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Ministry Resources
Worship Resources Available for Tsunami
Aid Response
There are a number of worship resources available for use with
remembering the devastation of the South Asia tsunami. Visit this
page for several prayers, reflections, and hymns, as well as
a new choral anthem, “Choral Tsunami Prayer” by a UM
pastor in the Philadelphia area.
Reminder of UM Resources in Schiavo Case
With all the interest and concern over the situation of Terry
Schiavo, and all who are touched by this tragic situation, we might
be reminded of the resources our United Methodist Book of Discipline
has to offer.
The case pushes us to think or re-think our very definitions of
what human life is: is it expressed in "a persistent vegetative
state"? is it expressed in a body in which all systems appear
to be working but there is no awareness or ability to communicate?
what makes "life" human, after all? And what gives human
life "quality"?
Some possibilities for consideration: Par. 138 (Inclusiveness),
Preface and Preamble to Social Principles (p. 95-6), Par. 160E
(Science and Technology), Par. 161M (Care for Dying), Par. 162G
(Disabled), Par. 162U (Organ Donation), 2533.5 (Living Wills, etc.)
Remember the comments from the Gospel of John (10:10): "I
have come that you may have life and have it abundantly." What
does "abundant" mean in this context? Best wishes in
your reflections this Easter! -- Ben Roe, Ed.
Another Resource For Reflection on the Terri Schiavo Tragedy
In the Bulletin Board post of yesterday, Tuesday's statement
by Jim Winkler, General Secretary of the Board of Church
and Society was missed. He gives an additional reflection resource
on the Terri Schiavo tragedy.
"The Terri Schiavo case is heart wrenching, and it calls
us to examine the difficult issues related to quality of life and
our own participation in life with life decisions. We extend our
thoughts and prayers to all who are intimately involved with this
decision knowing that God is sovereignty over life and death and
God's love for us all is abundant .
"As a resource for discernment, we offer and encourage United
Methodists to read the 2004 General Conference Resolution Faithful
Care for Persons Suffering and Dying.
"Also congregations are excellent points at which information
about an Advance Directive (Living Will) can be provided by having
available the necessary information and forms. Some states require
two witnesses to validate a Living Will. Forms for each state are
offered free of charge, online by The National Hospice and Paliative
Care Organization, a nonprofit organization based in Arlington,
Virginia.
"Click here to request
a directive form via email. You may also call the HelpLine at 800/658-8898
and a form will be mailed to you.
- Please indicate the state or states for which you are seeking advance directives,
- Your mailing address. "
Holiday Shopping Alternatives
If you love the season of gift-giving but want to make sure your purchases support ethical labor and trade practices, or provide needed goods and services around the world, you're in luck. The websites and non-profit organizations
on this list can help you and your loved ones remember and honor the values of human rights, economic justice, and solidarity with "the least of these."
Consider sharing this list with friends and family.
Holiday
Shopping Alternatives List (Word doc).
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UM Task Force on Developmental Disabilities
Resource Available
The United Methodist Task Force on Developmental Disabilities
is proud to announce that the revised edition of the Gateway
Club curriculum is ready for publication and distribution. This
practical
resource guides congregations to establish and carry out ministries
with youth and adults who are developmentally disabled. The search
to find how best to make these materials available to the general
public began at the Task Force’s annual meeting on July
22-24, held at Methodist Theological School of Ohio in Delaware,
Ohio.
The Task Force also has a resource packet of information available.
The material addresses camping and other programming opportunities
for persons with developmental disabilities. The packet includes
real life stories shared by persons with special needs active in
their local United Methodist Church congregations, and an extensive
resource bibliography. Contact Pat Cook at 913-682-8517 to get
your packet.
The next major project for the task force is the creation of a
web site. The site will facilitate a connection with other United
Methodists who share a passion for enriching faith journeys of
all through the interaction of persons with and without disabilities
in our congregations and conferences. The web site will be an avenue
for exchanging information about raising congregational awareness
and including children, youth, and adults with developmental disabilities
in worship, Christian education, and the entire life of the church.
