THE OTHER SIDE OF CHRISTMAS
BY BISHOP BRUCE R. OUGH
 Grace and peace to you from God our Creator and Christ Jesus, the Light of the World.
By the time you read this, we will have celebrated the birth of Jesus and will be well into the twelve days of Christmas on our way to Epiphany Day (always January 6), the last day of Christmas. This ancient church festival commemorates the coming of the Magi to Jesus in Bethlehem, having followed a new star-light they saw rise in the east. The word "epiphany" means to make known or reveal. During Epiphany we celebrate that God revealed God's self in human form and that the Light of God's revelation in Jesus shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it. READ THE ENTIRE MESSAGE HERE |
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2012 DAKOTAS CONFERENCE TOP NEWS STORIES
2012: Bishop Bruce R. Ough appointed to serve Dakotas-Minnesota Area
AKRON, OHIO-- Bishop Bruce R. Ough was appointed to serve the Dakotas-Minnesota area a the North Central Jurisdiction Conference held in Akron, Ohio July 18-20, 2012.
WATCH VIDEO HERE
2012: Dakotas Conference Remembers McGovern
MITCHELL, SOUTH DAKOTA -- Many United Methodists knew former Sen. George McGovern not as a politician but as a faithful church member who emulated John Wesley in his quest to overcome hunger and poverty and promote peace and justice. McGovern, the son of a Wesleyan Methodist pastor, died in the early morning hours of Oct. 21 in Sioux Falls, S.D. He was 90.
READ MORE HERE
2012: Rebuilding Continues in Minot
MINOT, NORTH DAKOTA -- Recovery from last summer's massive flooding in Minot, N.D., has been painstaking, but hope for the future builds each time a volunteer steps forward or shares material resources.
In June 2011, the Souris River overflowed its banks, destroying or extensively damaging more than 4,100 homes. Some houses were repaired; others were gutted to prevent decay. Still others stand untouched, abandoned. This city of about 41,000, located in an oil-rich area of the state, was already dealing with a housing crunch that has filled nearly every house, apartment and motel room in the region.
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CHRISTMAS GREETINGS FROM BISHOP ROSEMARIE WENNER
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Christmas Greetings: United Methodist Bishop Wenner, President of the Council of Bishops
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Recovery Money in Minot
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Checks are distributed to the Minot Recovery Warehouse and Hope Village.
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MINOT - Hope Village's director Pastor Paul Krueger presented both the Recovery Warehouse and the United Way's Unmet Needs committee with checks for $63,012.60.
The donation was taken from the proceeds of Hope Village's "50k in 30 Days" fund-raiser that ran through November. Hope Village had chosen to donate 45 percent of the funds raised in the campaign to each of the two partners. READ MORE HERE |
2012: A year's worth of disaster response
NEW YORK (UMNS) - A late-season hurricane that swept the U.S. Northeast coast and a typhoon flooding the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines capped disaster-response efforts by United Methodists during 2012.
READ MORE HERE
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BREMER GRANTS AVAILABLE
Make a difference somewhere! Bremer Family Mission Grants are available from the Dakotas UM Foundation. Matching grants of $250 or $500 are to assist mission projects from local to global. Feb. 1, 2013 is the deadline and forms are on the Foundation website (www.DakotasUMF.org ), click the Grants button.
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CONSIDER JOINING A MISSION TEAM IN 2013
CLICK HERE to see a list of Dakotas Conference Mission Teams you could join in 2013.
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JOB OPENING: ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR OF MINISTRIES AND CABINET
The Dakotas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church seeks an individual with strong communication and organizational skills along with a desire to work in a ministry setting. The duties include administrative and secretarial assistance to the Director of Ministries and District Superintendents. |
