Thursday, May 17, 2018

"RMN Western Jurisdiction - May Update" for Thursday, 17 May 2018 with Rev. Dr. Israel Alvaran from The Reconciliation Ministry Network in Chicago, Illinois, United States

"RMN Western Jurisdiction - May Update" for Thursday, 17 May 2018 with Rev. Dr. Israel Alvaran from The Reconciliation Ministry Network in Chicago, Illinois, United States
God is with us!
We have reasons to celebrate: It is the 50th anniversary of The United Methodist Church! The season of Pentecost is almost upon us! Our annual conference sessions are just around the corner! But don't you feel weighed down and a bit anxious with news from our general church? Talks of schism? Debates on what plans are best for the church? Continuing discrimination against LGBTQ persons?
On his death bed, John Wesley declared: "The best of all, God is with us!"
Yes! God is with us! For every person in need of a safe and sacred place, God will call upon Methodists and local congregations to step up and become a Reconciling community. Regardless of what happens, your local church will be there to minister to all God's children.
Yes! God is with us! The UMC has another opportunity to right its wrongs and remove all harmful language against LGBTQ persons in the Book of Discipline. We are challenged to do all the best we can to make this happen.
Yes! God is with us! As we celebrate Pentecost, know that the Holy Spirit is working despite our flaws and will lead us to perfection in love. Remember that it's not by our power that change happens, but by the Spirit alone.
Yes! God is with us! Even when we are contemplating the possible death of our denomination, know that God will raise up God's church renewed with wide open doors to welcome all who are weary and downtrodden.
To the People called Methodists in the West, hear this and be hopeful: God is with us!
#BeTheWayForward

Rev. Dr. Israel I. Alvaran
Western Jurisdiction Organizer
Phone: (510)717-4894
izzy@rmnetwork.org
Celebrate our new Reconciling Communities!
  • Foothills UMC-Bonney Lake, WA became a Reconciling Church on April 20, 2018
When we feel weary, hope springs forth in every new Reconciling community that God calls to welcome all of God's children unconditionally. Since our annual conferences convened last year, we added 17 new Reconciling communities! Let us celebrate and welcome them to our family!
  • California-Nevada Conference:
  • Woodside Road UMC - Redwood City, CA
  • Walnut Avenue UMC - Walnut Creek, CA
  • Concord UMC - Concord, CA
  • First UMC - San Jose, CA
  • San Rafael Aldersgate UMC - San Rafael, CACalifornia-Pacific Conference:
  • First UMC - Santa Barbara, CA
  • West Los Angeles UMC - Los Angeles, CADesert Southwest Conference:
  • Central UMC - Phoenix, AZOregon-Idaho Conference:
  • Tigard UMC - Tigard, OR
  • Trinity UMC - Eugene, OR
  • First UMC - Oregon City, ORPacific Northwest Conference:
  • Fairwood UMC - Renton, WA
  • Battle Ground Community UMC - Battle Ground, WA
  • Foothills UMC - Bonney Lake, WARocky Mountain Conference:
  • First UMC - Lafayette, CO
  • Belong Church - Denver, CO
  • Contemporary Christian Roundtable of Mountain View UMC - Mountain View, CO
5 things you can do!
My colleague from the South Central Jurisdiction, Deaconess Laura Young, came up with 5 action items for us all to consider for May... which actions will you take?
1. Annual Conference is around the corner. Show up, wear a stole, and be a pastoral and prophetic witness for change in your conference. Make your voice heard. Reconciling United Methodists in the Texas Conference issued what I think is a great statement - check it out.
2. RMN's "This is My Story" video project is reaching new people and making a difference. Can you help us share these stories? Would you consider sharing part of your story in a video?! We are looking for LGBTQ United Methodists who want to be a witness.
3. Join us this July for the Love Your Neighbor Convocation - "For Everyone Born." This event is part family reunion and fun, part study and worship, and a whole lot of General Conference preparation. Register and join us!
4. Check out new items in the RMN Store! Shop by collection and see the newly added "For Everyone Born" and "Be The Way Forward" merchandise.
5. Save the dates and consider being present during the called General Conference - February 23rd - 26th of 2019 in St. Louis, MO. There are 864 delegates preparing for this special session. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have 864 Reconciling United Methodists - one for every delegate - in St. Louis as a loving and prayerful witness to our hope for a just and fully inclusive church?
"For Everyone Born" - July 26-29, 2018
For Everyone Born will draw hundreds of United Methodists for community, worship, organizing, and living out what it means to be a church where all are welcome and celebrated. The conference will take place in St. Louis, MO. Join us for a weekend that promises to be full of inspiration, connection, and a vision of what the church could be. In addition to great worship and fellowship, we will have two days of engaging workshops, hear from Commission on A Way Forward (CoWF) members about their experience, offer opportunities for jurisdictional teams to meet, and begin planning our presence and witness at General Conference in February 2019.
Love Your Neighbor Coalition (LYNC) partner organizations for For Everyone Born are: Affirmation, Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA), Methodists in New Directions (MIND), Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN), United Methodist Queer Clergy Caucus (UMQCC), and Western Methodist Justice Movement(WMJM).
Get organized - join us for a training
Do you want to help increase the number of Reconciling Churches, Communities and Campus Ministries?
WHAT: This training will empower Reconciling United Methodists to shepherd churches/communities through the Reconciling process.
WHEN: 9AM – 5PM (lunch/snacks will be provided)
WHERE: September 8, 2018 - Tehachapi Valley UMC, Tehachapi CA
REGISTRATION IS FREE! Click on the buttons below to register and/or host a workshop.
Register for the September 8th BIC in Tehachapi, CA
Host a BIC Workshop
Connect with your local Reconciling team
Contact your state or conference's Reconciling team leaders below to know how you can participate in local activities and witness.
Connect with your conference Reconciling teams on Facebook - "like" their page!
Email Izzy with questions on how to get connected to your local team
Western Jurisdiction
Copyright © 2018 Reconciling Ministries Network, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
Reconciling Ministries Network
123 West Madison Street, Suite 2150
Chicago, Illinois 60602, United States
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