UMNS Daily Digest - May 4, 2011 (gay, tornado, Lil Jon, leadership summit, Dalai Lama, fair trade)
From "United Methodist News Service" <newsdesk@umcom.org>Date Wed, 04 May 2011 15:02:35 -0700
To ensure consistent delivery, please add [1]newsdesk@umcom.org to your contact and/or safe senders list. [2]View Online | [3]Add to Address Book | [4]Subscribe 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» [12] UMTV: Garden Grows Community Care» [13] Vital Congregations» [14] Read Additional UMNS Stories» [15]Find us on Facebook [16]Twitter Contact Us E-mail (615) 742-5470 “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» Did someone you know pass along this copy to you? Get your own copy [24]here. United Methodist News Service is a ministry of United Methodist Communications. 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