Announcements

Christian Resources by Multicultural Women

Announcements Published on
March 7, 2023

During Women’s History Month, we are highlighting resources in our collection authored by women from diverse cultural backgrounds. This list includes books written by women from Black, Indigenous, Latina, and Asian cultures. We have listed below small-group studies, books for spiritual growth, and books for church leadership.

We also have many other books written by women that address matters of race. These books are listed in our Anti-Racism pathfinder.

Small Group DVD Studies

Surrendered: Letting Go & Living Like Jesus: A Study of Jesus in the Wilderness by Barb Roose. This six-week study especially for women explores Jesus in the wilderness and gives six practical principles that will equip you to let God lead you to victory and peace, despite your unchanging and challenging circumstances.

Search our online catalog for more women’s studies by Barb Roose.

The Big Picture: Seeing God’s Dream for Your Life by Nicole and Jevon Caldwell-Gross. Take a closer look at the life of Joseph to discover God’s presence in moments of triumph and trauma. Join this five-week study and see God’s dream for your life as you begin connecting the dots of God’s grace, presence, and protection.

She Dreams: Live the Life You Were Created For by Tiffany Bluhm. Discover and follow your God-given dreams through the biblical story of Moses. This special six-week women’s group study experience will reveal how God calls, equips, and trains us to pursue our dreams.

Reflect Reclaim Rejoice: Preserving the Gift of Black Sacred Music by Safiyah Fosua, Cynthia A. Wilson, and Robert McMichael, III. This companion small-group study resource to the DVD documentary is for any person or group seeking a greater understanding of the history of Black sacred music in America. This small-group study is part of the Africana Hymnal Project of The United Methodist Church.

Gideon: Your Weakness. God’s Strength. by Priscilla Shirer. This study will encourage you to recognize your weakness as the key that the Lord gives you to unlock the full experience of His strength in your life. Instead of ignoring, neglecting, or trying to escape your weaknesses, see them as the gifts that they are, given specifically and strategically by God to unlock the door of God’s strength.

Search our online catalog for more women’s studies by Priscilla Shirer.

Vital Conversations Series by The General Commission on Religion and Race. This video series features thought leaders, pastors, theologians, activists, authors, and scholars who share their stories, insights, and expertise on issues related to faith, culture, and fighting oppression in the church and world today. Through these studies, you are invited to engage in relevant and real conversations.

Small Group Book Studies

God of the Bible: A Study for United Methodists about How God is Revealed in Scripture by Aida Fernandez, Adrienne Trevathan, and Susan Hylen. This five-week study is designed for small groups to explore expansive language – the names, images, and ways God has been revealed to us in Scripture. It challenges participants to strengthen their personal relationship with God by removing barriers of human limitations from our understanding of who God is. Also available as a free PDF download.

Who Can We Be Together? A Biblical Exploration of Luke 13 by Candace Simpson. This United Women in Faith curriculum brings participants deeper into Jesus’ teachings in this chapter of Luke to explore what it means to be in community. The author states, “we are called to act on the most ethical principles of our faith so we can witness the kin-dom of God on earth.”

On This Spirit Walk: The Voices of Native American and Indigenous Peoples by Henrietta Mann and Anita Phillips. A diverse group of Native American United Methodist writers, including a cross-section of tribes and nations, ages, and life experiences, contributed to this work. Discussion questions for multicultural groups are included at the end of each of the twelve essays.

The Scandalous Message of James: Faith Without Works is Dead by Elsa Tamez. This provocative, and often overlooked letter is the founding document of liberation theology—the theology that seeks to preserve Jesus’ “preferential option for the poor.” Now with a detailed study guide, this book can be used by Christians everywhere to study the radical message of James and reflect on what it means to be a true Christian.

Books for Spiritual Growth

What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk with Howard Thurman by Lerita Coleman Brown. Brown walks with us through Thurman’s inimitable life and commitments as he summons us into centering down, encountering the natural world, paying attention to sacred synchronicity, unleashing inner authority, and recognizing the genius of the religion of Jesus.

