”
Hahn is a multimedia news reporter for United Methodist News Service. Contact her at (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
Imagine No Malaria Recognized as Superhero at Global Meeting
United Methodist Communications
Office of Public Information
810 12th Ave. S.
Nashville, TN 37203
www.umcpresscenter.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 20, 2015
NASHVILLE, Tenn.: Imagine No Malaria, an initiative of The United Methodist Church to prevent and treat malaria, has received a Superhero Award from the Rotarians Action Group on Malaria. The award was given during the recent annual meeting of the Alliance for Malaria Prevention in Geneva.
Imagine No Malaria, the only faith-based organization represented among the award recipients, was recognized for its grassroots efforts in reaching rural and hard-to-reach areas with its prevention methods. Dr. Olusimbo Ige, executive director, Global Health for the General Board of Global Ministries was on hand to receive the award, which was signified by the bestowing of a red “superhero” cape. Drake Zimmerman, vice chair of the Rotarians Action Group on Malaria, made thepresentation.
Dr. Olusimbo Ige receives a red "superhero" cape on behalf of Imagine No Malaria.
“Rotarians Action Group on Malaria and all of Alliance for Malaria Prevention recognize the unique contributions of The United Methodist Church to malaria control, which is why we singled out The United Methodist Church’s Imagine No Malaria initiative as the only faith-based effort we honor this year,” Zimmerman said.
“The award honors the size, breadth and ongoing dedication of The United Methodist Church’s work, in which thousands upon thousands have donated, resulting in thousands of children being alive today, thriving today, in many countries! The contributions of United Methodists from across the globe, especially in the U.S. and Canada, means tens of millions of people now live healthier and more prosperous lives.
“Solve malaria and you solve so many other problems,” Zimmerman said. “Better stated, healthy people can solve their own problems! Malaria control makes prosperity possible now. The subcontinent is booming where it languished for so long, thanks in part to your generous gifts and tireless efforts. We say ‘thank you’ for the outstanding and ongoing work and sustained dedication.”
The Alliance for Malaria Prevention, with more than 40 partners, is a coalition of government, nonprofit, private sector, humanitarian and faith-based agencies working for malaria control.
Imagine No Malaria is committed to ending death and suffering from malaria through prevention, communication, trained health workers and facilities, and grassroots education. To date, INM has raised 86 percent of its goal with more than $65 million in gifts and pledges. United Methodists across the world are working hard to reach and celebrate the initiative’s $75 million goal before the denomination’sGeneral Conference in 2016.
Safe, secure and easy giving opportunities are available on the site so that anyone can participate and join the effort to eliminate this disease. Visitors can make one-time gifts and pledges of any amount, but many individuals participate with a recurring pledge of $28 per month over three years, to potentially save the lives of up to 100 children at risk for contracting the deadly disease.
Additionally, visitors can get a glimpse at the lives Imagine No Malaria is changing through video diaries, touching photos and news stories.
Imagine No Malaria is an extraordinary ministry of the people of The United Methodist Church, putting faith into action to end preventable deaths from malaria in Africa, especially the death of a child or a mother. With a comprehensive approach to fighting this killer disease, Imagine No Malaria empowers the people of Africa to improve health infrastructure and achieve a sustainable victory over malaria.
Contact: Diane Degnan
ddegnan@umcom.org
(615) 742-5406 (office)
Slave was member of first Methodist class in AmericaNEW WINDSOR, Md. (UMNS) — A slave named Annie Sweitzer was a member of the first Methodist class formed in America in about 1763 at what is now the Strawbridge Shrine. "The Methodist movement has always been a movement of diversity. It was open to anyone who would come to listen," said Helen Kemp, curator of the shrine.<iframe width="690" height="388" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BzrELdWsyZA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
View on YouTube | Download Video
Methodist History: Slave welcomed as one of first members
The Strawbridge Shrine in Maryland was the meeting place of the first Methodists in the New World. Robert Strawbridge formed the first Methodist class in America in about 1763. An African-American woman named Annie Sweitzer was a member of that first class. The fact that she was also a slave did not stop her covenant group from welcoming her.
Script:
(Locator: New Windsor, Maryland)
The Rev. James F.W. Talley: “Let’s welcome another Strawbridge to the Strawbridge pulpit.”
Helen Kemp, Curator, The Strawbridge Shrine: “The Methodist Movement has always been a movement of diversity. It was open to anyone who would come to listen. And Annie Sweitzer, ‘Aunt Sweitzer’ we call her, who was part of that meeting class that met at the John Evan’s house, was a person of a very unique situation. Here was a slave woman of color who was invited to be as much a part of that class as any other member of that class. And the class that met there was what we would call a covenant class in that they not only studied the word of God, but they held each other accountable for how they were living out that word of God. And you even had to have a ticket to become a member of that class. If you missed more than twice, you had to turn your ticket in, and you were out of the class. So, to think of a woman in her setting being allowed to even be part of that class is very extraordinary, I think, for those times.”
The Rev. James F.W. Talley, President, Strawbridge Shrine Association: “Of course we know Wesley was opposed to slavery from the very beginning. And Robert had to then to have preached that as part of his gospel preaching or else Anne would not have been welcomed there. But she was welcomed there. She was not there as a slave, as an African American. She was there as one more person opening her heart to Christ.”
Tag:
For more information, contact the Strawbridge Shrine at 410-635-2600.
Special thanks to the General Commission on Archives and History for collaboration on this story.
This story was posted February 12, 2015. Media contact is Fran Walsh, at 615-742-5458.
Should a pastor know what church members give?WASHINGTON (UMNS) — Ann A. Michel, associate director of the United Methodist-related Lewis Center for Church Leadership, says there are valid pastoral, spiritual and developmental reasons why pastors should know what church members give. Here are her thoughts.Should a Pastor Know What Church Members Give? by Ann A. Michel
United Methodist Communications
Office of Public Information
810 12th Ave. S.