The Task Force needs contributions from people concerning experiences,
ministry failures and successes in their local churches and beyond.
Please share your stories, program ideas, photos, and questions.
Submit items to Carol Lenhart at icarainbow@aol.com or c/o Asbury
United Methodist Church, 1533 Springhouse Rd., Allentown, PA 18104.
The 2005 meeting will be held July 14-16 in Seattle. Contact chairperson
Martha Hindman at 515-262-2880 if you have issues or concerns that
need to be on the agenda.
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Church Transition Resource Available from Upper Room Bookstore
Susan Ruach, Director of Conference Spiritual Leadership Development at General Board of Discipleship recommends a new resource by Bill Kemp called
The Church Transition Workbook: Getting Your Church in Gear,
which describes a step-by-step process that will enable the churches to get moving after traumatic conflict or being "run over by
change." Churches considering relocation or a radical shift in ministry will also find that the transition process complements their long-range visioning. The book includes stories, practical tools, and exercises that will help the church see its current reality and the possibilities for ministry. For more information or to order call 1-800-972-0433 or
visit the Upper
Room Bookstore.
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Online Welcoming Training
The folks at Igniting Ministry have just put a fresh spin on
welcoming training. Thousands of church leaders have already received
tools
and skills to help them live the welcoming promise - "Open
hearts, Open minds, Open doors." But millions of other United
Methodists throughout the United States have yet to experience
the lifestyle-changing message of this training - often because
of time, budget and travel constraints.
With this course, those barriers will be gone.
"Igniting Ministry 101" is a new online learning opportunity
that begins next month. Designed to help local churches sharpen
their welcoming skills, this basic course will deliver the key
elements of Igniting Ministry training to your computer desk -
whenever you have time to log on. By the end of this four-session
online course, participants will:
- understand the motivation and research behind the unprecedented
national advertising of the denomination.
- explore the importance of developing a welcoming lifestyle
- in your life and in your church.
- create an action plan to help build welcoming into your congregation's
culture as you invite your community into your church.
This highly interactive course includes quizzes, discussion
areas, audio clips, videos, and links to more information. Cost
of this
online course is only $12 per person. See
the enrollment
information, and they will send a reminder when the
course is ready. Questions? Call Igniting Ministry Training
at 877-281-6535, Ext. 3.
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Parish Resource Center Announces Events
A flyer describing some upcoming events at the Parish Resource
Center and providing information about services is on the RMCUMC.org
web site [MS Word DOC]. Reduced
subscription fees are available for churches more than 50 miles
away from the Center.
Events:
- Ecumenical Educators Quarterly Dinner and Dialogue.
- LOGOS & Faith For Life 2, Ministries with Children and
Youth with Rev. Dr. John Bell
Contact: Teresa Campbell, Parish Resource Center of Colorado,
10700 E. Evans, Aurora, CO 80014, 303-750-333
Web Class UM101 Available
The next session of UM101, an online introductory course about
The United Methodist Church, has begun. The course is intended
for busy people who want to learn about The United Methodist
Church - its roots, theology, structure, connectionalism, and
current challenges - on your own time schedule. The course will
be available 24 hours a day as an online learning opportunity and
multi-media experience.
Facilitators will be online to join in on discussions via a threaded
discussion board. It's never too late to register. To learn more
about the course and other online opportunities, go to http://www.training.umcom.org.
Cost for UM101 is $12 per person, payable by credit card. If
you have
any questions, contact trainingcenter at umcom dot org or call
888-278-4862.