Living Resistance: An Indigenous Vision for Seeking Wholeness Every Day by Kaitlin B. Curtice. Curtice explores four “realms of resistance”–the personal, the communal, the ancestral, and the integral–and shows how these realms overlap and why all are needed for our liberation. Readers will be empowered to seek wholeness in whatever spheres of influence they inhabit.

Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future by Patty Krawec. What would it look like to remember that we are all related? Braiding together historical, scientific, and cultural analysis, Indigenous ways of knowing, and the vivid threads of communal memory, Krawec crafts a stunning, forceful call to “unforget” our history.

Learning to Be: Finding Your Center After the Bottom Falls Out by Juanita Campbell Rasmus. When everything in her life came to a stop, Pastor Juanita Rasmus found that she had to learn to be-with herself and with God-all over again. Offering both practical and spiritual insights, she shares a wise, frank, and witty account of her own story of exhaustion and depression, acting as a trustworthy companion through dark days.

Four Gifts: Seeking Self-Care for Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength by April Yamasaki. Drawing on the ancient scriptural command to love God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength, Yamasaki helps readers think about the spiritual dimensions of attending to your own needs, setting priorities, and finding true rest in a fast-paced world.

The Night is Long but Light Comes in the Morning: Meditations for Racial Healing by Catherine Meeks. With personal stories and thoughtful direction, Meeks takes the reader on the trajectory from self-awareness to recognition of the past to a new and individual way forward. Meditation topics include how to work through fear and rage, how stories can help heal, honoring your ancestors while looking toward the future, what it really means to love one another, and the meaning of social justice.

Psalms for Black Lives: Reflections for the Work of Liberation by Gabby Cudjoe-Wilkes & Andrew Wilkes. This book includes thirty devotions, each containing a psalm, a reflection, and an invitation for the reader to develop a justice imagination through further engagement with the text. It also includes daily discussion questions to support small-group study and a guide for congregational and community groups who want to embody the words of the Psalms together.

All the Colors We Will See: Reflections on Barriers, Brokenness, and Finding Our Way by Patrice Gopo. Gopo examines the complexities of identity in our turbulent yet hopeful time of intersecting heritages. As she digs beneath the layers of immigration questions and race relations, Patrice also turns her voice to themes such as marriage and divorce, the societal beauty standards we hold, and the intricacies of living out our faith.

Books for Church Leadership

A Worship Workbook: A Practical Guide for Extraordinary Liturgy by Khalia J. Williams & Gerald C. Liu. This book introduces crucial and under-examined liturgical and social concepts for students and leaders of worship. Each chapter offers a brief lesson, teaching new skills and inspiring creativity for honest, faithful, and versatile worship leadership.

Fiesta Jubilosa: Recursos bilingües para la Adoración edited by Raquel Mora Martínez. This new fully bilingual worship resource collects works from 91 contributors and includes texts, original music, and arrangements for both Spanish and English-speaking worshippers. Dr. Martínez notes the rich variety of musical styles from various nations of Latin America, the United States, and the Caribbean “reflects the styles and traditions of the mixed culture of the Hispanic / Latino communities.”

Buried Seeds: Learning from the Vibrant Resilience of Marginalized Christian Communities by Alexia Salvatierra and Brandon Wrencher. The authors explore two grassroots faith movements whose witness has been buried within the histories of the institutional church and secular justice movements: the base ecclesial communities of the Global South in the late twentieth century and the hush harbors of the US antebellum South.

From Social Media to Social Ministry: A Guide to Digital Discipleship by Nona Jones. Jones outlines her digital discipleship principles and provides practical instruction for how to do it, no matter how big or small a local church may be. There are plenty of books to help churches build a social media strategy, but this is the first book of its kind that goes beyond digital marketing to digital ministry.