Nashville, TN 37203
www.umcpresscenter.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 20, 2015
NASHVILLE, Tenn.: Imagine No Malaria, an initiative of The United Methodist Church to prevent and treat malaria, has received a Superhero Award from the Rotarians Action Group on Malaria. The award was given during the recent annual meeting of the Alliance for Malaria Prevention in Geneva.
Imagine No Malaria, the only faith-based organization represented among the award recipients, was recognized for its grassroots efforts in reaching rural and hard-to-reach areas with its prevention methods. Dr. Olusimbo Ige, executive director, Global Health for the General Board of Global Ministries was on hand to receive the award, which was signified by the bestowing of a red “superhero” cape. Drake Zimmerman, vice chair of the Rotarians Action Group on Malaria, made thepresentation.
“Rotarians Action Group on Malaria and all of Alliance for Malaria Prevention recognize the unique contributions of The United Methodist Church to malaria control, which is why we singled out The United Methodist Church’s Imagine No Malaria initiative as the only faith-based effort we honor this year,” Zimmerman said.
“The award honors the size, breadth and ongoing dedication of The United Methodist Church’s work, in which thousands upon thousands have donated, resulting in thousands of children being alive today, thriving today, in many countries! The contributions of United Methodists from across the globe, especially in the U.S. and Canada, means tens of millions of people now live healthier and more prosperous lives.
“Solve malaria and you solve so many other problems,” Zimmerman said. “Better stated, healthy people can solve their own problems! Malaria control makes prosperity possible now. The subcontinent is booming where it languished for so long, thanks in part to your generous gifts and tireless efforts. We say ‘thank you’ for the outstanding and ongoing work and sustained dedication.”
The Alliance for Malaria Prevention, with more than 40 partners, is a coalition of government, nonprofit, private sector, humanitarian and faith-based agencies working for malaria control.
Safe, secure and easy giving opportunities are available on the site so that anyone can participate and join the effort to eliminate this disease. Visitors can make one-time gifts and pledges of any amount, but many individuals participate with a recurring pledge of $28 per month over three years, to potentially save the lives of up to 100 children at risk for contracting the deadly disease.
Additionally, visitors can get a glimpse at the lives Imagine No Malaria is changing through video diaries, touching photos and news stories.
###
About Imagine No MalariaImagine No Malaria is an extraordinary ministry of the people of The United Methodist Church, putting faith into action to end preventable deaths from malaria in Africa, especially the death of a child or a mother. With a comprehensive approach to fighting this killer disease, Imagine No Malaria empowers the people of Africa to improve health infrastructure and achieve a sustainable victory over malaria.
Contact: Diane Degnan
ddegnan@umcom.org
(615) 742-5406 (office)
Slave was member of first Methodist class in AmericaNEW WINDSOR, Md. (UMNS) — A slave named Annie Sweitzer was a member of the first Methodist class formed in America in about 1763 at what is now the Strawbridge Shrine. "The Methodist movement has always been a movement of diversity. It was open to anyone who would come to listen," said Helen Kemp, curator of the shrine.<iframe width="690" height="388" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BzrELdWsyZA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
View on YouTube | Download Video
Methodist History: Slave welcomed as one of first members
The Strawbridge Shrine in Maryland was the meeting place of the first Methodists in the New World. Robert Strawbridge formed the first Methodist class in America in about 1763. An African-American woman named Annie Sweitzer was a member of that first class. The fact that she was also a slave did not stop her covenant group from welcoming her.
Script:
(Locator: New Windsor, Maryland)
The Rev. James F.W. Talley: “Let’s welcome another Strawbridge to the Strawbridge pulpit.”
Helen Kemp, Curator, The Strawbridge Shrine: “The Methodist Movement has always been a movement of diversity. It was open to anyone who would come to listen. And Annie Sweitzer, ‘Aunt Sweitzer’ we call her, who was part of that meeting class that met at the John Evan’s house, was a person of a very unique situation. Here was a slave woman of color who was invited to be as much a part of that class as any other member of that class. And the class that met there was what we would call a covenant class in that they not only studied the word of God, but they held each other accountable for how they were living out that word of God. And you even had to have a ticket to become a member of that class. If you missed more than twice, you had to turn your ticket in, and you were out of the class. So, to think of a woman in her setting being allowed to even be part of that class is very extraordinary, I think, for those times.”
The Rev. James F.W. Talley, President, Strawbridge Shrine Association: “Of course we know Wesley was opposed to slavery from the very beginning. And Robert had to then to have preached that as part of his gospel preaching or else Anne would not have been welcomed there. But she was welcomed there. She was not there as a slave, as an African American. She was there as one more person opening her heart to Christ.”
Tag:
For more information, contact the Strawbridge Shrine at 410-635-2600.
Special thanks to the General Commission on Archives and History for collaboration on this story.
This story was posted February 12, 2015. Media contact is Fran Walsh, at 615-742-5458.
Should a pastor know what church members give?WASHINGTON (UMNS) — Ann A. Michel, associate director of the United Methodist-related Lewis Center for Church Leadership, says there are valid pastoral, spiritual and developmental reasons why pastors should know what church members give. Here are her thoughts.Should a Pastor Know What Church Members Give? by Ann A. Michel
Every time I teach a stewardship workshop or class, this question invariably comes up: “Should a pastor have access to contribution records?” In some congregations, pastors are prohibited from knowing what people contribute. In others, pastors choose to shield themselves from this information.
The stated reason often is the concern that a pastor might show favoritism to those who contribute more generously or fail to minister adequately to the less generous. But really? What pastor is so obsessed with money that he or she is incapable of ministering fairly and compassionately to all? Anyone that crass would probably play favorites with those who attend worship andBible study more regularly, too. Yet no one suggests that pastors wear blindfolds in the pulpit to prevent them from seeing who is in the pews on Sunday morning.
