UM Connector | Thursday, May 18, 2023

Dear friends,

This newsletter comes to you amid an incredibly busy Annual Conference season of preparation!

While not all of you reading this are members of Annual Conference, we hope this newsletter provides you with some helpful reminders about upcoming events.

But there are a couple of stories in this week's newsletter that we hope also inspire you about the gifts and graces of our local churches when it comes to supporting our neighbors -- all of our neighbors -- in the name of Christ.

With grace & gratitude,

Kristen Caldwell
Communications Manager

NEWS

Watch Bishop Cedrick's installation service live on Saturday

Join us in celebration of Bishop Cedrick D. Bridgeforth, as his installation service will be streamed live from Aldersgate UMC in Juneau, AK, beginning Saturday at 2 p.m. Alaska Time, 3 p.m. Pacific Time and 4 p.m. Mountain Time. It will be a time of great celebration and will also mark the opening of the 2023 Greater Northwest Area Annual Conference sessions. Click on the image above or follow this link to watch the service.

Details on the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference gathering can be found at www.umoi.org/ac.

Bishop Cedrick offers words of encouragement for Aloha UMC, houseless ministries across the Conference

Recently, Bishop Cedrick Bridgeforth stopped by Aloha UMC, where the church is in the midst of negotiations with Washington County and neighbors to establish a Safe Rest Village tiny home pod on the church property. While the project has drawn some concern, Bridgeforth encourages all churches in the Conference to be thinking of ways they can partner with their communities to put an end to the houseless crisis in our area. | Watch the video here or click on the image above.

Alaska Church reaches out to Native community

Every Nation United Methodist Church in Anchorage was designed to support and minister to Alaska Natives. Recently, UM News Service made the trip to Alaska to report on several stories, including the ministry of Rev. Murray Crookes. This Alaskan Native expression of faith community that includes worship, meals and a Bible study is a project of the Innovation Vitality Team and is partners in ministry with the GNW Area Circle of Indigenous Ministries. | Read more of this story from UM News Service.

Wesley UMC, MakePeace honored for community work in Milton-Freewater

Through grant funding and partnerships with the community, Wesley United Methodist Church has been part of significant support for those in need over the last couple of years through the challenges of the pandemic and economic struggles that have hit communities both big and small. Pastor Tillie MakePeace was also recently honored for her work with the community. | Read more of this story on the Conference website.

Inspiring Generosity: Millennials may have more to give than you think

Boomers and the Greatest Generation are more often motivated to give out of a sense of loyalty. They have a profound respect for and love of institutions like the church. For Millennials, that’s not enough. They want to give to an organization or congregation that they believe is changing the world and matches with their values. This week, Cesie Delve Scheuermann explores what research says on what millennials bring to the table when it comes to giving. | Read more of Cesie's blog on the Conference website.

RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES

Training: Is your church disability-friendly and accessible?

Abundant Health, in partnership with the Disabilities Ministry Committee of The UMC is holding a training Thursday, May 25, beginning at 6 p.m. PDT. Deaconess Lynn Swedberg will be the guest presenter and will talk about auditing church facilities, accessing Disability-Friendly credentials and more. The event is open to anyone in the Greater Northwest Area and is free. | Visit the OR-ID Conference website to learn more + register.

GLOBAL NEWS

Judge lifts North Georgia disaffiliation pause

A judge ruled from the bench that 185 North Georgia churches can proceed with The United Methodist Church’s disaffiliation process. Meanwhile, the Rio Texas Conference has filed suit against churches seeking to circumvent that process. Both cases come after judges in other states have dismissed lawsuits from churches seeking to exit with property without following denominational procedures. | Read more of this story from UM News Service.

Bishops call for General Conference in 2026

As they deal with rising church disaffiliations, United Methodist bishops see a need for the denomination's top lawmaking body to meet three times between 2024 and 2028. Their recommendation supports a ruling by the denomination's top court saying an additional General Conference needs to be scheduled. In the meantime, the denomination's finance agency is asking the church court to reconsider its ruling. | Read more of this story from UM News Service.

Church gives hope to people living with HIV in Congo

Through the Maternal and Child Health Program in East Congo, more than 100 women living with HIV receive help from The United Methodist Church in Bukavu. Within the program framework, microcredits are given to women, and malnourished children receive care. United Methodist Bishop Gabriel Yemba Unda called the support "a way to put our social evangelization in motion." | Read more of this story from UM News Service.