Blank Slate: Write Your Own Rules for a 22nd-Century Church Movement by Lia M. McIntosh, Jasmine Rose Smothers, and Rodney Thomas Smothers. This book helps us realize that we must let go of what we think church should be. It provides us with tools we can use to change the landscape of ministry and shows us how to engage our children and our children’s children within the church so that it—and they—can thrive.

Those Preaching Women: A Multicultural Collection edited by Ella Pearson Mitchell and Valerie Bridgeman Davis. Brought together by the “dean of black women preachers,” Rev. Dr. Ella P. Mitchell, this treasure trove includes the unfettered, creative exchange of sacred rhetoric by God’s women from every tribe, nation, and language group.

Featured image by RF._.studio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-woman-writing-on-notebook-3059749/

Health Team Update – March 7, 2023

Announcements Published on
March 7, 2023

Our Conference Health Team continues to work to share information that promotes the well-being of individuals, churches, and communities across our connection. Read their latest updates below.

Helping Children Cope with Trauma

Are there children in your family, church, or community who are in distress? Helping Children Cope with Traumatic Events was developed in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.

This free downloadable booklet provides practical guidance for anyone who wants to support children in the wake of trauma. Helping Children Cope with Traumatic Events provides readers with an overview of common reactions to violent acts and gives concrete steps for caring for children’s emotional and spiritual needs.

We pray that it will equip you to serve the children in your circles with confidence and compassion.

Medicaid Expansion

The NC State House recently passed Bill 76, Access to Healthcare Options, which could create a pathway for hundreds of thousands of low-income North Carolinians to receive health coverage. The potential recipients are largely low-income workers who earn too much to qualify for the program as it is currently structured. But if North Carolina pulled down federal dollars that other states do, they could qualify and be added to the Medicaid rolls.

The program, as is, mostly covers children from families with low incomes, some of their parents, some people with disabilities, and seniors with limited financial means. For many low-income workers, health insurance can be out of reach because they earn too little to qualify for subsidies available through the federal health insurance online marketplace.

Rep. Donny Lambeth, the Republican from Winston-Salem who is the primary sponsor of the bill, said it’s time for North Carolina to get off the list of 12 states that have not adopted Medicaid expansion. The issue has been a political flashpoint in North Carolina since the General Assembly voted in 2013 to reject the portion of the Affordable Care Act that makes expansion possible.

“North Carolina would become the 39th state,” Lambeth told the House Health Committee Tuesday morning. “We’ve learned from other states, we had hearings in this room that brought in a number of other states.”

After just 18 minutes, with little discussion, the House bill passed the health committee with only a handful of opposing votes. A similar scene unfolded in a House finance committee in the afternoon, where the entire discussion took less than 15 minutes, with no opposing votes. Medicaid expansion — after a 10-year wait — seemed to pass quickly through the state House of Representatives.

That meant that the bill would move on from there to the NC Senate for approval. Last week, Senate Leader Phil Berger said his chamber will modify the Medicaid expansion bill that passed the House last month and pass it in the coming weeks. “We will move with all deliberate speed to move this forward,” Berger said. The expansion wouldn’t take effect until this year’s budget is approved, likely this summer.

“Expanding Medicaid is a big deal for North Carolina and the more than half a million people it would help,” House Democratic Leader Robert Reives said in a statement. “It would increase access to care and help rural hospitals stay open. This is long overdue, but we still have work to do so that ensure this deal allows us to fully access federal funds.”

The bill would also add North Carolina to another federal healthcare funding program called the Healthcare Access and Stabilization Program (HASP). Between HASP, which sends funding directly to health care providers, and a federal “signing bonus” for new Medicaid expansion states, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services says the state will get $8 billion annually “with no additional cost to the state, along with $1.8 billion which can support behavioral health, public safety support, rural health care, and other needs.”

