reinbeck umc - the view out my window

The Larger Church

The General Conference of the United Methodist church meets this week.  A number of things have happened.  Among those things that will change the church are

• Approving a committee to bring a new hymnal to the 2012 General Conference for approval.
• Approving Full Communion with the Evangelical Church of America pending their approval next year.
• The Côte d’Ivoire Methodist church was accepted as part of the United Methodist church

  (More)

We have had an outbreak of generosity at RUMC lately. 

The history has been that it was hard to pay bills, and apportionments frequently did not get paid.

Recently:

• Pledges are up 12%
• Giving has held firm in spite of  adverse weather
• The bills are paid
• The apportionments are paid
• There is a little money in the bank
• We have given $2000 to missions
  • $640 to nothing but nets
  • We have given $400 to the operation threshold food pantry which will buy a ton of food at the food bank.
  • We have given $400 to World Vision for world hunger which will be matched to become $1600 to be used in hunger ministries.
  • $513 to Ricks House of hope (one Sunday to go)
  • $100 to the Iowa Nigeria project
• We have given well over 200 pounds of food to the Reinbeck food pantry
• Uncounted numbers of items from the garage sale to the women’s shelter, vetrans home, Sartori hospital and a host of other worthy organizations.
• 175 stuffed animals for grieving children
• 30 fleece blankets to grieving children
• I am sure I have missed things we have done together
• I know individuals  do things I don’t know about!!

  (More)

Everything I read lately seems to be citing the recent study by Pew Forum on Religion.  Though there are many things happening on the religious front, few (including General Conference) are getting as much ink as this study.

o                28% of the American population has left the religious tradition of their childhood.

o                44% have left the denomination or tradition of their childhood.

o                8.3% of adults say they were raised Methodist.  6.2% are Methodist now.  A loss of 2.1%

o                12.1% choose no religious affiliation at all.

How do you read those numbers?  You know what they say “ 40% of the time, 90% of the statistics can be used to say whatever 18% of the people want to hear.”  Or something like that.  (That’s at least 75% right.)

  (More)

It was an experience they will never forget.  Our first 30 hour famine.  Fasting, collecting food, collecting money, learning, worshipping, leading worship, playing . . . it was all there.  The youth did a great job!

I was thinking about the lesson I most want them to take with them.  And it occurs to me that maybe we all need to learn that same lesson.  I know I do.

I would like the youth to remember that they can make a difference! 

Sometimes we get an attitude like “Poor little me.  I can’t really change anything.  I can’t really make a difference.  I can’t . . . really!”  But you can.