News and Views

Showing items for 'March 2017'

The word is... repent
Posted by on

Ancient church mothers and fathers often greeted one another with the phrase, “Give me a word.” This greeting led to the sharing of insights and wisdom. Today we continue this tradition with this monthly column.

Immigration Thoughts
Posted by Guest Author on

Our nation is a nation of immigrants who passed through Ellis Island long ago. We took in millions from Ireland, Germany, Scotland, England, etc., and we will take in more than a million immigrants per year, more than any other country. But those people were not seeking to do us harm. They were...

Is your congregation ready for public violence?
Posted by Guest Author on

It’s Saturday night, the sermon is prepared, the bulletin is printed and in the narthex. The pastor is about to go to sleep for the night when a parishioner calls and asks if she has heard about the shooting at the local shopping center. Several people have been killed, the caller says, and his...

Working to end gun violence
Posted by Guest Author on

We understand that some church members may be hesitant to discuss guns, but if we are to follow the call of Jesus to be peacemakers, we must address our gun violence epidemic here in the United States. We encourage dialogue and conversation about gun violence based on our faith values. We are...

Area musican tops Billboard jazz chart
Posted by Erik Alsgaard on

Kayla Waters grew up in two worlds, and we’re all better for it. The daughter of acclaimed jazz saxophonist Kim Waters, Kayla often attended her father’s concerts with her twin sister, Kimberly. Kayla knew, when she was 15 years-old, that she wanted to perform, too.

New mission redefines a church
Posted by Erik Alsgaard on

By Erik Alsgaard UMConnection Staff Lisa Middleton, Food Ministry Coordinator at Silver Spring UMC, looks over some of the selections at the choice food pantry. This is a story of how community outreach is helping to re-birth a church. This is a story of how partnerships between churches and...