WPAUMC e-news for June 30, 2010

July 4 Worship Resources: The General Board of Discipleship has worship resources available for Independence Day. There are suggestions for patriotic hymns, a special call to worship and a “A Great Thanksgiving for Independence Day.” The board also recommends Bible verses for family or personal devotional time on July 4. Click here.
Saving 70 in 7 Days! The School of Mission will raise funds for Imagine No Malaria during its weekday and weekend session. They’re aiming to save 70 lives in seven days. On the School’s Sampler Days, Tuesday July 13 and Saturday, July 17, Laura Meengs, field coordinator for INM, and Sandra Matoushaya, coordinator of the Zimbabwe Partnership, will speak and present practical ideas for education and fund-raising during a mission festival. All are welcome to visit for the presentations and/or the rest of a Sampler Day at Grove City College.
Annual Conference Report: If you haven’t made an annual conference report to your congregation, we have help for you! The Rev. Mike Long prepared a Powerpoint presentation to use in his churches and it’s available for you to download from the Annual Conference 2010 page of the Conference website. Go to www.wpaumc.org/AC2010 and scroll down to find the link
Nhiwatiwa on Chabadza: If you're looking for more about Bishop Nhiwatiwa's inspiring messages at Annual Conference, click here.
Ethnic Local Church Grants: Aug. 10 is the deadline to apply for an Ethnic Local Church Grant from the United Methodist General Board of Church & Society (GBCS). The grants are to strengthen ethnic minority local churches through education, advocacy or leadership development as they engage in social justice. Learn more.
Shelter Residents Help in Haiti: Light of Life Rescue Mission clients and staff saw a different kind of poverty on a Mission trip to Haiti last. Revs. Pam Armstrong and Rick Nelson led the group. Read more and see a photo gallery.
Beware Christian Junk Food: Anne Graham Lotz says many Christians fill themselves up listening to Christian music, reading Christian books and attending church events, but are still hungry for something: God’s Word. Read her piece on Kyria.com. The point she makes is quite similar to what the Rev. Steve Cordle said in one of his annual conference Bible study sessions. Learn more.
Why Blog? Many faith communities are embracing blogs and other newer communication methods. Others warn against losing face-to-face contact. Lynne Baab said when the telephone was introduced fears were similar. She offers some ideas about blogs in the Alban Institute Conversation. Check it out.
Is Your Blog Bearing Fruit? UM Communications has a piece on measuring the success of your blog. Read it.
Your Brain on Computers: Hooked on gadgets? There could be side effects, according to this NY Times article.
Borrow Lucado DVDs from MRC: The Media Resource Center has FEARLESS and a number of other DVD studies by Max Lucado – including 3:16 and Come Thirsty . To borrow one, go to http://www.wpaumc.org/resourcelibraryitems and type “Lucado” into the search box.
Christian Ed Seminar in Johnstown: Oakland UMC in Johnstown will host a Learn to Teach, Teach to Learn seminar on Saturday, July 24 from 8:45 a.m. to 8 p.m. Veteran Western PA Christian educators will lead the sessions. Cost is $40. For brochure, click here.
Religious Freedom to Exclude: On The Washington Post’s On Faith blog, Michael Kessler, visiting prof at Georgetown’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs, discusses nuances of Monday’s Supreme Court decision denying the appeal of a Christian group at a California school.
Church Leadership IN Conference: Super early bird registration for the IN Conference (at Dunwoody UMC in Atlanta, GA on Sept. 14-16) ends July 4! Enroll online for the super discounted price of $250. Get IN. Guest speakers include Coach Dan Reeves, Bishops Mike Watson and Larry Goodpastor and the Rev. Tyrone Gordon.
United, Claremont Retain UMC Affiliation: United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, and Claremont (Calif.) School of Theology will retain their denominational affiliation and have embargoed Ministerial Education Fund money reinstated, following a June 24 decision by the UMC University Senate. The schools were placed on public warning Jan. 21, but after submitting their most current financial audits, the warning was rescinded. Read more.
New Design for Religion Dispatches: Religion Dispatches, a daily online magazine based at Emory U that explores the intersection of religion, values and public life, has launched RD 2.0,. Its features include a books micro-site, a stand-alone blog ("Dispatches") with a roster of all-star religion experts, a multimedia collaboration with Bloggingheads TV and a weekly guest spot on the Rev. C. Welton Gaddy's "State of Belief."
Pet Ministry: The pet ministry at Christ UMC in Bethel Park is mentioned in a UM News Service feature posted last week. Read more.

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