A good pastor pays attention to all the signs of spiritual development. And someone’s giving is one important fruit of spiritual maturity. Growth in giving can signal a deepening faith commitment. And an unexpected drop in giving can be a symptom of other pastoral concerns, such as illness or unemployment.
Pastors who do not know what people give cannot help but make assumptions. And those assumptions are almost invariably wrong. The quiet shut-in who has not attended church in years might not seem like a key player in the life of your church. But if she is the congregation’s most faithful tither, doesn’t she deserve affirmation and thanks? It is easy to assume that an active church leader is also a faithful steward. But what if that leader was never taught the fundamentals of faith and generosity? Isn’t it better to know than to guess wrongly?
There are valid pastoral, spiritual, and developmental reasons why pastors, and sometimes other key church leaders, should know what people give. But money can be a touchy subject. And people might be upset if they assume their giving is unknown to the pastor or others and then find out otherwise. If this information has always been tightly guarded, think carefully about the best ways to begin to pierce the veil of secrecy. Here are a couple of options.
Establish a Policy
Some churches find it helpful to formulate a clear policy around access to giving records. Begin by asking the question, “Who already knows what people give?” Even in churches where there is a high level of secrecy around contributions, somebody knows what people give. Is it the teller, the church treasurer, the office bookkeeper, the church administrator, or all of the above? Then ask who else needs to know and why? Do the clergy need to know for pastoral reasons? Do finance or stewardship leaders need to know to promote better stewardship? Formulate a clear policy and ask your finance committee and your governing board to approve it.
Give People an Option
A church in New England had the idea of adding a check box to their pledge card that said, “It is all right to share my pledge amount with my pastor.” At the last minute, they decided to make it an opt-out box instead, reading “Please do not share with my pastor my pledge amount.” This alerts people to the fact that the pastor knows, but gives them a choice in the matter if it causes discomfort. The pastor reports that very few people check the box.
Leaders Can Model the Way
Ultimately, the best way to foster a culture of greater transparency around giving is to talk about it more. Pastors and other key leaders can model the way by openly discussing how much they give and why. This sharing should be done in thoughtful and appropriate ways, of course. But when we share testimonies about our giving, when we take encouragement rather than offense when someone learns about our generosity, we teach and inspire others about the importance of faithful giving.
I am not suggesting that a church print pledge or giving amounts in the newsletter. Although strangely, many people who insist on secrecy regarding church giving don’t object to their names and giving levels appearing in the annual reports of other charities. In fact, they would be upset if their alma mater, the local hospital, or even the denominational seminary left them off their contributors’ list!
But the conspiracy of silence around money and giving in our churches is contrary to responsible stewardship. Accountable discipleship requires that we be far more honest and transparent around everything having to do with faith and money. And being a bit more open about our giving and a little less uptight about who knows, are good steps in that direction.
Ann A. Michel is associate director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership and teaches stewardship at Wesley Theological Seminary. The church in New England referenced is First Church Somerville UCC in Somerville, MA, as reported in Real Good Church: How Our Church Came Back from the Dead, and Yours Can, Too (Pilgrim, 2014) by the pastor, Molly Phinney Baskette.
Get resources for One Great Hour of SharingNASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Donations to the United Methodist Committee on Relief through One Great Hour of Sharing on March 15 help cover the committee's cost of doing business so that 100 percent of all other contributions go straight to relief projects. Bulletin inserts, video and more are available for observing this Special Sunday on March 15 or any other day you choose at umcgiving.org.
The stated reason often is the concern that a pastor might show favoritism to those who contribute more generously or fail to minister adequately to the less generous. But really? What pastor is so obsessed with money that he or she is incapable of ministering fairly and compassionately to all? Anyone that crass would probably play favorites with those who attend worship andBible study more regularly, too. Yet no one suggests that pastors wear blindfolds in the pulpit to prevent them from seeing who is in the pews on Sunday morning.
A good pastor pays attention to all the signs of spiritual development. And someone’s giving is one important fruit of spiritual maturity. Growth in giving can signal a deepening faith commitment. And an unexpected drop in giving can be a symptom of other pastoral concerns, such as illness or unemployment.
Pastors who do not know what people give cannot help but make assumptions. And those assumptions are almost invariably wrong. The quiet shut-in who has not attended church in years might not seem like a key player in the life of your church. But if she is the congregation’s most faithful tither, doesn’t she deserve affirmation and thanks? It is easy to assume that an active church leader is also a faithful steward. But what if that leader was never taught the fundamentals of faith and generosity? Isn’t it better to know than to guess wrongly?
There are valid pastoral, spiritual, and developmental reasons why pastors, and sometimes other key church leaders, should know what people give. But money can be a touchy subject. And people might be upset if they assume their giving is unknown to the pastor or others and then find out otherwise. If this information has always been tightly guarded, think carefully about the best ways to begin to pierce the veil of secrecy. Here are a couple of options.
Establish a Policy
Some churches find it helpful to formulate a clear policy around access to giving records. Begin by asking the question, “Who already knows what people give?” Even in churches where there is a high level of secrecy around contributions, somebody knows what people give. Is it the teller, the church treasurer, the office bookkeeper, the church administrator, or all of the above? Then ask who else needs to know and why? Do the clergy need to know for pastoral reasons? Do finance or stewardship leaders need to know to promote better stewardship? Formulate a clear policy and ask your finance committee and your governing board to approve it.
Give People an Option
A church in New England had the idea of adding a check box to their pledge card that said, “It is all right to share my pledge amount with my pastor.” At the last minute, they decided to make it an opt-out box instead, reading “Please do not share with my pastor my pledge amount.” This alerts people to the fact that the pastor knows, but gives them a choice in the matter if it causes discomfort. The pastor reports that very few people check the box.