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UM Credit Union Announces Services for
Churches
The United Methodist Federal Credit Union has services for churches
(and of course individual Methodists). Here
is a Powerpoint presentation. For more information, ontact
Benjamin P. Sarracino, Business Development Officer, United
Methodist Federal Credit
Union, 1550 E. Meadowbrook, Phoenix AZ 85018, 1-800-245-0433
Ext. 216, Cell Phone 623-523-4833, office 602-277-5325,
Fax # 602-277-5340.
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AIDS Walk Colorado Adds Resources
Those churches who may be participating
in the annual AIDS Walk Colorado may want to check out the new
AIDS Walk web site.
The Colorado AIDS Project, started
by one of RMCUMC's clergy 21 years ago, sponsors the Walk
and also
has a new site.
Marking 21 years of service and commitment, Colorado AIDS Project
is the oldest and largest non-profit, community based AIDS service
and education organization in the state. Its mission is to serve
its 1,700 clients with services such as bilingual case management,
mental health and substance abuse counseling, a food bank, housing
and transportation assistance, and emergency financial assistance.
CAP also reaches thousands more through its bilingual HIV prevention
and education programs, as well as the free & confidential
HIV testing offered twice a month at its adult and youth testing
clinics.
Transgender Day of Remembrance
A service honoring and remembering the many people worldwide
who have been killed because of hatred or prejudice against those
who are transgender: those whose self-identity or self-understanding
varies from their biological sex or from the common definitions
of male or female. Annual Transgender Days of Remembrance
are held around the world usually on November 20. In Denver
it was held November 18, 2004, at St.
Paul's United Methodist Church. The service included
a Candlelight Ceremony led by Rev. Toni Cook, pastor of St. Paul's,
with Music by Kindred Spirit.
The event was co-sponsored by: Gender Identity Center, GLBT Community
Center of Colorado, Colorado Anti-Violence Program.
The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize
those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice.
The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder
in 1998 kicked off the "Remembering Our Dead” web project
and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Since then, the
event has grown to encompass memorials in dozens of cities across
the world. Five locations in Colorado, one in Wyoming, and 2 in
Utah observed the occasion.
The deaths of
those based on anti-transgender hatred or prejudice are largely
ignored. Over the last decade, more than one person per month
has died due to transgender-based hate or prejudice, regardless
of
any other factors in their lives. This trend shows no sign of
abating.
More, including educational materials to help understanding of
those who are transgender, can be found here or here.
St. Paul's Web site can
be found from the RMCUMC.org web site (Church Information -> Appointments
List).
Cover the Uninsured Week
Forty-five million Americans have no health care coverage, including
more than eight million children. The involvement of faith communities
underscores the moral and ethical dimensions of this growing problem
and highlights the imperative to respond. We cannot afford to remain
silent. Speak up for an America where everyone has health care
coverage! The National Interfaith Advisory Board has announced
that the Jewish, Christian and Muslim Action Kits and additional
materials for the faith community are available online! Visit this
site for all the details. Visit this
page for Interfaith resources for the event. Cover the
Uninsured Week is supported by the National
Council of Churches USA and is a project of the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation.
Volunteers and Liability
This web site site has some interesting reading regarding
risk management that you may
wish to view. www.nonprofitrisk.org/pubs/sll.htm
UMCGiving Resource Available
UMCGiving.org is a site with lots of resources for stewardship
and giving to the mission of the UMC. It also has an electronic newsletter,
UMC Giving Notes, (which also appears on their web site). From a
recent issue: "UMC Giving Notes is a newsletter to assist in
increasing United Methodist giving to conference benevolences, apportioned
funds, churchwide Special Sundays with offerings and the Advance
for Christ and His Church. This newsletter will contain stories,
minutes for mission, devotionals and other helpful information. UMC
Giving Notes will be published eight times a year." Sign up here (upper
right corner of screen)
Opportunity for Free Clergy Case Work
If you would like to enhance your leadership skills through specific case work with colleagues across the country, there is a new free opportunity to do so. The Rev. Greg Brown, a United Methodist from the Baltimore/Washington Conference, sends out a free e-newsletter entitled Clergy Leadership Forum every Tuesday morning to subscribed clergy inviting an exchange of ideas between clergy who submit real leadership cases from their local church situations and others who respond with helpful feedback. In addition, the newsletter highlights leadership enhancement ideas from a wide variety of disciplines. For just a few minutes each Tuesday you can read of the challenges facing other pastors, offer your own insights, or if you're really brave, submit a case yourself. Visit
www.gregbrownonline.com to
subscribe for free.
