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| Greetings! |
We wonder at times - particularly at financially difficult times like these - how did we get in this situation? We are all aware that giving within the Church has decreased, which diminishes the amount of monies available for mission and ministry. We've been worried and anxious about where we've been, where we are and where we're going. We've been concerned with protecting what we have; worrying that life as a United Methodist as we know it - being in ministry and doing mission work to the world - just can't go on as it is. [more]
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| Chaplains on the front lines of Army suicide prevention |
 Anything a soldier tells a chaplain is confidential - and that fact is the single biggest reason clergy are on the front lines of the U.S. Army's suicide prevention efforts, United Methodist chaplains say.[more]
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| Cokesbury plans to offer expanded curriculum lineup |
 Cokesbury is offering an expanded variety of fall Sunday school and small group curriculum choices from other Christian publishers. The children's curriculum offering will include "Hands-On Bible Curriculum" and "FaithWeaver" from Group Publishing, Also offered are "HeartShaper" from Standard Publishing and David C. Cook's "Bible-in-Life" curriculum, "Living the Good News" from Church Publishing, "Seasons of the Spirit" from Wood Lake Books, the Kerygma series for adults from The Kerygma Program and "Urban Ministries" from Urban Ministries Inc. The new resources will be available in July through all Cokesbury outlets, including www.Cokesbury.com. | |
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| Partnerships build ministry center in Vietnam |
 A conference center built on a foundation of faith and friendship gives United Methodists in Vietnam a new place for ministry in a country emerging from a volatile past. The 7,800-square-foot facility, 15 minutes from the international airport in Ho Chi Minh City, is the result of mission collaboration among church members in Vietnam, the West Ohio Annual Conference and the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. In Ohio, the Shawnee Valley District plays a pivotal role. United Methodism arrived in Vietnam about a decade ago and today has 74 congregations and some 80 pastors. [more] |
| Change the World conference addresses poverty |
 More than 3 billion people, half of the world's population, live on less than $2.50 a day. Crises such as the civil war in the Sudan terrorize populations with acts of murder, rape and devastation, leaving millions without food, water or homes. Yet if the poor are always with us, so must the church always be among the poor, seeking an end to suffering, say organizers of the fourth Change the World conference Oct. 22-23 at Ginghamsburg UMC in Tipp City. [more] |
| Stories of West Ohio Churches Rethinking Church |
Monroe Street UMC has a community garden, greenhouse and cChickens that are tended by volunteers from the church and community. Seven years ago, the garden was four children's swimming pools filled with the toppings for pizza. Now we grow collard greens, kale, tomatoes, peppers, okra, broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, squash, eggplant, and various herbs and are able to feed our community through our food giveaways on Wednesdays. The chickens will soon be producing eggs and have been a great opportunity for education children and adults. Plants were given to over 70 neighborhood people and others who wanted to start their own backyard gardens. Two master gardeners from our congregation taught a class on container gardening for those with small or no yards at all. It's been a wonderful experience for all ages and is replicable in any urban neighborhood. Karen Shepler Learn more about Monroe Street UMC
Park Avenue UMC rethinks church by offering "Drive Thru Prayer". Throughout the experience we were waived to, smiled at, and honked at. We were given support by the passing motorists almost every minute we were on the job. I think we actually made an impression on those who passed whether they stopped or not. It was a totally positive experience for us and the community. Here are the results of our first time!
- A grandmother and her twelve year-old granddaughter stopped to ask us to pray because the grand daughter's mother is missing. They had just put out a missing person report today. The twelve year-old asked for strength. Also the grandmother has another daughter with a psychological problem who cannot stay on her med's and therefore cannot function. They were just driving by.
- A young man stopped to ask for prayer because his family, which includes three children, bought a house this last week with all of their savings. He lost his job today. He asked for strength when he got home. He was just driving by.
- A lady stopped for prayer because she and her fifteen year-old daughter were abandoned by the husband/father and she did not know where the money they needed was coming from. Her job may not be enough and she is having problems finding another. She was just driving by.
- A lady stopped for us to pray that she can keep her job because her new boss did not like her work like her other boss did. She was just driving by.
- And finally another lady stopped for us to pray for her very ill neighbors. She was... well, you know.
Mark Finfrock Learn more about Park Avenue UMC
Throughout the Lenten season, members of South Park UMC arrived at Sunday morning services carrying bags of socks. When it was time for the collections, they carried forward their sock offerings to a large wicker laundry basket positioned in the worship center. Then the hundreds of socks collected were distributed to the homeless. The inspiration for this "Soul to Sole" project occurred on a blustery winter day when a homeless man wandered into the church, asking me for help. The former prison inmate said he'd been shoveling snow to raise money for bus tokens so that he could re-visit places where he'd applied for jobs. He had no phone number and no way for potential employers to contact him. Noting that his socks and gym shoes were completely saturated with snow, I opened the church's thrift shop and encouraged him to take as many socks as he could use. The following Sunday, I shared the story with the congregation, commending them for establishing a church thrift shop and food pantry that made such generosity possible. From the sermon came the idea of collecting socks for the needy. It caught on at the church like gang busters. Word spread, the socks began piling up. The total sock count through Easter Sunday was 1043. Brooks Heck Learn more about South Park UMC |
| Mission Opportunities |
- November 4-14, 2009 - Cambodia- the final Primetimer event this year.
- November 7-15, 2009 - Nicaragua- construction, hospital visitation and Bible school.
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| New dates of note |
Aug. 15...5K Fun Run Walk, United Methodist Children's Home Annual Fundraising Event for our Community's Children.
Aug. 17-21...Holistic Leadership for Global and Community Health Needs, UTS Doctor of Ministry Intensive with Dr. Otis Moss Jr., pastor emeritus at Olivet Institutional Baptist Church, Cleveland, member of President Barack Obama's 25-member White House Advisory Council on Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and United Theological Seminary alumnus.
See a list of West Ohio and related training events on the conference calendar at www.westohioumc.org |
| Passages |
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Wayne R. Barthel, father of Rev. Mike Barthel of Miami Whitewater UMC, died on July 8, 2009. Messages of condolence may be sent to Mike and Mary at 10192 West Road, Harrison, OH 45030.
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