Leaders Can Model the Way
Ultimately, the best way to foster a culture of greater transparency around giving is to talk about it more. Pastors and other key leaders can model the way by openly discussing how much they give and why. This sharing should be done in thoughtful and appropriate ways, of course. But when we share testimonies about our giving, when we take encouragement rather than offense when someone learns about our generosity, we teach and inspire others about the importance of faithful giving.
I am not suggesting that a church print pledge or giving amounts in the newsletter. Although strangely, many people who insist on secrecy regarding church giving don’t object to their names and giving levels appearing in the annual reports of other charities. In fact, they would be upset if their alma mater, the local hospital, or even the denominational seminary left them off their contributors’ list!
But the conspiracy of silence around money and giving in our churches is contrary to responsible stewardship. Accountable discipleship requires that we be far more honest and transparent around everything having to do with faith and money. And being a bit more open about our giving and a little less uptight about who knows, are good steps in that direction.
Ann A. Michel is associate director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership and teaches stewardship at Wesley Theological Seminary. The church in New England referenced is First Church Somerville UCC in Somerville, MA, as reported in Real Good Church: How Our Church Came Back from the Dead, and Yours Can, Too (Pilgrim, 2014) by the pastor, Molly Phinney Baskette.
Get resources for One Great Hour of SharingNASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Donations to the United Methodist Committee on Relief through One Great Hour of Sharing on March 15 help cover the committee's cost of doing business so that 100 percent of all other contributions go straight to relief projects. Bulletin inserts, video and more are available for observing this Special Sunday on March 15 or any other day you choose at umcgiving.org.
http://www.umcgiving.org/pastors/resources?category=2747
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Minnesota youth perform 15,000 good deeds in 2014MINNEAPOLIS (UMNS) — Youth at Minnehaha United Methodist Church performed 15,000 good deeds in 2014, including making sandwiches for the homeless, packing meals through Feed My Starving Children, playing games with special-needs students during breaks at school, and buying coffee for strangers. They are still going strong this year. "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" featured the video they made to chronicle their work. Amanda Willis reports.15,000 good deeds in 2014
CHURCH: Minnehaha United Methodist Church
SUBMITTED BY: Leilani Thompson
By Amanda Willis
What’s the power of a single hug from a stranger? Does the good deed stay with the recipient all day? Will the recipient in turn perform a good deed for someone else?
That’s what youth at Minnehaha United Methodist Church in Minneapolis asked each other before setting a goal to complete 15,000 good deeds by 2015; their own good deeds counted as did the good deeds of those who benefited from their efforts and then decided to join them.
Each January, members of the church’s Confirmation group—made up of sixth- through 10th-graders—decide on a project they’d like to work on for the year. At the beginning of 2014, they unanimously decided on 15,000 good deeds.
“It’s a chain reaction,” youth group member Kate Graham said. “If you make one person happy, they will make other people happy. We were more aware of our actions when we were doing the project.”
The first good deed of the group, comprising eight to 12 youth, was to give a hug to anyone in the congregation who wanted one after worship one Sunday—those who the youth knew well and those they didn’t really know at all.
“We did different things to push us outside of our comfort zones,” said Leilani Thompson, coordinator of youth ministries for Minnehaha UMC. “Hugging strangers is not something I would normally do, but it was rewarding.”
A favorite good deed for many of the youth was making sandwiches for the 363 Days Food Program, a local nonprofit that provides sandwiches to the homeless and hungry.
“I really enjoyed making sandwiches even with my broken arm,” said youth group member Calvin Mattson. What he learned from the good deeds project: “Don’t give up.”
Some other good deeds included packing meals through Feed My Starving Children, cleaning up and washing dishes after a worship service, babysitting at the church during special events, playing games with special needs students at school during breaks, holding the door open for groups of students at school, and buying coffee drinks for strangers in line at Starbucks.
Their efforts paid off. They reached the 15,000 mark in early December and decided to keep going. As of early February, they had completed more than 19,400 good deeds.
The youth worked together to figure out how the good deeds would be counted and how to invite others in the church and community to participate. They decided to put a large glass jar in the church narthex, where anyone could report the number of good deeds done each month. They then communicated to the congregation by kicking off the project with a video introduction, a website, and updates via social media (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram). They updated the congregation on their project during worship services throughout the year.
The students also chronicled their work through photos and video. They sent the finished video to The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and the popular talk-show host shared it on her website right before Christmas.
Even with no budget, the youth figured out how to positively impact their community in a big way—and through their good deeds, they answered God’s call to heal a broken world.
By using creativity and having fun, the youth and congregation put their faith into action, said Rev. Cooper Wiggen, who served Minnehaha UMC until June 2014 and was there when the youth began this initiative.
“We got to share the gifts and talents that God has given us,” he said.
Minnehaha youth now challenge you and/or your church to participate in the good deeds project. People from as far away as California have joined the effort. For more information about the project and how to get involved, visit the website. To view photos of the project, click here.
Amanda Willis is communications associate for the Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Pension board to hold listening session March 6PHILADELPHIA (UMNS) — The United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits invites plan participants and other constituents to address the board of directors during a listening session at 11:30 a.m. EST March 6 in Philadelphia. To be added to the agenda and for specific presentation requirements, contact Colette Nies by Feb. 27 at 1-800-269-2244 (extension 4296) or atcnies@gbophb.org.General Board of Pension and Health Benefits to Hold Listening Session
For Immediate Release
February 20, 2015
Contact: M. Colette Nies, Managing Director, Communications
(847) 866-4296 or cnies@gbophb.org
Glenview, IL—The General Board of Pension and Health Benefits of The United Methodist Church (GBPHB) invites interested plan participants and other constituents to address the board of directors during a Listening Session on Friday, March 6, 2015(11:30 a.m.) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The GBPHB board of directors’ Listening Session gives board members an opportunity to hear points of view related to the mission and work of the agency. Short, 10-minute presentations provide the option to participate in person or by conference call, video/DVD to be played, or by mail/e-mail message to be read during the Listening Session at the discretion of the board chairperson. The Listening Sessions are held during the regularly scheduled board meetings in various jurisdictions during the year.
