August 21, 2014

Dear Reader,

The news this week removes all doubt that The United Methodist Church is a globally connected church. We have stories of our church being present in the challenges facing Ferguson, Missouri, a commentary from Bishop Minerva Carcaño, who was a member of our own conference before her election, stories of our work to fight malaria in Africa, news of a global gathering of United Methodist Young People and stories of the church’s work to fight Ebola in west Africa.

One of the personal aspects of this connection for me is to the church communicators in Africa. In 2001, as a member of the General Commission on Communications, I visited Africa to meet with African leaders to learn how United Methodist Communications could help in Africa. While there I was one of a team of trainers to local communicators.

Today, we have in place conference communicators like Julu Swen of the Liberia Annual Conference who are telling the story for us in the west, and for the people of Liberia. We also have mobile phone texting systems, community radio stations, and other technology tools for church leaders to support people in crisis. (Read more about how UMCom is providing technology to fight Ebola).

If not for you, the people of The United Methodist Church, these people and tools would not be in place today when they are so desperately needed. Thank you.

Greg Nelson, Director of Communications

CONFERENCE NEWS

11 churches benefit from final hunger grants

The final round of grants to churches from the Hunger Ministries Task Force will provide $16,250 to 11 churches for hunger elimination ministry.

From October 2008 to July 2014, the task force awarded 64 grants for a total of $105,275. The smallest grant was for $150 while the largest was for $5,075. Of the 64 grants, 47 where awarded to ministries in Oregon for a total of $59,400 and 17 grants, totaling $45,875 went to churches in Idaho. Funds were collected from special offerings and the annual change-hunger-fast coin collection across the conference.

Grants have provided community connection, direct food service, and education programs. The task force has worked with churches to see that grants assisted with starting or growing sustainable programs that connect the church and the community.

Nineteen of the grants were for community gardens, 19for direct feeding/meals, six for food pantries, and eight for backpack programs. Nine involved nutrition education, community food security organizing, or other education. The remainder covered a variety of ministries, and there was some crossover with ministries involving feeding and education, pantries and education, or other combinations.

After six years of championing hunger ministry around the conference, the task force will disband after this final round of grants. Resources for fighting hunger, like the Recipe for Enough, will remain on the conference website along with contacts for task force members that are still willing to provide advice and guidance to congregations working to eliminate hunger.

The task force was recognized at the 2014 Annual Conference for their work energizing the conference to eliminate hunger. The task force has succeeded in helping churches have the tools and awareness they need to carry this task forward as a local ministry working with community partners.

AROUND THE CONFERENCE

Conference Trustees collect data on local church risk

The Conference Board of Trustees is charged to draft minimum standards for insurance coverage by local churches. To assist that responsibility, they are in the process of collecting coverage data from every United Methodist Church in the conference.

Today’s sources of insurance in Oregon-Idaho churches range from hometown agents to the two largest church insurance carriers in the region and nation. However, the levels of coverage vary widely which underlines the vulnerability presented to both local churches and the conference.

The data collected will allow the Trustees to draft minimum standards for local insurance coverage in these litigious times as well as choices that are optional (like earthquake and flood insurance). Churches are not required to buy a specific policy or from a specific agent, but they will be responsible for maintaining at least the minimum level of coverage. Having minimum standards will assist local churches with being good stewards of their property and organizational risk management.

Letters have been emailed to pastors, trustee, finance and council chairs of local congregations. If you are a local church leader, you can check with them to make sure your church has responded to the request for information. Responses are due by September 12. Contact Sally Blanchard at sally@umoi.org for more details.

Creating Cultures of Congregational Generosity:
A new training opportunity for local churches

As churches look for new ways to look at the issues of money, giving and the Sunday collection basket, new training is being offered to help them see new ways to think about stewardship. Churches are invited to send a leadership team to participate in a training experience that could change the way they view giving and generosity!

This course is intended for churches that:

Believe in their congregations' capacity for greater generosity
Have a desire to become more comfortable with money
Are willing to redefine giving in your congregation
Understand giving to include service, social networks, and the sharing of ideas and professional expertise.

The Greater Northwest Area, in conjunction with the Tuell Center, is offering this three-part inter-active seminar demonstrating how pastors and ministry leaders can unearth and energize congregational generosity by exploring the significant and necessary steps to creating lasting cultural change within a congregation.

