UMNS Daily Digest - May 4, 2011 (gay, tornado, Lil Jon, leadership summit, Dalai Lama, fair trade)

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Date Wed, 04 May 2011 15:02:35 -0700

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       UMNS Daily Digest - Produced by United Methodist News Service
                           Wednesday, May 4, 2011
                   [5]Ohio church’s billboard supports gays
                [6]Many hands lighten load in tornado recovery
                [7]Lil Jon wins more money for children’s home
                [8]Leadership Summit reports known viewership
                        [9]Dalai Lama to speak at SMU
                 [10]Buy coffee, tea for World Fair Trade Day

   [11]
   Change the World Weekend»








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   UMTV: Garden Grows Community Care»








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   Vital Congregations»








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   “Our goal is not to offend, but we know there are a lot of people who have
   been hurt and alienated by the church. We are trying to show there is
   another way to understand God’s love.” – the Rev. Bill Barnard, pastor of
   Central UMC, Toledo, Ohio
   .

Ohio church’s billboard supports gays

   TOLEDO, Ohio (UMNS) – With a billboard message declaring that “Being Gay is
   a Gift from God,” a small Ohio congregation has made a giant statement sure
   to stir debate. “What we’re saying is that (sexual orientation) is part of
   who God made us to be… and we need to celebrate that,” said Dan Rutt, a
   member of the lead team at Central United Methodist Church. Still, church
   members acknowledge that the message is a controversial one within the
   denomination, which officially holds that homosexuality is incompatible with
   Christian teaching.

                                  [17]Read full story and post a comment»


Many hands lighten load in tornado recovery

   NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) – The Rev. James “Todd” Chancey’s years of
   experience as a church business administrator have come in handy as the
   local pastor has helped members of Apison United Methodist Church in east
   Tennessee cope with the aftermath of tornadoes that whipped through numerous
   states on April 27.

   [18]Read full story and post a comment»


Lil Jon wins more money for children’s home

   NEW YORK (UMNS) -- Rapper Lil Jon won another $40,000 for the [19]United
   Methodist Children’s Home on the May 1 episode of "The Celebrity
   Apprentice", bringing the total he’s earned for his designated charity to
   $80,000.

   A statement on the Decatur, Ga., home’s website read, “We are incredibly
   grateful for the effort he has put forth on the show to win this money that
   will help us continue to serve children and families in need.”

   On the May 8 episode of the show, the Children’s Home will receive the
   checks from Donald Trump and Farouk Systems. The money will go to the
   facility’s family-housing program to provide shelter for homeless families,
   which receives no state funding.


Leadership Summit reports known viewership

   NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) -- The April 6 Leadership Summit webcast drew more
   than 4,000 web connections. The three-hour event marked the first chance for
   many United Methodists to hear how denominational leaders plan to carry out
   the recommendations in the [20]Call to Action Steering Team’s final report
   to increase vital congregations.

   Of the 4,000 connections, 243 were sites of multiple viewers. As of May 2,
   149 sites had reported a total of 3,949 participants; 94 sites haven’t
   reported. Thirty sites were in the denomination’s central conferences
   outside the United States. Of those 30, 16 had 756 participants. The
   gathering also prompted more than 1,700 tweets from viewers under the
   hashtag #umclead.


Dalai Lama to speak at SMU

   DALLAS (UMNS) – The Dalai Lama, renowned spiritual leader of Tibet and Nobel
   laureate, will speak to an audience of 2,500 high school and university
   students and faculty when he receives an honorary degree during the May 9
   Hart Global Leaders Forum at Southern Methodist University. The 76-year-old
   leader announced in mid-March that he will retire as head of state for the
   Tibetan government-in-exile.


Buy coffee, tea for World Fair Trade Day

   NEW YORK (UMNS) -- Purchasing coffee, tea, chocolate and craft items from
   fair-trade distributors helps ensure a better life for farmers and artisans,
   particularly on May 14, World Fair Trade Day. The United Methodist Committee
   on Relief links congregations with small farmers through fair trade. Support
   of the [21]UMCOR Coffee Project also provides income to UMCOR’s sustainable
   agriculture projects. Congregations [22]can learn more about fair trade and
   the Coffee Project and download resources below.

                                                          [23]Learn More»



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