WPAUMC e-news for May 19, 2010

Volunteering in Haiti: Visit the new website full of information for mission teams interested in serving in Haiti. The UM Volunteers in Mission Haiti Response website, umvimhaiti.org, has been set up through a coordinated effort between all five jurisdictional UMVIM offices, the General Board of Global Ministries, and UMCOR. On the site, you will find info about traveling to Haiti through UMVIM, including contact information for the UMVIM Haiti Scheduling Coordinator, Susan Meister. All news regarding UMVIM's efforts in Haiti will be posted on the site, and all teams will be scheduled through it. Insurance for teams through the Northeastern Jurisdiction will continue to be coordinated through the NEJ office. Go to www.umvimnej.org for insurance info.

2010 Israel/Palestine VIM Trip Cancelled: Not enough people signed up for the trip to pick olives and tour Israel/Palestine. A list is forming for a group to go in 2011. Contact MissionVIM@wpaumc.org if you are interested.
Gulf Coast Tribal Community in Crisis: UM volunteers who have worked in and around Dulac, LA, or anyone who’s participated in Native American survival studies, might be interested in this blog post about the Houma tribe in Louisiana.
Gulf Coast Oil Spill Resources for Prayer, Action: The General Board of Church and Society had developed a webpage that addresses the “slow-motion tragedy” of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It is available at Gulf Coast Resources for Prayer & Action.
Conference Prayer Ministry Needs You! Prayer is a big part of our annual conference at Grove City and everyone is invited to be a part of prayer ministry there. Experience the Prayer Center or volunteer to minister in the Prayer Tent. To volunteer, contact Karen at 724-244-5810. Come to campus June 9 for the Day of Preparation worship at 1 p.m., prayer walk at 2 pm and healing service at 6p.m.
Mosquito Bytes is the official monthly e-newsletter of Imagine No Malaria, an effort of The United Methodist Church to raise $75 million to fight malaria in Africa. You can receive news about malaria, success stories from churches across the U.S, and tips on how you can help eliminate malaria as a major source of death and suffering in Africa. To find out what Western PA churches are doing, click here. To subscribe to Mosquito Bytes, go to www.imaginenomalaria.org and click the link at the top right. (Look for the photo of First UMC Pittsburgh.)
Meeting Mozzie: Check out the photos of Mozzie Mosquito and the Nothing But Nets Buzz Tour crew visiting the UM Center in Cranberry Twp. Staff and visitors learned about great progress in the fight to end malaria deaths by 2015.
Four Stages of Pastoral Transition: Lovett Weems of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership writes that in planning for a pastoral transition, “it is helpful to think of the stages of a pastoral move and what is needed for each stage to go well to advance the mission of all churches involved.” Read more.
Study Group Rejects Guaranteed Appointments: The lifetime job guarantee for United Methodist elders is a promise the church can no longer keep, according to a study group called the Commission to Study the Ministry. The group presented a preliminary report at the recent Council of Bishop’s meeting. Read more and comment.
United Summer Classes: United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH, will welcome some prominent church leaders to its team of instructors this June. Otis Moss and Mikel Slaughter will teach short-term (3-4 day) face to face classes. Others, including Tex Sample will present the face-to-face portions of classes that include online study. Subjects address youth ministry, Christian education and working class ministry. Click here for details.
Drew Online Courses: Drew Theological School announces online courses in Basic Graduate Theological Studies (BGTS). Courses begin July 2010. Aplly online for free at www.drew.edu/theo/apply. For more information about the one-year online program, contact the Office of Theological Admissions at 973.408.3111 or theoadm@drew.edu.
Movies That Will Preach: Check out this list of 2009 flicks from UM Communications.
Preventing Volunteer Burnout: A UMC.org story features worn-out volunteers who asked that the names of their churches not be used. Anything sound familiar? Reading it may provide insight to improve the health of your congregation.
Setting the Welcome Thermostat: What does it take for a church to be attractive to a younger adult? An Alban Institute Conversation notes at a church in Cambridge, MA where 27 of 30 new members were under the age of 35. Looking for their “secret” revealed that churches should consider how they can be: flexible while honoring the importance of commitment; welcoming but not desperate-sounding, and overt about theology while making room for doubt. Read more.
Epworth League Launches Young Adult Org: The Epworth League is a new, grassroots effort to launch a worldwide young adult organization. Sponsored by Pleasant Valley UMC, a small congregation near Milwaukee, it has both global and local church-based chapters. It’s based on the original Epworth League, which operated from 1889 to 1939. Local chapters focus on missions, spiritual growth and community building. The league provides each local chapter with a mentor to help people start and grow their chapter. Further info is available at www.epworthleague.org.
Green Living: Not Just for Tree-huggers! Check out Green for Life, a special series from UM Communications.
Obsessed with Bottled Water? About 85 million bottles of water are consumed in the U.S. every day. Despite environmental and cost concerns, many of us opt for bottled water, even in our own homes and offices. Are there good reasons or have we simply been drawn in by a clever and comprehensive marketing campaign? Read more or listen to an interview with the author of War on Tap: America’s Obsession with Bottled Water from NPR’s Fresh Air.