This three session training will be held in Northwest Portland on Saturdays one in October, November and January. This is a team event, to include the pastor, and church leaders on the Finance Committee and Governing Board, along with a member with an “entrepreneurial spirit.” Cost is $150.00 per participant. Each pastor must register for their church. For more information go to www.umoi.org/stewardship.

AROUND THE GLOBE

Work to eradicate malaria deaths starts with God

The Imagine No Malaria campaign is about making a connection with people. Because, to be effective, it needs to be a ministry with the people of Africa, not to the people of Africa.

A story on the Greater Northwest website talks about the connection between the people of a church in Sierra Leone, the people of The United Methodist Church, and the battle to eliminate deaths from Malaria. Read the rest of the story.

Church leaders strive to be peacemakers in Ferguson

FERGUSON, Mo. (UMNS) - Since Saturday night, the Rev. F. Willis Johnson has devoted his entire ministry to fostering peaceful - and meaningful - responses to the death of an unarmed black teenager shot by police and the violent clashes that followed. He led prayer vigils and counseled protesters. He also reached out to other United Methodist leaders, who joined him in helping a community in pain. Read the rest of this United Methodist News Service story.

Missouri Bishop asks for support after violence

COLUMBIA, Mo. (UMNS) - Missouri Area Bishop Robert Schnase says United Methodists have worked to heal conflict and foster peace and justice in days following the police shooting death of an unarmed teenager in Ferguson, Missouri. "We ask for your support," Schnase said, urging those who want to help to be in touch with the Rev. Willis Johnson, pastor of Wellspring United Methodist Church. Under Johnson's leadership, the church has been on the forefront of efforts to ease tensions and seek the truth. Read his statement on the Missouri Conference website.

Ebola quarantine sparks violent protests

MONROVIA, Liberia (UMNS) - Protesters hurled rocks and stormed barricades in an effort to escape the West Point neighborhood that was cordoned off after a quarantine aimed at containing the spread of Ebola. A United Methodist pastor was among those unable to leave, reports Julu Swen, communication director for the Liberia Annual (regional) Conference of The United Methodist Church. Read his story.

Global Young People adopt petitions for 2016

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - Despite enduring a devastating typhoon, United Methodist young people and adult leaders from 34 countries successfully completed their convocation and legislative assembly in the Philippines and adopted petitions for presentation to the next General Conference. The United Methodist Board of Discipleship reports on the Global Young People's Convocation and Legislative Assembly. Read more on the General Board of Discipleship website.

RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Global heath survey - One day left

The General Board of Global ministries is surveying United Methodists from around the globe to participate in a survey about global heath.

If you haven’t had the chance to fill out the United Methodist Church Health Survey, you can do it now by clicking here. By doing so, you can help guide the future of United Methodist health programming. Use this as an opportunity to express what matters most to you in the field of health and where you would like the church to focus its efforts moving forward.

The deadline to take the survey is this Friday, August 22. So, please, use this resource to share your passion for health and healing today. Read a fact sheet about this global health consultation.

New curriculum for local pastors

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - A new curriculum for local pastors focuses on transformative leadership, while online interactive classes will provide easier access for educational opportunities, especially for part-time local pastors who have regular employment outside the church. Read more on the Higher Education and Ministry website.

CAMP AND RETREAT MINISTRY NEWS

First Wall Goes Up for Wallowa Lake's
Volunteer Community Center

With the Ford Family Foundation award of $100,000, two new buildings – a volunteer community center, and a multipurpose meeting building and chapel – are beginning to take shape at Wallowa Lake Camp. In fact, ground has been broken and the first wall of the volunteer community center has been erected!
With earlier grants from the Wildhorse Foundation ($10,000) and the MJ Murdock Trust ($150,000), and your matching donations, the project is almost fully funded. With the goal in sight, we are excited to get more and more people on board to bring them both to completion!
Contact Lisa Jean Hoefner to find out how you can participate in these projects!

COMMENTARY

We are all accountable

By Bishop Minerva Carcaño

… the rest of us should not wait until what has happened in Ferguson happens in our communities before starting the deep conversation about racism, racial profiling, economic injustice, and other related issues that I suspect underlie all that we are seeing in Ferguson. …