To place your name and topic on the agenda and for specific presentation requirements, please contact Colette Nies byFebruary 27 at 1-800-269-2244 (extension 4296) or at cnies@gbophb.org.
The General Board of Pension and Health Benefits (GBPHB) is a not-for-profit administrative agency of The United Methodist Church, with Church-authorized fiduciary responsibility for the benefit plans it administers and the assets it invests.
Prudent investment management decisions are an ongoing, long-term priority, supporting benefit plans for over 91,000 participants and approximately $21 billion in assets managed on their behalf, and for many United Methodist-affiliated endowments, foundations and other institutions. This fiduciary obligation reflects the stated values of the Church and helps ensure financial, environmental and social sustainability across all investments.
GBPHB is the largest reporting faith-based pension fund and among the top 100 pension funds in the United States. As a sustainable investor, GBPHB is committed to active ownership through corporate and public policy engagement, proxy voting and the management of excessive sustainability risk. Through its Positive Social Purpose Lending program, GBPHB invests inaffordable housing, community development and expanded loan opportunities for disadvantaged communities worldwide.
Church reaches youth with weightlifting ministrySAVANNAH, Ga. (UMNS) — A partnership between Aldersgate United Methodist Church and a former member of the U.S. Women's Weightlifting National team has grown into a powerful ministry that is drawing youth to the church multiple days a week, including Sunday worship. Kara Witherow of the South Georgia Conference has the story.Aldersgate UMC has powerful partnership with weightlifting ministry
A unique partnership between a Savannah United Methodist Church and a former member of the U.S. Women’s Weightlifting National team has grown into a powerful ministry.
Aldersgate UMC, located in the heart of East Savannah at the corner of Pennsylvania and Tennessee Avenues, is a small, urban, neighborhood church. In the past 50 years, what used to be a blue-collar, middle-class community has transitioned. Crime, gangs, and violence had increased and there were two shootings in the neighborhood just last month.
The congregation knew they had to do something to help protect area children and give them a safe haven.
At the same time, former competitive weightlifter Kerri Goodrich was on the hunt for a building large enough to house Performance Initiatives, Inc., the ministry she founded that had quickly outgrown her garage.
The church had space and wanted to help the community. Goodrich needed space and had a ministry that was reaching troubled kids.
It took a few months to hammer out the details, but for the past eight years, Performance Initiatives, Inc. has had a home in Aldersgate UMC’s Family Life Center.
“It’s been a very unique partnership and a very successful partnership,” Goodrich said.
The ministry uses fitness and athletics – specifically weightlifting – to educate and mentor youth and children. It serves 40 to 50 kids each day, five days a week.
“I like it because it ministers beyond Sunday mornings,” said Aldersgate UMC pastor Rev. Ben Gosden. “Through this ministry, the church touches their lives five days a week.”
Most of the children served by Performance Initiatives come from “complicated” homes, said Rev. Gosden, who tutors students one day a week, and the ministry is a safe place for them to go after school.
The ministry runs from 3:30 p.m. until 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Students, most who are 7 to 12 years old, are tutored and receive help with homework before their fitness training sessions.
Leadership and life-skills classes are also offered, and kids participate in a Bible study on Wednesday afternoons. Healthy dinners are provided for those who stay beyond 5:30 p.m.
Aldersgate UMC members volunteer at Performance Initiatives, serving as mentors, tutors, and handymen. They have developed friendships with the students and now see some of them during Sunday morning worship services.
“We have kids who come to church with no parents whatsoever. They walk here,” Rev. Gosden said. “We’ve built relationships with them and they come, and there’s a growing sense of love and responsibility that we owe it to these kids to reach out to them.”
Aldersgate UMC’s partnership with Performance Initiatives is just one way the church is reaching out into the community. The congregation hosts a weekly meeting of Narcotics Anonymous; a weekly meeting of Hagar Ministries, a new women’s support ministry; and is in the process of forming a new Boy Scout troop.
These are fresh expressions of the congregation’s love, faith, and willingness to go where God is calling them.
“I’m a big fan of the church being open five or six days a week,” Rev. Gosden said. “It’s a great reminder thatdiscipleship is supposed to be more than just one day a week.
“The question the church has to ask is, ‘where is God moving and how can we join in?’”
Lay leaders discuss past, shape futureBALTIMORE (UMNS) — Nearly 80 conference lay leaders from around The United Methodist Church gathered in Baltimore to learn about the denomination's past while looking at ways to shape the future. Erik Alsgaard of the Baltimore-Washington Conference reports.Annual Conference Lay Leaders visit BWC by Erik Alsgaard
Baltimore-Washington Conference Lay Leader Delores Martin welcomed the Association forAnnual Conference Lay Leaders at its opening worship service Feb. 19. BWC Bishop Marcus Matthews preached at the worship service which also featured a guest choir made up from the eight District Superintendents of the conference.
“It was a delight to host this event,” said Martin. “It’s wonderful to see our connection in action in these people.”
The group, whose purpose is to strengthen lay leadership in the denomination and to enable a mutual ministry between lay and clergy, meets annually and rotates its location throughout the United States, according to Steve Furr, Lay Leader of the Alabama-West Florida Conference.
Furr has been president of the Association for three years. At a visit to a snowy Baltimore-Washington Conference Mission Center Feb. 21, Furr said the focus of this year’s meeting was conflict resolution. Dr. Jan Love, Dean at Emory University in Atlanta, was the facilitator for a day-long session on Feb. 20.
“If the church is going to get back into a growth-mode,” Furr said, “the laity have got to lead.”