The Myth of Perfect Parent: ChristianBibleStudies.com offers a study based on an article by Leslie Leyland Fields. The premise is that Bible-believing parents have adopted the philosophy of psychologist John B. Watson, who claimed he could train any child -- and given it a Christian veneer using selected scripture. But it may not be working. Many children in evangelical homes are not turning out the way parents hope. Fields says expectations of parenting are clearly off-kilter and need to be rethought. Check it out.
Study Guide Promotes Peace: The World Council of Churches has published a study guide, Telling the Truth About Ourselves and Our World, about overcoming violence. Available as part of the build-up to the May 2011 International Ecumenical Peace Convocation in Jamaica, the guide provides resources for discussing the convocation’s central themes: peace in the community, peace with the Earth, peace in the marketplace and peace among peoples. It can be downloaded here.
Office 2010 Discounts: UMCOM’s Techshop says the new Office 2010 “can help streamline your office operations while you are away, simplify everyday tasks and even take your sermon presentation to a new, heavenly level!” They offer discounts on both Office 2010 Standard and Professional Plus. Both versions include Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, as well as OneNote and Publisher. The Techshop rates are $62 per license for Standard and $87 for Professional Plus! The installation discs are $30 each. Visit www.techshopministry.org to order.
Need Gifts for Grads, Newlyweds? With graduation and wedding season in full gear, the United Methodist Board of Discipleship has gift suggestions for young adults striking out on their own. The list of practical and spiritual gift ideas includes the books "Where's Mom Now That I Need Her?" and "Where's Dad Now That I Need Him?" (Aspen West Publishers). For more graduation resources, click here.
Help! Input Needed: UM Communications is looking for some story leads ASAP on individuals who faced major hurdles in reaching graduation. Maybe a health issue, major crisis, or something along those lines. They’re also interested in unusual graduation stories: Grandma and grandchild in the same graduating class; triplets graduating from college together; 85-year-old grad achieving dream …you get the idea. If you know of someone in your congregation, e-mail contact info and a brief description to news@wpaumc.org and we’ll pass it on.
Methodist? There’s an App for That! A free iPhone application from the Methodist Church in Britain provides daily prayers and Bible studies, such as the "Word in Time" Bible study, which features a short reflection on the day's passage and questions to consider. The BBC calls it the first such product from a major denomination in Britain. The app is designed to appeal to Christians of all backgrounds, but also offers news, topical podcasts and tweets from the British Methodist Church.
Speak Your Mind on UMCAM: The UMC.org website invites you to weigh in on issues of the day. Two questions are up this week: How have hard times in the U.S. hit you? and What can be done about bullying? To check out responses or add yours, click here.
Second Chance for Juvenile Offenders? NPR reports that even before Monday’s Supreme Court ruling, some states were starting to rethink their “adult time for adult crimes” stance, and allowing for the possibility of a second chance for juvenile offenders. The court ruled that a sentence of life in prison without parole for a juvenile who had not been convicted of murder was unconstitutional. Learn more.
Peace with Justice Sunday is May 30. This churchwide special Sunday offering supports programs that advocate peace and justice abroad and in local communities. Half of the offering remains in each annual conference. Click here for resources and info.
Rethink Church, Cowboy Style: Real cowboys in rural Pennsylvania have formed a church where it is OK to do your morning chores and then wear your work clothes to worship. The laid-back atmosphere of “cowboy church” attracts families who might not set foot in a traditional church building. View UMTV’s Cowboys Rethink Church You can find other UMTV stories on YouTube and Tangle by typing "UMTV" in the video keyword search. You can also find the latest UMTV videos on Facebook if you become a fan of the page for The United Methodist Church.
See WPA People in Assembly Video: The featured video on the UWM Assembly website shows some Western PA women. Recognize faces in the crowd?
See Yourself On Stage? Ingomar UMC’s Acts of God drama ministry, in collaboration with the Wexford Acting Studios, is holding open auditions for its fall production, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat. Auditions are June 2, 5, and 6 and rehearsals begin in late August. The show is scheduled Oct. 29-31 and Nov. 5-7. For details, click here.
“God” on Website Spurs Field Trip Cancellation: A Bethesda, Md. woman envisioned her “Playseum” as a destination for school field trips, but using the word God on her website resulted in an Internet rumor campaign that prompted cancellation of some school visits. Read Washington Post report.
CNN on Faith: CNN has launched a Belief Blog. Check it out.
Upcoming Events:
Bethany House Benefit Concert, 7 p.m. Friday, May 21, Sewickley UMC. Click to donate.
Transitions Seminar, 7 p.m., Thursday, May 27, UM Center (click link to register)
United Methodist Center, PO Box 5002, Cranberry TWP., PA 16066-0002 | Ph. 724-776-2300 | 800-886-3382