WPAUMC e-News for July 14, 2010

Here's your weekly Conference newsletter!

School of Mission: The 2010 School of Mission is underway at Grove City College. Check George Powers’ great photos in our website galleries. The main School of Mission gallery shows some of the study leaders and scenes from the Imagine No Malaria festival the children held Tuesday night. The youth gallery shows Mission Discovery participants on the job sprucing up the Mission Barn. New photos are added each day, so check back often.
 
Uth4Missions Video: Check out this YouTube video on the joint Western PA-Delaware youth mission week July 5-9 in Johnstown.
 
Western PA Imagines No Malaria: Visit the new Imagine No Malaria pages on our Conference website. There are links to videos, action steps you can take to support the life-saving initiative, flyers to download, and more. Get involved!
 
Haitian Recovery Too Slow? National Public Radio reported this morning that despite the billions of dollars in aid pledged to Haitian recovery by donor countries and agencies, six months after the earthquake more than 1.5 million people still live in more than 1,000 encampments and plans to move survivors into more suitable housing seems months or years away. Learn more.
 
Join GBGM Study Trip to Haiti: The Board of Global Ministries is planning a mission travel study to Haiti from Nov. 9-19. Participants will visit members of the Haitian diaspora in Florida and the Dominican Republic before traveling to Haiti. The group will be limited to less than 12 people. The approximate cost is $1,900. Application deadline is July 16. More information is available here.
 
Got wanderlust? NOMADS mission volunteer program has a new website. Check it out.
 
Challenging Racism: A five-session anti-racism seminar started last night at the First United Methodist Church on Centre Avenue in Pittsburgh. You’re welcome to jump in next week. The workshop focuses on understanding white privilege and institutional racism and applying that understanding to an action plan.  Dr. Melanie Hildebrandt, professor of sociology at Indiana University of PA, is facilitator. Sessions are at 7:30 pm Tuesdays: July 13, July 27,August 10, August 24, and September 14. For info, contact Pastor Bob Wilson at 412.681.4222 ext 101 or a49always@alum.bu.edu or Hildebrandt at melanie.hildebrandt@iup.edu.
 
New Leader for Drew Theological School: The Rev. Kah-Jin Jeffrey Kuan has been named as the new dean of Drew's Theological School, effective January 2011. He will be the first Asian American to serve as dean of one of the denomination's theological schools. Learn more.
 
Five on Five: In celebration of its 55th birthday, the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts will share five new ideas for ministry on the fifth day of each month. July’s featured idea contains tips on introducing new songs in a contemporary or blended worship service. A list of all the July ideas is available here.
 
Recycle Your VBS Stuff! Vacations Bible Schools are going strong around the conference.  But what do you do with the materials when you are done?   Emma Smith is glad you asked.  Go to the Media Resource Center webpages to recycle all or some of your VBS materials or find some. You can complete an ad if you need used materials. 
Cell Phone and Cybersafety: A new training CD developed by the Board of Discipleship is available to help churches and community groups protect children and youth in the digital world of cell phones and cyberspace. The CyberSafety for Families Training Kit, which costs $35, includes a section on “what you need to know first,”  teaching plans, handouts and a slide presentation. The kit is available online at both The Upper Room and Cokesbury and at Cokesbury bookstores nationwide.
 
Sex and the Church: “The Church must confront pornography in many ways due to its ever-changing guises,” the Rev. Cynthia Abrams writes in the current issue of Faith in Action from the General Board of Church and Society. Availability of porn has exploded and addiction has increased, but confronting the issue is difficult because heart-wrenching circumstances are often involved. Read more.
 
Visiting Youth, Church Group in Deadly River Accident: The two Hungarian youth who died when a Ducky tour boat was hit by a barge on the Delaware River last week, as well as 20 other passengers, were affiliated with Marshallton UMC in West Chester, PA. The church youth group was hosting the Hungarian visitors. Read more.
 
Bombings Injure United Methodists in Uganda: Six United Methodists from Pennsylvania were injured and a Ugandan pastor killed July 11 as they gathered at an Ethiopian restaurant in Kampala, Uganda, to watch a World Cup soccer game. At least 74 were killed and 71 injured in the bombings at the restaurant and the Kyadondo Rugby Club. The church members were part of a 14-member team from Christ Community Church in Selinsgrove, Pa. Read UMNS report.
 
Mid-Life Turnarounds: The Today show’s series on people changing  the course of their work life this week featured a seminary grad turned mortgage banker turned United Methodist church musician. Watch. Was that a young Drew Harvey in one of the pictures?  
 
In the News: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ran a front page article on Monday about efforts to turn a Homestead gymnasium into a site for a Methodist Union of Social Agencies afterschool program serving middle-schoolers. The story included a photo of the Rev. Jim Cannistraci, MUSA executive director, in the gym. 
 
Crossroads and Butler First UMCs were both featured in a Pittsburgh Tribune article about reaching people through multi-site churches. Read it on TribLive.
 
Upcoming Events:
United Methodist Day at PNC Park, Pirates v. Reds, Aug. 4
Prepare/Enrich Training, UM Center, Aug. 10
Baseball and Theology Seminar, UM Center and PNC Park, Aug. 23
 

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