It is through the Association that Annual Conference Lay Leaders are trained for their tasks, he added. These leaders of laity, he said, then go back to their respective annual conferences and train district lay leaders and those in the local churches.
The Association includes people with a “wealth of talent,” said Furr, including attorneys, architects, teachers and business leaders. All of them come together to further the Kingdom, he said.
“We wouldn’t have a church if it weren’t for the laity,” Furr said. “Nobody would be funded, that would be for sure.”
Furr said he feels that the church is starting to come back to the awareness that this denomination started as a lay movement in the United States.
“If we don’t get the laity back and get them involved,” he said, speaking of the laity. “We have to have theordained clergy and paid staff, but the laity are out there sacrificing and giving of themselves, too.”
Jim Nibbelink, Lay Leader from the Desert Southwest Conference, was previously Lay Leader in the West Ohio Conference.
“I get a lot of learning, a lot of support, a lot of care, and I think I get a broader perspective on the general church,” Nibbelink said on why he’s a member of the Association.
He agrees with Furr that the laity are the backbone of the church.
“We depend on the clergy for inspiration, for training and education, for encouragement and cheerleading, but we lay people need to be the ones out in the streets, doing the ministry of caring for the least, the last and the lost.”
Nibbelink added that lay people can be the catalyst for innovation and change in the church, and keeping the church relevant, thanks to their activity in the business world.
“I see the global church at play here,” Mafunda said. “You know, we learn from each other and we need each other’s experiences in order to grow the church of Christ. As I go home from this Association meeting, I go home with a wealth of knowledge and experiences from other people on how they’ve been doing ministry, and we copy from them.”
Mafunda is aware that while the church is not growing in terms of membership numbers in the United States, in Zimbabwe, the opposite is true. The East Zimbabwe Area shares a partnership ministry with the Baltimore-Washington Conference, one that Mafunda said is critical to continued growth in his country.
“We want to learn from them (churches in the United States) so that when our church is matured, we don’t want it to come down,” he said. “Either we want it to stay in a straight line or continue to grow.”4 named 'seminaries that change the world'CHICAGO (UMNS) — The Center for Faith and Service at McCormick Theological Seminary has named four United Methodist seminaries to its 2015 list of U.S. seminaries that change the world. Among the list of 27 seminaries are Emory University's Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary near Chicago, Iliff School of Theology in Denver and Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington. The seminaries were chosen based on a "commitment to invite, welcome, support, train and launch individuals into the world as community leaders."
More details
Looking ahead
Minnesota youth perform 15,000 good deeds in 2014MINNEAPOLIS (UMNS) — Youth at Minnehaha United Methodist Church performed 15,000 good deeds in 2014, including making sandwiches for the homeless, packing meals through Feed My Starving Children, playing games with special-needs students during breaks at school, and buying coffee for strangers. They are still going strong this year. "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" featured the video they made to chronicle their work. Amanda Willis reports.15,000 good deeds in 2014
CHURCH: Minnehaha United Methodist Church
SUBMITTED BY: Leilani Thompson
By Amanda Willis
What’s the power of a single hug from a stranger? Does the good deed stay with the recipient all day? Will the recipient in turn perform a good deed for someone else?
That’s what youth at Minnehaha United Methodist Church in Minneapolis asked each other before setting a goal to complete 15,000 good deeds by 2015; their own good deeds counted as did the good deeds of those who benefited from their efforts and then decided to join them.
Each January, members of the church’s Confirmation group—made up of sixth- through 10th-graders—decide on a project they’d like to work on for the year. At the beginning of 2014, they unanimously decided on 15,000 good deeds.
“It’s a chain reaction,” youth group member Kate Graham said. “If you make one person happy, they will make other people happy. We were more aware of our actions when we were doing the project.”
The first good deed of the group, comprising eight to 12 youth, was to give a hug to anyone in the congregation who wanted one after worship one Sunday—those who the youth knew well and those they didn’t really know at all.
“We did different things to push us outside of our comfort zones,” said Leilani Thompson, coordinator of youth ministries for Minnehaha UMC. “Hugging strangers is not something I would normally do, but it was rewarding.”
A favorite good deed for many of the youth was making sandwiches for the 363 Days Food Program, a local nonprofit that provides sandwiches to the homeless and hungry.
“I really enjoyed making sandwiches even with my broken arm,” said youth group member Calvin Mattson. What he learned from the good deeds project: “Don’t give up.”
Some other good deeds included packing meals through Feed My Starving Children, cleaning up and washing dishes after a worship service, babysitting at the church during special events, playing games with special needs students at school during breaks, holding the door open for groups of students at school, and buying coffee drinks for strangers in line at Starbucks.
Their efforts paid off. They reached the 15,000 mark in early December and decided to keep going. As of early February, they had completed more than 19,400 good deeds.
The youth worked together to figure out how the good deeds would be counted and how to invite others in the church and community to participate. They decided to put a large glass jar in the church narthex, where anyone could report the number of good deeds done each month. They then communicated to the congregation by kicking off the project with a video introduction, a website, and updates via social media (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram). They updated the congregation on their project during worship services throughout the year.
The students also chronicled their work through photos and video. They sent the finished video to The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and the popular talk-show host shared it on her website right before Christmas.
Even with no budget, the youth figured out how to positively impact their community in a big way—and through their good deeds, they answered God’s call to heal a broken world.
By using creativity and having fun, the youth and congregation put their faith into action, said Rev. Cooper Wiggen, who served Minnehaha UMC until June 2014 and was there when the youth began this initiative.
“We got to share the gifts and talents that God has given us,” he said.
Minnehaha youth now challenge you and/or your church to participate in the good deeds project. People from as far away as California have joined the effort. For more information about the project and how to get involved, visit the website. To view photos of the project, click here.
