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GNW Area News | Sept. 16, 2021

Dear Reader,

This past week we marked 20 years as a country forever changed by the terrorist attacks against our nation. We lamented, we honored and we remembered the 3,000 people whose lives were lost on that sunny September day.

I wonder what we’ll think of this time in our country’s history 20 years from now. More than 664,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 since this pandemic began 18 months ago. More and more people are speaking up for justice, equality, and inclusion only to be told by institutional systems of power to sit back down.

We have doctors and nurses coming home from shifts at hospitals in tears because they just watched another person die from a virus they could have avoided had they only believed in the researchers and scientists God gifted this planet with to deliver us from these terrifying diseases.

What will our children, or our children’s children, learn about this time in U.S. History in 20 years?

As United Methodists, as followers of Christ, my hope is that they’ll see we responded in love. At least, that is my continued prayer to God.

In love with hope,

Kristen Caldwell
Oregon-Idaho Conference Communications Manager


GNW AREA NEWS

Alaska Conference Special Sunday – Sept. 19

Churches are encouraged to mark the Alaska Conference Special Sunday this week – or any Sunday this fall – through their gifts of an offering, but also recognize the church’s place in colonizing Alaska and creating generational trauma in the process. Leaders in the Alaska Conference offer several ways – through prayers, presence, gifts and service – that GNW churches can honor this special Sunday with them. /// Learn more on the GNW News site.

WEBINAR: Endowments - What you need to know

WEBINAR: Endowments - What you need to know

Endowments aren’t just for universities and hospitals. They can be a great way to maintain church buildings and fund ministries. However, endowments don’t merely appear out of thin air. They take work, time, and an understanding of how to manage them. A team of leaders from across the GNW Area is offering a two-part workshop, beginning Sept. 28, to offer guidance and training on how churches can leverage endowments for the benefit of many. /// Learn more and register by visiting the GNW Area website. 

PNW Churches encouraged to mark Children’s Sabbath October 15-17

The PNW Board of Church and Society is encouraging churches to observe the 30th annual Children's Sabbath, a program of the Children's Defense Fund. It focuses on urgent problems facing children and aspires to link places of worship across traditions worldwide. /// Learn more about this observance on the GNW News Blog.

Inspiring Generosity: Celebrating small wins – Brené Brown on joy

Like many of us, Cesie Delve Scheuermann has been experiencing the delta funk so she decided get in a good walk while listening to a podcast. In her latest blog post, she shares part of a conversation from an episode of How I Built This that really caught her attention. /// Read more of Cesie's blog on the Oregon-Idaho Conference website.
 

COVID: A Cautionary Tale

While taking his daughters to get tested for COVID-19 after they had a slight exposure at an event, the Rev. Jim Doepken decided to get tested too.

In this post on the GNW News Blog, he shares what happened next. /// Read more of this story on the GNW News Blog.


GLOBAL NEWS

INFOGRAPHIC—
What is Hispanic Heritage Month?

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 to October 15 each year in the United States. The celebration begins in the middle of the month because September 15 marks the anniversary of the independence of five countries: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. It is followed by Mexico's Independence Day, September 16, and Chile's, September 18.
View/Download infographic from the Religion and Race website.
Download Hispanic Heritage Month resources from ResourceUMC.

Celebrating Asbury’s impact on two shores

The 250th anniversary of Francis Asbury’s crossing of the Atlantic from England to America is being celebrated jointly by the Methodist Church of Britain and The United Methodist Church. Though virtually unknown in England, Asbury went on to build the Methodist movement in America and became one of the first two bishops of what is today The United Methodist Church. /// Read more of this story from UM News Service.

United Methodist Women oppose Texas abortion law

The Texas law banning abortions after the sixth week of pregnancy will harm poor and marginalized women, United Methodist Women said in a statement. Women and families should have “access to the full range of reproductive health care, with the guidance the church provides,” the statement said. /// Read more of this statement on the UMW website.

Church work continues in Afghanistan

The chaotic scene as people fled Afghanistan while the Taliban took over doesn’t mean that United Methodists are through trying to help there. The denomination is still working with ecumenical partners to improve conditions for Afghans. United Methodists in the U.S. also are working to strengthen Christian-Muslim relations. /// Read more of this story from UM News Service.

First Nations Version translates the New Testament for Native American readers

New Testament directed at Native Americans is now available, translated by the Rev. Terry Wildman, a licensed local pastor in The United Methodist Church. Wildman says “First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament” could also help non-Native Americans look at the Scriptures with fresh eyes. /// Read more of this story on the Religion News Service website.

COMMENTARY

State of the UMC in 1000 words, part 1

by Rev. Jeremy Smith

"Whether you are a newcomer to United Methodism, a longtime member, or a passerby looking askance, these days it is obvious there is a lot of controversy going on in The United Methodist Church." 

On his Hacking Christianity blog, Rev. Jeremy Smith attempts to capture his thoughts on the state of the denomination in posts of approximately 1,000 words.

Read Jeremy's latest post on the Hacking Christianity blog.

 
The Greater Northwest Episcopal Area provides leadership for the Alaska, Oregon-Idaho, and the Pacific Northwest Conferences of The United Methodist Church.
www.greaternw.org | 206.870.6810 | Toll- Free: 800.755.7710