The Rev. Christine Potter says donating a kidney to a friend and colleague is one of the most powerful experiences she’s gone through. She met Barb Muench at Emporia First #UMC and later hired her to work at Cafe Quetzal, a #UMC coffee ministry and church. www.greatplainsumc.org/newsdetail/t...

The Rev. Elizabeth Mae Magill, church planter, leader in creative ministry and advocate for the unhoused, has a new book that explores how people can use their possessions to make the world a better place.

The world is watching to see if Christians can do what we proclaim and love across the chasms that defeat everyone else, writes the Rev. Dr. Javier A. Viera.

The Rev. Stephen Handy envisions more United Methodist churches using the spare space in their buildings to build partnerships in their neighborhoods.

Great Plains Conference Bishop David Wilson is asking all United Methodists pray with him for the peace of mind and safety of transgender people after Kansas enacted a law, with no grace period, that invalidates identification documents.

What’s four years when a church goes back to the 1860s? Thomas Chapel #UMC in Willis, Texas, is hosting Sunday services again, after a four-year pause due to the pandemic and then freezing weather that made renovation of the church building necessary.

Hymns echoed from the property at Lahaina #UMC for the first time since the church building burned down in the Lahaina fire on Aug. 9, 2023. On Jan. 30, bishops and others consecrated the newly built Garden Sanctuary for Christian worship.

Members of the Global Ministries @umcmission.bsky.social EarthKeepers class of November 2025 are already making a difference back home.

Bishop Tracy S. Malone, president of the #UMC Council of Bishops, calls for prayer amid ongoing military strikes by the U.S., Israel and Iran. 'We stand resolute in remembering the uncompromising call of Jesus: “Blessed are the peacemakers'" www.unitedmethodistbishops.org/newsdetail/c...

We wish you a blessed second Sunday of #Lent. "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him." — John 3:16-17

Across the country, churches and ministries are seeing a troubling rise in identity spoofing scams. The General Council on Finance and Administration offers tips to help pastors and congregants avoid falling prey to such scams.

United Methodists traveled great distances to “Faithful Resistance: A Public Witness for Immigrant Justice” in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 25, 2026, to stand in witness for the rights of immigrants. www.umnews.org/en/news/unit...

The Rev. Adam Hamilton, founding pastor of Resurrection, the largest United Methodist church in the denomination, announced Feb. 27 that he is discerning whether to enter the race for U.S. Senate from Kansas as an independent.

Bishop Antoine Kalema Tambwe ordained 33 new pastors in the Central African Republic, bringing the number of United Methodist ministers in the country to 35. The ordinations ended years of constraints related to the lack of clergy.

More than 2,000 people gathered on Capitol Hill to worship, sing and march to bring attention to the plight of immigrants in the United States. The event brought together United Methodist bishops, clergy and laity alongside faith leaders from several traditions. www.umnews.org/en/news/unit...

How does the church grow? That question framed the 2026 Growing Church Conference. Launched in 2001 as a grassroots movement, it has evolved from a jurisdictional initiative into a nationwide event welcoming pastors serving cross-racially & cross-culturally. www.umnews.org/en/news/grow...

United Methodist leaders were participants in a webinar focused on the denomination's new vision statement’s call to “serve joyfully.” That call has roots not only in Scripture but also in the history of the Wesleyan movement. Heather Hahn reports. www.umnews.org/en/news/comm...

The Episcopal Church observes the Feast Day of John and Charles Wesley each March 3. This year, Episcopalians and United Methodists are invited to join together in celebrating the day with prayer as the 2 denominations work toward full communion.

The director of music and worship arts at Saint Paul #UMC-Lincoln, NE is bringing Native American music to the congregation. Mary Young led the chancel choir Feb. 8 as it performed the world premiere of a choral anthem by Cherokee composer James Green.

Did you there is a #UMC congregation in Abu Dhabi? Overseas Filipino workers and migrants, by three #UMC bishops, gathered to celebrate the founding The United Methodist Church in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

The Black Swimming Initiative was founded by Lincoln Street #UMC member Emily Lighthipe and fellow triathlete Morgan Spriggs in 2020. Now, in its sixth year, the Black Swimming Initiative is celebrating 1,000 swim lessons given.

We in the #UMC wish you a blessed first Sunday in #Lent. "Jesus responded, 'Go away, Satan, because it’s written, you will worship the Lord your God and serve only him.' The devil left him, and angels came and took care of him." — Matthew 4:10-11 "Christ in the Desert" by Ivan Kramskoi, 1872.

The Baguio Episcopal Area of the Philippines Regional Conference held a three-day 2026 BEA Convocation with the theme “Bagnos iti Panagdaliasat,” meaning guide to the journey.

Moving into a new year, Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century is working to meet the urgent needs of Black congregations.