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Storytelling Resource
Do your pastors, lay leaders, youth, grandparents or others in your Conference need help in telling stories? If so, you might be interested in Dancing with Words: Storytelling as Legacy, Culture and Faith. Suggestions include how to prepare for telling a story, how to tell Bible stories, how to deal with "stage fright," how to create stories and much more. Author/storyteller Ray Buckley has also written the guide for this book for an advanced course for lay speaking called Lay Speakers Tell Stories. For more information or to order call 800-972-0433 or go to
The
Upper Room's bookstore.
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Campaign against Child Sexual Exploitation
Recent news stories have focused national attention on the pervasive problem of child sexual exploitation, and with good reason. Research shows that "one in five girls and one in ten boys will be sexually victimized before reaching
adulthood."1 But there is hope for victims, families and faith communities seeking to keep kids safer. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) offers free publications for distribution to families and faith communities concerned about safety, as well as information to help victims, as part of its campaign against child sexual exploitation.
Publications such as "Preventing the Sexual Exploitation of Children," and "Parental Guidelines in Case Your Child Might Someday Be the Victim of Sexual Exploitation," an interactive web site for children on Internet safety, campaign posters, and information about other resources are available free-of-charge
online or by calling NCMEC's 24-hour, toll-free Hotline at
800-843-5678. The first 50 copies of each publication are free-of-charge. Many of the publications are available in Spanish.
Visit the Center's website
for downloadable print campaign ads, free artwork, website banners, and more resources.
1D. Finkelhor. "Current Information on the Scope and Nature of Child Sexual Abuse." The Future of Children: Sexual Abuse of Children, 1994, volume 4, page 37.
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Newsletter Service Available to Local Churches
United Methodist News Service has a free e-mail service to help churches provide news to their local congregations. "News In Pews" provides churches with opportunities to create their own, high-quality newsletters.
Each weekly and monthly issue contains church-wide news and information and spotlights how giving to United Methodist projects helps spread the Gospel.
The free, e-mail subscription service is available in an eight-page version and a four-page version. All that is needed for the service is a computer that runs Microsoft Word (version 95 or higher), a printer, photo files on that computer (optional), and news and information from the local church congregation. Plans are under way to launch new layouts for 2004, as well as make the template easier to use. More information about News In Pews is available
here.
GCFA Memorandum on HIPAA
Like you, we have received a number of inquiries regarding the
effect of the HIPAA Privacy Rule on local churches. Specifically,
most of the questions we received concerned the impact of the privacy
rule on the traditional church practices of publicizing health
related information about parishioners and others in the context
of prayer requests and prayer lists.
The GCFA Legal Department has prepared a memorandum on this topic.
The memorandum may be found on the GCFA website here (PDF
format).
We hope you find this information informative and useful. Please
feel free to forward this notice to other individuals or groups
within the United Methodist Church who may be interested in this
issue.
Sincerely,
GCFA Legal Department; legal@gcfa.org
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UMC Music Events for Study, Training, Enrichment
Leaders in church music and liturgical arts may be interested
in some of the events for study, training, enrichment,
and continuing education available at The
General Board of Discipleship worship and music website . A
good site to bookmark!
For more information, contact Dean McIntyre, Director of Music
Resources, The United Methodist General Board of Discipleship;
Telephone 877-899-2780, ext 7073 (toll free); Email Address: music
at gbod dot org; or visit this website.
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