Amanda Willis is communications associate for the Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Pension board to hold listening session March 6PHILADELPHIA (UMNS) — The United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits invites plan participants and other constituents to address the board of directors during a listening session at 11:30 a.m. EST March 6 in Philadelphia. To be added to the agenda and for specific presentation requirements, contact Colette Nies by Feb. 27 at 1-800-269-2244 (extension 4296) or atcnies@gbophb.org.General Board of Pension and Health Benefits to Hold Listening Session
For Immediate Release
February 20, 2015
Contact: M. Colette Nies, Managing Director, Communications
(847) 866-4296 or cnies@gbophb.org
Glenview, IL—The General Board of Pension and Health Benefits of The United Methodist Church (GBPHB) invites interested plan participants and other constituents to address the board of directors during a Listening Session on Friday, March 6, 2015(11:30 a.m.) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The GBPHB board of directors’ Listening Session gives board members an opportunity to hear points of view related to the mission and work of the agency. Short, 10-minute presentations provide the option to participate in person or by conference call, video/DVD to be played, or by mail/e-mail message to be read during the Listening Session at the discretion of the board chairperson. The Listening Sessions are held during the regularly scheduled board meetings in various jurisdictions during the year.
To place your name and topic on the agenda and for specific presentation requirements, please contact Colette Nies byFebruary 27 at 1-800-269-2244 (extension 4296) or at cnies@gbophb.org.
###
About the General BoardThe General Board of Pension and Health Benefits (GBPHB) is a not-for-profit administrative agency of The United Methodist Church, with Church-authorized fiduciary responsibility for the benefit plans it administers and the assets it invests.
Prudent investment management decisions are an ongoing, long-term priority, supporting benefit plans for over 91,000 participants and approximately $21 billion in assets managed on their behalf, and for many United Methodist-affiliated endowments, foundations and other institutions. This fiduciary obligation reflects the stated values of the Church and helps ensure financial, environmental and social sustainability across all investments.
GBPHB is the largest reporting faith-based pension fund and among the top 100 pension funds in the United States. As a sustainable investor, GBPHB is committed to active ownership through corporate and public policy engagement, proxy voting and the management of excessive sustainability risk. Through its Positive Social Purpose Lending program, GBPHB invests inaffordable housing, community development and expanded loan opportunities for disadvantaged communities worldwide.
Church reaches youth with weightlifting ministrySAVANNAH, Ga. (UMNS) — A partnership between Aldersgate United Methodist Church and a former member of the U.S. Women's Weightlifting National team has grown into a powerful ministry that is drawing youth to the church multiple days a week, including Sunday worship. Kara Witherow of the South Georgia Conference has the story.Aldersgate UMC has powerful partnership with weightlifting ministry
Aldersgate UMC, located in the heart of East Savannah at the corner of Pennsylvania and Tennessee Avenues, is a small, urban, neighborhood church. In the past 50 years, what used to be a blue-collar, middle-class community has transitioned. Crime, gangs, and violence had increased and there were two shootings in the neighborhood just last month.
The congregation knew they had to do something to help protect area children and give them a safe haven.
At the same time, former competitive weightlifter Kerri Goodrich was on the hunt for a building large enough to house Performance Initiatives, Inc., the ministry she founded that had quickly outgrown her garage.
The church had space and wanted to help the community. Goodrich needed space and had a ministry that was reaching troubled kids.
It took a few months to hammer out the details, but for the past eight years, Performance Initiatives, Inc. has had a home in Aldersgate UMC’s Family Life Center.
“It’s been a very unique partnership and a very successful partnership,” Goodrich said.
The ministry uses fitness and athletics – specifically weightlifting – to educate and mentor youth and children. It serves 40 to 50 kids each day, five days a week.
“I like it because it ministers beyond Sunday mornings,” said Aldersgate UMC pastor Rev. Ben Gosden. “Through this ministry, the church touches their lives five days a week.”
Most of the children served by Performance Initiatives come from “complicated” homes, said Rev. Gosden, who tutors students one day a week, and the ministry is a safe place for them to go after school.
The ministry runs from 3:30 p.m. until 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Students, most who are 7 to 12 years old, are tutored and receive help with homework before their fitness training sessions.
Leadership and life-skills classes are also offered, and kids participate in a Bible study on Wednesday afternoons. Healthy dinners are provided for those who stay beyond 5:30 p.m.
Aldersgate UMC members volunteer at Performance Initiatives, serving as mentors, tutors, and handymen. They have developed friendships with the students and now see some of them during Sunday morning worship services.
“We have kids who come to church with no parents whatsoever. They walk here,” Rev. Gosden said. “We’ve built relationships with them and they come, and there’s a growing sense of love and responsibility that we owe it to these kids to reach out to them.”
Aldersgate UMC’s partnership with Performance Initiatives is just one way the church is reaching out into the community. The congregation hosts a weekly meeting of Narcotics Anonymous; a weekly meeting of Hagar Ministries, a new women’s support ministry; and is in the process of forming a new Boy Scout troop.
These are fresh expressions of the congregation’s love, faith, and willingness to go where God is calling them.
“I’m a big fan of the church being open five or six days a week,” Rev. Gosden said. “It’s a great reminder thatdiscipleship is supposed to be more than just one day a week.
“The question the church has to ask is, ‘where is God moving and how can we join in?’”
Lay leaders discuss past, shape futureBALTIMORE (UMNS) — Nearly 80 conference lay leaders from around The United Methodist Church gathered in Baltimore to learn about the denomination's past while looking at ways to shape the future. Erik Alsgaard of the Baltimore-Washington Conference reports.Annual Conference Lay Leaders visit BWC by Erik Alsgaard
Delores Martin, left, Lay Leader of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, and the Rev. JW Park, superintendent of the Central Maryland District, serve communion at the opening worship of the Association of Annual Conference Lay Leaders meeting in Baltimore, Feb. 19. Photo by Erik Alsgaard
Nearly 80 Annual Conference Lay Leaders from around The United Methodist Church gathered in Baltimore Feb. 19-22, taking the opportunity to learn a little about our church’s past while looking at ways to shape the future.Baltimore-Washington Conference Lay Leader Delores Martin welcomed the Association forAnnual Conference Lay Leaders at its opening worship service Feb. 19. BWC Bishop Marcus Matthews preached at the worship service which also featured a guest choir made up from the eight District Superintendents of the conference.
