News

GR Bishop's Day 2012

 (re)shape your WORLD: A Bishop's Day Event   Saturday, March 10 8:30AM - 3PM Cornerstone UMC Keynote Speaker Shannon Trilli           ·         Click here to view and print the brochure ·         The online registration page is now open! Prefer to register offline? Call Liz 616.459.4503 ·         Click...

Clark Retirement Community Collaborates to Provide Hospice Services

  I am pleased to inform you that Clark Retirement Community will collaborate with Porter Hills Retirement Community and St. Ann’s Home to offer hospice services to residents and constituents of these three faith based organizations.   Offering hospice services is an opportunity for Clark to complete the continuum of care that we provide.   The name of this new hospice service will be “Emmanuel Hospice.”   Today the three organizations signed a...

Small group studies for Lent

Click here for resources available through the Michigan Area Resource Center. Click here to renew your subscription. New to MARC, or haven’t had a membership in 5 years? Join for ½ price for 2012! Questions? Contact Betsy Weems, Director, at (888) 217-1905, or marc@wmcumc.org....

Corporate world answers all wrong for the church

By Christopher P. Momany  Special Contributor, United Methodist Reporter The church’s present obsession with success guarantees its eventual irrelevance.  I know, movements that are threatened with extinction tend to chase fads. It sounds proactive, bold and edgy, but a lot of these so-called leadership initiatives are little more than warmed-over tripe from the business world. Additionally, much of the “latest” thinking among the church has already been...

Peace Sermon and ‘Peacemaker’ of the Year

Dear Sisters and Brothers of the West Michigan Conference. Now is the time to consider the peacemakers in our midst who have been exemplary in their ministries of justice and peace in the past year. The West Michigan Conference Board of Church and Society awards each year the person who has submitted the best Peace Sermon for that year, and the person or group that has given the best effort at peacemaking. Our Board is passionate about ministries of peace and justice and seeks to acknowledge...

Breaking Barriers: An African-American Family & the Methodist Story

Illustrates the African American experience within United Methodism and the important roles that faith, church, and family play in molding the character of numerous individuals in the denomination. Available on Amazon. ...

"We are ALL lay leaders!"

During this past year, my first as Lay Leader for the Albion District, I have committed to visiting each of the 70 plus churches in our district and I have heard this phrase over and over and repeated it a number of times myself.    When we view in the Holy Bible what is referred to as the Great Commission, in Matthew 28 v. 19-20, we hear these words to the apostles: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and...

Albion District sets Ubuntu challenge

Last Saturday, January 21, at their district conference, District Superintendent Tamara Williams presented a check for $10,000 for the Ubuntu Gathering Center dream! The check was received by Grand Rapids District Africa University Task Force member, Kim DeLong. Tamara then challenged the churches of the Albion District to match that $10,000 so that a room bearing the name of the Albion District could be part of the Ubuntu Center.   With the Albion District donation, the Ubuntu...

Youth Bytes relate Gospel to teens

Looking for something new to reach your junior and senior high youth? Try MARC’s collection of 20 different YouthBytes! One of the great enemies the Church faces in this generation is teenage boredom with the things of God. This is a serious problem among today's youth and YouthBytes goes on the offence in helping God's people fight this. “Our Youth Group, young and old alike, are thrilled with the YouthBytes DVD series. Each episode gives a great message in a manner that the...

Craft show nets $491,000 for mission

SODUS, Mich. (WMC) – It started as a bazaar 31 years ago and has grown into a juried arts and crafts show with over 280 exhibitors from eight states. What takes an event out of the church’s fellowship hall to fill the county fairgrounds?  A couple of women with a dream, that’s what! Lenora Cuthbert, current show co-chair, thinks back to 1980, “Sodus Chapel Hill was supporting two missionaries—Larry and Laura Hills—but we wanted to do more.”...