Resurrection, the Holston Conference annual youth retreat, is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Because the gathering has inspired young people to answer God’s call to full-time ministry, Annette Spence asked 10 clergy and lay people to share their own experiences.

With a focus on evangelism and income-generating projects, the United Methodist bishop in Nigeria says church is thriving spiritually and economically.

United Methodist leaders are working to make regionalization a reality. They have embarked on a significant reimagining of the Book of Discipline. They also heard an update on the formation of a U.S. regional conference. www.umnews.org/en/news/maki...

A United Methodist pastor from the U.S. who serves in Denmark shared the ongoing impact of U.S. aggression on international relations. He also shared what it means for the church. www.umnews.org/en/news/us-t...

“As we journey toward Holy Week, we are invited to walk more closely with Jesus — to listen to his teachings, to witness his compassion, and to follow him even when the road leads toward sacrifice,” Council of Bishops President Tracy S. Malone writes.

We in the #UMC wish you a blessed Ash Wednesday and start to the Lenten season.

The Endowment for Theological Education in Africa, Europe and the Philippines, initiated by the Council of Bishops, announces the launch of an initiative to address deep inequity in access to theological education.

Laissez les bons temps rouler! The Rev. Colleen Bookter, a #UMC pastor, annually marches in New Orleans parades as part of Fat Tuesday festivities. It’s “a chance to be silly and sassy and celebrate community.”

At a time when many U.S. colleges struggle to survive, United Methodist-related Greensboro College credits two church institutions with helping it chart a sustainable future. The collaboration could serve as a model for higher education across the #UMC.

Three United Methodist bishops plan to join two Palestinian Christian leaders in discussing the new Palestinian Christian document “A Moment of Truth: Faith in a Time of Genocide.” The webinar is scheduled at 1 p.m. U.S. Eastern time Feb.18.

We in the #UMC wish you a blessed Transfiguration Sunday! "He was transformed in front of them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus." — Matthew 17: 2-3 The image is by a Christian artist in Cameroon.

Key figures in the Civil Rights Movement were interviewed on “Night Call,” a 1960s-era call-in radio program from United Methodist Communications. The Rev. Mike Hickcox suggests a way to celebrate Black History Month by listening to historic voices.

We in the #UMC wish you a blessed Valentine's Day, which is an opportunity to celebrate love in all its forms — not just date nights.

After more than 100 days and 2,300 miles on foot, Buddhist monks concluded their Walk for Peace in the U.S. capital. On Feb. 10, they arrived first at #UMC-related American University and later at National #UMC, where they took their one meal of the day.

#UMC Council of Bishops President Tracy S. Malone has joined with other faith leaders in a letter to the U.S. Congress. The letter calls for “investigation, accountability and justice" in cases where DHS agents engage in violence. elcamediaresources.blob.core.windows.net/cdn/wp-conte...

Concerns about immigration, education and criminal justice drive a record number of United Methodist to participate in Tennessee Day on the Hill in 2026.

Some 1,200 United Methodists and faith partners from across the country plan to gather in the U.S. capital on Feb. 25 for "Faithful Resistance: A Public Witness for Immigrant Justice." www.umc.org/en/content/f...

Just as the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots, friendly competition unfolded through this year’s Souper Bowl Food Drive Challenge. The Pacific Northwest Conference claimed the win in food collection, while the New England led in financial generosity.

Our prayers for all in British Columbia for the first responders and all dealing with loss in Canada's deadliest school shooting in decades. www.cnn.com/world/live-n...

The United Methodist Mission in Honduras is experiencing a defining moment in its history, with the ordination — for the first time since its founding — of elders who are native to the country.

The @umcor.bsky.social has announced it will conclude operations at the Sager Brown Depot in 2027 as it reimagines how disaster relief supplies are assembled, stored and deployed. www.umnews.org/en/news/sage...

The United Methodist Church has many resources for statistical reporting, data collection and data analysis. #AskTheUMC, the information service of United Methodist Communications, offers an overview of the variety of available data and how it may be accessed.

In the aftermath of Nashville's ice storm when many homes and facilities still lacked power, four congregations gathered at West End #UMC for worship, food and fellowship. Tom Lee reflects on how crisis can isolate us, but through connection, strangers became “we.”

As a Los Angeles United Methodist church reels from a recent raid by ICE that led to the quick deportation of one of its members, a U.S. appeals court heard arguments that the federal memo that allowed the raid should be struck down.

Alaska Pacific University, a small college with strong United Methodist ties, is sending nine cross-country skiers to the 2026 Winter Games. The university also has a longtime focus on serving Alaska Native students.

Some people need diapers for their children, while others need a place to recover from surgery and freedom from medical debts. Three United Methodist churches are responding — and making an outsize contribution to their communities.