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United Methodists and Campus Life
Legislative Priority: Broaden & Deepen the Dialogue of Science and Religion
Sparks: OnFire Blog
Progressive Ponderings:News and Job Openings
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Volume VII  Issue 19             

  23 November 2011

 

Greetings!

 

Thanksgiving shouldn't be the only special day on our calendars in the coming week.  Sunday, November 27 is United Methodist Student Day, a special day of giving within The United Methodist Church which provides funding for merit scholarships and loans to hard-working United Methodist students. Likewise, it supports the work of United Methodist-related colleges and universities.

In this issue of MFSA's e-News, we celebrate our legacy of what Charles Wesley called "[uniting] the pair so long disjoined: knowledge and vital piety." From campus ministries to classrooms; from library carrels to pulpits; from desk tops to laptops, United Methodists continue affirm our Wesleyan tradition of theological inquiry and openness. May we continue to support access to education and inquiry throughout The United Methodist Church.

National CalltoActionAlternativeUnited Methodists and Campus Life

United Methodist Student Day

  

Does your congregation support the Churchwide Special Sunday either through a special offering or planned giving through a unified budget? Even more importantly, does your congregation support the work of United Methodist campus ministries? Send care packages to college students? Work to nurture leadership with students in your local congregation or Annual Conference? Beyond supporting United Methodist Student Day, consider other ways in which you can help develop young leaders in The United Methodist Church. One way might be to encourage young leaders to apply for MFSA's Young Adult General Conference Scholarship

   

 

Campus Minister and Occupy at University of California-Davis  

 

By now, many of us have seen the viral video of non-violent student protesters being pepper sprayed by University of California-Davis:
UC Davis Protestors Pepper Sprayed 
UC Davis Protestors Pepper Sprayed

Rev. Kristin Stoneking, Campus Minister at the Cal-Aggie House (an ecumenical campus ministry of The United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), and The United Church of Christ, has been integral in sharing the needs and demands of students with administration. You can read her blog posts here and here about what it means to be in ministry to the human condition during difficult times.
  
Finally, see this article in the Washington Post by Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite.

Ethnic Young Adult Interns Explore Justice through Program at General Board of Church and Society 

 

The Ethnic Young Adults Summer Internship program is designed for young adults, between the ages of 18 and 22, representing the five ethnic caucuses of The United Methodist church. Applicants must have an interest in exploring issues of public policy, social justice advocacy, and social change.

 

Interns must also have a passion in exploring faith and justice issues from a personal, institutional, and societal perspective. Interns will live in Christian community together in Washington, DC. Work weeks at placements will be supplemented by: Evening intern led devotions, Friday Seminars on topics of timely social justice concern, area field trips, Sunday Worship in area United Methodist Churches. Participants must commit to all being present at these activities.

 

If you know a young adult who would benefit from this program, encourage them to apply! Application deadline is February 1, 2012.  

 
CoalitionLegislative Priority: Broaden & Deepen the Dialogue of Science and Religion 
WesleyNexus is an online destination whose mission is to provide resources  to support an informed dialogue between science and religion. The website endeavors to broaden a growing dialogue among thoughtful persons of faith who take science seriously. Through articles, videos, discussion syllabi, and worship resources, WesleyNexus invites those who share the conviction that science, religion, and theology should be mutually exclusive to join in the discussion. Check out WesleyNexus!

At their 2011 Annual Conference session, the Baltimore-Washington Conference approved this resolution on science and religion, and supporting the work of WesleyNexus.

SparksSparks: From the OnFire blog
Heather Kramer, one of MFSA's interns from Wesley Theological Seminary, writes about what justice looks like.

Whitney Pierce, a student at Candler School of Theology, reflects on Thanksgiving.

And coming up...check the OnFire blog during Advent for reflections on the season!
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Who is OnFire?  We are United Methodist young adults reclaiming our Wesleyan heritage of spiritual and social transformation. We are empowering young adults to impact our church and our world. OnFire organizes as the young adult chapter of MFSA.  Check out our blog at: www.umonfire.blogspot.com.  If you are interested in contributing to the OnFire blog, please contact Shannon Sullivan.
ProgressivePonderingsProgressive Ponderings
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