WPAUMC e-news for June 23, 2010

Here’s your e-News for Wednesday, June 23, 2010.
Moving? This may be the least of your worries right now, but….Often clergy change their e-mail address with a change in appointment. Some new e-mail addresses are already in our database and are being used to send this edition of the e-news. If you move and don’t receive your e-news in the next few weeks, please let us know so we can update our list. Send your new address to e-news@wpaumc.org.
Youth Praise Band Needed! The Rev. Cyndi Bloise is looking for a youth band to play the evenings of July 12 – 14 during worship for Mission Discovery and Mission Adventure at Grove City College. Arrangements can be made for band members to stay at Grove City and participate in the daily hands-on mission work. If you can help or know of anyone who might be interested, e-mail revbloise@gmail.com. NOTE: It’s not too late to sign up for Mission Discovery for high school youth or Mission Adventure for youth in grades 6-8. Click the link for details.
Volunteers Needed for WVA Flood Recovery: Volunteers in Mission teams are needed in southern West Virginia, where an estimated 500 families have been affected by flooding. Initial help is needed to help families get mud out of their homes. Rebuild teams also will be needed for a longer period of time. To help, contact Rev. Bryan Baker at 304-583-9588 or mr.missions@gmail.com or Rev. Stephen Rector at 304-589-5378 or methodistrector@aol.com
Walkers Make It to Zimbabwe! The Rev. Sarah Roncolato, pastor of New Horizons UMC, reports that nearly 200 walkers logged enough miles between April 25-June 13 to get from Sharon, PA to Zimbabwe-- with miles to spare. Total miles covered were 9328 (goal:8000). Participants included: church members, co-workers, residents of care facilities, family and friends, folks from the Erie-Meadville district and the Slippery Rock UMC (who produced an amazing 1381 miles! Roncolato said her hope in developing the program was “that our hearts and minds would be opened to the people of Zimbabwe and the work of the Imagine No Malaria campaign while improving our own health. The walk has met my expectations many times over!” Download Walk to Zimbabwe info. The .pdf file contains a fact and prayer suggestion for each day. Try it with your congregation. Miles walked between July 11 and Sept. 4 will be credited to your district for the 2011 Golden Sneaker Award.
Pension Initiative for Retired Clergy: Retired United Methodist clergy in Zimbabwe, some living on $100 a month or less, should benefit from funds contributed through the Central Conference Pension Initiative, which has reached its goal. Read about 76-year-old Rev. Lovemore Nyanungo and his wife, who, after 40 years of ministry, survive on a $100 monthly stipend from the church he served.
Singing Battle Hymn on July 4? With Independence Day falling on a Sunday, the old controversy over use of The Battle Hymn of the Republic in worship may be revived. It’s in the UMC Hymnal, but some sing different lyrics. Read more.
Supervising Staff for the First Time? The Alban Institute offers a seminar Sept. 28-30 in Georgia to help develop skills for this daunting task. It’s worth two CEUs. Get details.
National Study on Youth and Religion: New research shows parents are one of the most powerful factors influencing the religious lives of young adults. In the study, religious young adults had consistently more positive outcomes than the least religious emerging adults in nearly every area, from physical and mental health to giving and moral compassion. Yet in a culture where mothers and fathers hover over their children in school, on athletic fields and even on social media sites such as Facebook, many parents take a hands-off approach to religion and spirituality, setting youth adrift in crucial areas of moral reasoning and finding meaning in life. Read David Briggs' commentary.
Focusing Church Communication: How do your church members receive information? One church did an informal audit and realized that they were spending considerable time, money and human resources using more than 27 methods of communication. They were trying to please everyone. In this week’s Leading Ideas, Rajkumar Dixit offers some steps to make sure your communication efforts are efficient and effective. Check them out.
New Media, New Reality: If you're interested in how to reach people with the stories of the church, new research presents both an exciting challenge and a frustrating change from the recent past, writes UM Communications’ Larry Hollon in a blog post. The research shows, for instance, that more people get their news online than from radio, TV or newspapers. Read more.
Partner with UMC Missionaries: Your congregation, or individual members, can build a relationship with a United Methodist missionary through The Advance. An updated brochure that can be downloaded contains information about both Congregational and Individual Covenant Relationships. Covenant Relationships provide some of the necessary financial support for mission work and foster a spiritual connection between missionaries and the people who support them. A video about The Advance and other resources are available at advancinghope.org.
Cokesbury Summer Sale is July 12 – 18. Get $ 20 off your purchase of $50 or more. Items include: Selected Books, Bibles, commentaries, candles, gifts,artwork and other products.
Cokesbury Mars store hours are: M - F 10 AM to 6 PM; Saturdays 10 AM to 3 PM
Who Are Americans? Chuck Colson offers an opinion on what Christians can contribute to a search for national identity in a Christianity Today article.
Hunger Fighters Honored: Two leaders of anti-hunger programs that receive support from United Methodists will share the 2010 World Food Prize. The Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, and Jo Luck, president of Heifer International, will be honored Oct. 14 for leading “two of the world’s foremost grassroots organizations leading the charge to end hunger and poverty for millions of people around the globe.” Bread for the World works with churches to write letters to Congress and other leaders on issues related to hunger in the US and abroad. Heifer International provides food- and income-producing animals as well as animal husbandry training around the globe. Beckmann is an ordained Lutheran minister, and Luck is United Methodist.

Concerned About Pensions? The United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits is holding a public forum on July 16 at the Sheraton Northbrook, 1110 Willow Road, Northbrook, Ill., tentatively scheduled for 11:45 a.m. The forum is designed to allow the board of directors to hear concerns of constituents from across the church during the course of its regularly scheduled meeting. To place your name and topic on the agenda, call Colette Nies by July 7 at 1-800-269-2244, ext. 4296, or e-mail her at cnies@gbophb.org.
Vision to Embrace Change: Vision is a key factor in how congregations embrace change, move beyond the intense pain of loss, and rediscover their capacity to hope, writes Kenneth McFayden in a piece for the Alban Institute. Congregations that remain in the grip of loss and grief and anxiety are unable to see the present clearly--or to envision the future. Read more and join the conversation.
Tobacco, Kids, and Vinny the Pest: Jim Winkler writes about the power of mobilized Methodists and the Tobacco-Free Kids campaign in this week’s Faith in Action from the General Board of Church and Society.
Brain in the Neck? Two neurosurgery researchers think Michelangelo drew an anatomically correct brain on God’s neck in one of the Sistine Chapel frescos. Read more.
Register Now for School of Mission: The deadline is June 30 to register for the Cooperative School of Christian Mission at Grove City College July 12-16 or July 16-18. Sampler Days are July 13 or July 17. The Rev. Dr. Steve Tuell of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary will be the plenary speaker.
In the News: The Rev. Randy Bain shared his reflections on annual conference on Johnstown’s Our Town online. Check it out. Earlier, the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat ran a story on pastoral changes and the possibility of a church merger in the area.
Another pastoral change, Jude Urso’s, was the subject of a feature in the Indiana Gazette.
Upcoming Events:
uth4 Mission, July 5-10, at Pitt Johnstown. Register online by June 24!
National Worship Leader Conference (East), Oct. 5-7 in Lancaster, PA. Get details.

United Methodist Center, PO Box 5002, Cranberry TWP., PA 16066-0002 | Ph. 724-776-2300 | 800-886-3382