Gary Step joins WM Conference Staff

OKEMOS MI....Bishop Jonathan Keaton today announced the appointment of Rev. Gary Step to the position of Director of New Church Development and Congregational Transformation for the West Michigan Conference of the UMC effective July 1, 2012. Gary has been serving as the pastor of Indian River UMC since July of 2000. Commented Bishop Keaton, "Gary has a compelling call and clear passion for the ministry of helping to transform existing congregations and creating new faith...

United Methodist social justice agency applauds HHS ruling expanding contraceptive coverage

Ensures new insurance plans under Affordable Care Act include contraceptive coverage without patient cost-sharing WASHINGTON, D.C. — The General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) of The United Methodist Church applauds the ruling by the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services (HHS) to ensure that all new insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act include contraceptive coverage without patient cost-sharing, except in very narrow circumstances. “This is a great day for...

Family Life Ministry Grants

Family Life Ministries, from the Board of Discipleship, has small grants ($50-$100)  available  to local congregations and groups to support ministries that strengthen the quality of life.  Such activities could include:  Parenting, Care Giving, Spiritual Formation, Marital Growth, Church School Materials, Family Camping Experiences, Special Church Family Activities, Back to School Materials, Short-term projects, etc. If you could use such a grant to launch or support a...

Thank God It's Thursday

During fall semester 2011, Wesley at Michigan State University launched a new mid-week worship experience for the campus community. The service provides an alternative to the traditional college early weekend party. Campus Minister Bill Chu envisioned the service as a great way to kick off the end-of-week rest that students need from their studies. "The work of learning requires a surprising amount of creative and cognitive energy that needs to be punctuated with rest. Students take this...

The Conference Merit Award

These awards are funded by 10 percent of each annual conference’s total receipts to the Student Day Offering for the previous year. Participating annual conferences of the UMC may award one or more scholarships to UM students who reside in the conference and who are or will be attending a UM-related college or university. Click here for further information, including guidelines and an application form or contact Kathleen Kline-Hudson KKline-Hudson@co.livingston.mi.us. Amount of the award...

Disability grants

The Disability Awareness committee has several grants available to help you with making your church friendlier for those with special needs. You can also use the grant to help with camps for the special needs person. Also we would like to put together a DVD of short clips of people in your churches that have special needs and what you have done to improve their worship experience.  Please email me at Disability@hartumc.org for more information....

Register for summer camps now

  Imagine a warm summer night,  backlit by the soft glow of fireflies in the woods; illuminated by the glow of logs burning in a firebowl; and made holy by the reflected glow on children’s upturned faces and raised hands as they sing in unison,  “How great is our God, sing with me, how great is our God…”   Camp changes lives for Christ!  The ministry of Christian camping is one of our most effective outreach ministries, impacting young people...

Ten tons of food and love shared

ROCKFORD MI ... White Pines United Methodist Church in Belmont set a goal in December to spend less money on unnecessary gifts in order to put that money toward things that matter. During worship on Jan. 8, it was announced that those special gifts totaled over $2,000! This was enough for White Pines to buy four 5000-pound food trucks through Feeding America West Michigan. The food will feed hungry people in the Rockford area during the coldest months of the winter. White Pines UMC is a...

How churches transform problems into opportunities for vital ministry

A year ago, Trinity UMC in Battle Creek found they had a problem. People were using their dumpster as a way of getting rid of old junk. Not only were they filling the dumpster, they were piling stuff all over the church yard and parking lot. The Trustees went into problem solving mode.Their first solution was to get a different dumpster, with a key, so that unauthorized people couldn't use it. No one broke the lock on the new dumpster....

Young adults going to Zimbabwe

A team of students and leaders in the United Methodist Church will be heading to Old Mutare, Zimbabwe May 10-21,  2012. The team will be visiting Africa University, a United Methodist related  institution that was established in 1992.   The team will spend time in devotion, community involvement, conversation with community members and spiritual growth. The primary objective of the Mission Discovery trip is to gain a cross-cultural exchange between US college...