WPAUMC e-news for April 21, 2010

Here’s your weekly e-newsletter!

Bishop’s Congo Journal: Bishop Bickerton has been in the Democratic Republic of Congo for a series of events leading up to World Malaria Day. Check out the feature stories, videos and slideshows at www.wpaumc.org. His blog posts, entries in the Bishop’s Congo Journal, were featured on www.umc.org this week. The Day 6 entry was just posted tonight.
Congo Video and Photo Hint: If you’d like to use a video like this one in your church for World Malaria Day and can’t download it, e-mail Jackie.campbell@www.wpaumc.org and we’ll send you a link. Don’t miss the great Powerpoint slideshow by UMNS photographer Mike DuBose.
Watch Imagine No Malaria Launch Concert Live this Sunday! Jars of Clay will offer a free concert at the official launch party for the United Methodist Church’s $75 million Imagine No Malaria campaign. It’s scheduled from 2-5 p.m. (Central Time) on the state capitol lawn in Austin, Texas. Bishop Bickerton is stopping in on his way back from Africa. Click here for details and the live link. Resources to raise awareness and promote Imagine No Malaria are available on the same website. Click here.
World Malaria Day/Change the World! Many congregations have planned events for this weekend. If you talk to local news people about your events, be sure they’re aware of the Western PA tie-in to World Malaria Day through our Bishop’s leadership in the Imagine No Malaria campaign. Send them to our website (www.wpaumc.org) or umc.org for details.
Walk to Zimbabwe! This Sunday, on World Malaria Day, the churches of the New Horizons Charge start a 50-day walk of 8,000 miles, the distance between Sharon and Zimbabwe. Their pastor, the Rev. Sarah Roncolato, serves on the Conference Global Health/Zimbabwe Partnership Team. The walk runs through Ordination Sunday and materials list a Zimbabwe-related prayer concern for each day. Click here for the guide and log. You can modify it for your own use.
More UMC Visitors in Congo: Bishop Bickerton and his group weren’t the only United Methodist leaders in the Congo town of Kamina recently. The week after Easter, the General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) partnered with leaders from the North Katanga Conference to host a four-day Academy of Church & Society. Read Clayton Childers’ report.
Mission Culture Shift: Global mission is becoming more local, according to a UM News Service report from the General Board of Global Ministries board meeting. Read more.
Youth Website Up and Running! A website kicking off Youth 2011, next year’s national youth gathering for the United Methodist Church, is now online with information about the quadrennial event sponsored by Young People’s Ministries. Read more or just check it out at www.youth2011.org. Tell your youth and youth leaders.
Earth Day Resources: April 22 is Earth Day. The UMW website offers Six Things You Can Do to celebrate. Highmark offers Green Cleaning recipes.
Summer School for Church Pros: United Seminary in Dayton, OH, offers church professionals the opportunity to strengthen ministry skills with courses designed to meet the needs of busy ordained and lay staff members. The UMC Certification process encourages this specialized training. For more info, click here. Courses are offered the weeks of June 21 and Aug. 9.
Camping CORRECTION: An item in last week’s e-news about summer camping gave an incorrect date as the deadline to register for camp at a “discount.” (wrong terminology, too!) The correct info is that AFTER May 1, an additional fee of $10 will be added to all new registrations and unpaid registration balances. We apologize for any confusion. Questions: Call 800-886-3382, ext. 232 or e-mail camping@wpaumc.org. For camping info, visit www.wpaumc.org/camping.
Think About It: People aren’t looking for religious meetings, the Rev. Mike Slaughter says. “They’re looking for religious meaning.” Read more.
Haiti Plan: United Methodist mission volunteer service in post-quake Haiti will focus on housing, health, education and pastoral services through a six-month pilot project which could be extended. It involves both Haitians and volunteers from outside the country. A $565,000 grant from UMCOR for the project was approved April 13. Read more.
Census Myths and Diversity: In the monthly Update from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, Lovett Weems says churches need to pay careful attention to the changing makeup of communities. Citing some common myths about the U.S. population, he notes: “No persons are more valuable in the eyes of God because of race, age, or other demographic categories. However, the church is called to minister to "the people God has given us." Read more.
Columbine and Gun-Show Loophole Bills: Eleven years ago yesterday, 12 students and a teacher were shot to death at Columbine High School by students using four guns purchased through a gap in federal law known as the "gun show loophole." The gap allows buying guns from private sellers at gun shows without background checks or a waiting period. To mark the Columbine anniversary, a bipartisan coalition of mayors launched a website www.CloseTheLoophole.org. Some faith groups, including the UMC Board of Church and Society, have endorsed the bills to close the loophole. Read more.
Internship Available: The General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) has an opening for an Immigration and Criminal Justice Reform intern to assist Bill Mefford, GBCS director of Civil & Human Rights. This is a paid 10-month position starting in August in Washington DC. Click here for details.
VBS Add-On Focused on Hunger: Out Of This World is the Society of St. Andrew’s (Advance #801600) 2010 Vacation Bible School Mission Project. It’s available free and designed to supplement your church’s VBS program. This mission project helps your students learn about hunger in the United States and how Jesus wants us to feed our hungry brothers and sisters. There are daily activity sheets for all ages with short scripturally based stories; facts about hunger; potato trivia; “Go Green” facts; pencil activities; etc. Click here for details.
Deaths: Funeral services were held Tuesday for the Rev. David Lindberg, long-time Conference statistician and member of the Ministers’ Chorus. Read obituary.
Appointments: New ones were posted this week at www.wpaumc.org/appointments .
In the News: Connellsville’s Wesley Health Center, the only free health clinic in Fayette County, got some ink in the Daily Courier to promote their fund-raising dinner. Read more.
Upcoming Events
District Conferences are April 25.
Transitions Seminar for clergy and congregations facing pastoral change is scheduled at Monroeville UMC from 7-9 pm, April 28. Click for details or online registration. Another is offered May 5 in Edinboro.
Prepare and Enrich Training, May 4 at UM Conference Center.
Full Gospel Concert: Garden City UMC will host a full gospel concert with the Mt. Ararat Baptist Church Male Choir and the Garden City children’s choir at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 16. It’s free, but a free will offering will benefit the Laity Scholarship Program, which honors Lay Leader Richard Payne.
Jumonville Golf and MORE! Jumonville has scheduled their annual golf fundraiser for August 20 at Glengarry Golf Links near Latrobe. Click here for details. AND-- for adults looking to polish their golf skills, they’ve added a whole weekend of golf July 23-25, with lodging at the Inn. Learn more.
United Methodist Center, PO Box 5002, Cranberry TWP., PA 16066-0002 | Ph. 724-776-2300 | 800-886-3382