“It was a delight to host this event,” said Martin. “It’s wonderful to see our connection in action in these people.”
The group, whose purpose is to strengthen lay leadership in the denomination and to enable a mutual ministry between lay and clergy, meets annually and rotates its location throughout the United States, according to Steve Furr, Lay Leader of the Alabama-West Florida Conference.
Furr has been president of the Association for three years. At a visit to a snowy Baltimore-Washington Conference Mission Center Feb. 21, Furr said the focus of this year’s meeting was conflict resolution. Dr. Jan Love, Dean at Emory University in Atlanta, was the facilitator for a day-long session on Feb. 20.
“If the church is going to get back into a growth-mode,” Furr said, “the laity have got to lead.”
It is through the Association that Annual Conference Lay Leaders are trained for their tasks, he added. These leaders of laity, he said, then go back to their respective annual conferences and train district lay leaders and those in the local churches.
The Association includes people with a “wealth of talent,” said Furr, including attorneys, architects, teachers and business leaders. All of them come together to further the Kingdom, he said.
“We wouldn’t have a church if it weren’t for the laity,” Furr said. “Nobody would be funded, that would be for sure.”
Furr said he feels that the church is starting to come back to the awareness that this denomination started as a lay movement in the United States.
“If we don’t get the laity back and get them involved,” he said, speaking of the laity. “We have to have theordained clergy and paid staff, but the laity are out there sacrificing and giving of themselves, too.”
Jim Nibbelink, Lay Leader from the Desert Southwest Conference, was previously Lay Leader in the West Ohio Conference.
“I get a lot of learning, a lot of support, a lot of care, and I think I get a broader perspective on the general church,” Nibbelink said on why he’s a member of the Association.
He agrees with Furr that the laity are the backbone of the church.
“We depend on the clergy for inspiration, for training and education, for encouragement and cheerleading, but we lay people need to be the ones out in the streets, doing the ministry of caring for the least, the last and the lost.”
Nibbelink added that lay people can be the catalyst for innovation and change in the church, and keeping the church relevant, thanks to their activity in the business world.
Simon Mafunda, Lay Leader of the East Zimbabwe Annual Conference.
Simon Mafunda, from the East Zimbabwe Annual Conference, has been its Lay Leader for seven years. This was his second time attending the Association meeting and he said he enjoyed most the learning opportunities from talking with other United Methodists around theglobal connection.“I see the global church at play here,” Mafunda said. “You know, we learn from each other and we need each other’s experiences in order to grow the church of Christ. As I go home from this Association meeting, I go home with a wealth of knowledge and experiences from other people on how they’ve been doing ministry, and we copy from them.”
Mafunda is aware that while the church is not growing in terms of membership numbers in the United States, in Zimbabwe, the opposite is true. The East Zimbabwe Area shares a partnership ministry with the Baltimore-Washington Conference, one that Mafunda said is critical to continued growth in his country.
“We want to learn from them (churches in the United States) so that when our church is matured, we don’t want it to come down,” he said. “Either we want it to stay in a straight line or continue to grow.”4 named 'seminaries that change the world'CHICAGO (UMNS) — The Center for Faith and Service at McCormick Theological Seminary has named four United Methodist seminaries to its 2015 list of U.S. seminaries that change the world. Among the list of 27 seminaries are Emory University's Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary near Chicago, Iliff School of Theology in Denver and Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington. The seminaries were chosen based on a "commitment to invite, welcome, support, train and launch individuals into the world as community leaders."
More details
Looking ahead
Here are some of the activities ahead for United Methodists across the connection. If you have an item to share, email newsdesk@umcom.org and put Digest in the subject line.
March
Women's History Month — Find out about famous women hymn writers with resources from United Methodist Discipleship Ministries.
Tuesday, March 3
"Selma at 50, Ferguson Today" panel discussion — 5-6:30 p.m. EST at Boston University School of Theology, 745 Commonwealth Ave. Boston University School of Theology alumni look back at the 50th anniversary of the March to Montgomery and at the protests in Ferguson today. Panelists include the Revs. Don Messer and William Bobby McClain, who traveled to Selma with a group of BU seminary students to participate in the March to Montgomery led by the Martin Luther King Jr. The Rev. Pamela Lightsey, associate dean, will share her experiences in Ferguson, Missouri, after the death of Michael Brown. Details.
You can see more educational opportunities and other upcoming events in the life of the church here.
United Methodist News Service is a ministry of:
United Methodist Communications
810 12th Avenue South
March
Women's History Month — Find out about famous women hymn writers with resources from United Methodist Discipleship Ministries.
Tuesday, March 3
"Selma at 50, Ferguson Today" panel discussion — 5-6:30 p.m. EST at Boston University School of Theology, 745 Commonwealth Ave. Boston University School of Theology alumni look back at the 50th anniversary of the March to Montgomery and at the protests in Ferguson today. Panelists include the Revs. Don Messer and William Bobby McClain, who traveled to Selma with a group of BU seminary students to participate in the March to Montgomery led by the Martin Luther King Jr. The Rev. Pamela Lightsey, associate dean, will share her experiences in Ferguson, Missouri, after the death of Michael Brown. Details.
You can see more educational opportunities and other upcoming events in the life of the church here.
United Methodist News Service is a ministry of:
United Methodist Communications
810 12th Avenue South
Nashville, Tennessee 37203-4704 United States
NewsDesk@umcom.org
NewsDesk@umcom.org
Phone: 615.742.5400
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