The pressing need for Medicaid expansion is made more urgent by the ending of the Public Health Emergency on May 11th. In exchange for additional federal funds, states agreed not to dis-enroll Medicaid patients. That means that when the Public Health Emergency, 5-8 million people nationally will lose health coverage through Medicaid. It means in North Carolina if Medicaid expansion is not enacted, North Carolina Health & Human Services expects that 37,000 North Carolinians will lose health coverage through Medicaid.

The expansion, if it takes place, will be several months from now, and as part of a comprehensive state budget bill. The budget is a two-year spending plan but also contains major policy. The earliest that this approval could come is early April, but more likely, the state budget will be approved this summer, closer to the end of the current fiscal year, on June 30th.

What can you do? You can educate yourself on and continue to advocate for Medicaid expansion until it is passed into North Carolina law with the passage of the NC budget. You can help ensure that Medicaid expansion is not removed from the budget during upcoming budget negotiations. Keep advocating for Medicaid expansion until it is signed into law! Medicaid expansion would mean that if accepted by the state of North Carolina that 90% of the cost would be paid for by the federal government. Learn more at www.care4carolina.com.

COVID Update

In a recent conversation with Dr. Wes Wallace, adjunct professor in emergency medicine at the UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, he stressed that seniors were the group currently most affected by the COVID pandemic. The good news is that new cases of COVID and hospitalizations are at their lowest since October. Hospitalizations are a particularly helpful indicator to determine the effect of COVID on a community.

The bad news is that COVID is the third leading cause of death among Americans, preceded only by heart disease and cancer. It is having the largest impact on the senior community, even those who have been vaccinated. 18 to 29-year-olds are the largest age demographic of Americans who are likely to contract COVID. If you compare that groups outcome compared to other age demographics who contract the disease, 65-74-year-olds are 60x more likely to die than 18-29-year-olds from the disease, 75-85 year-olds are 140x more likely to die than 18-29-year-olds from the disease, and 85+ are 350x more likely to die than 18-29-year-olds from the disease. These are the statistics despite the fact that Americans 65+ are more likely to have received a vaccination for COVID.

Does that mean the vaccination is not helping prevent people from contracting COVID or preventing death from COVID? No. It does mean that we need to work as congregations to protect our seniors who have been most marginalized by this disease.

You can protect yourself from COVID by:

Wearing a mask to protect yourself and other members of your community.
Getting an updated bivalent booster for COVID (To find COVID-19 vaccine locations near you: search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233).
If you contract COVID and are over 50 or have a pre-existing condition, request a prescription of Paxlovid from your healthcare provider (this prescription is most effective in the early days of the disease).
Ventilation in your church spaces! You can invest in an air handling system for your church. Even just opening a door or window will greatly improve the air quality of your setting.

Day 12 – Francis Daniel

Announcements Published on
March 7, 2023

We stood outside the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, taking in the beauty of the place and the power of the moment. Observing the open tomb before us, we heard our British guide explain the argument for this place as the actual grave site of Jesus. As we found ourselves surrounded with the garden’s lush vegetation in the midst of death’s reminders, we listened intently. Engulfed by our guide’s explanation as to why this site should be regarded as the authentic burial place of our Lord, he continued articulating his case. It was at that moment he spoke words I have never forgotten. Putting the final exclamation point on what he had to say, he followed with these words.

He said, “Now, I say all of that to simply say this. If you’ve come to Jerusalem to find proof of the resurrection in an empty tomb, then you’ve come to the wrong place. Here in Jerusalem, empty tombs are a dime a dozen. The greatest proof of the resurrection isn’t in the existence of an empty tomb but in the changed life of the person standing next to you.”

That is the story of the Bible, and as such, it is the story of Grace United Methodist Church in Clinton. As John 3:17 says, “God did not send God’s Son into the world to condemn the world, but through him, the world may be saved.” From the earliest days of Genesis to the conclusion of Revelation, God has been about the business of restoring all of creation and all of humanity along with it.

The world has changed considerably since the cornerstone was laid at Grace. However, the call from God has never changed. The Gospel is still the means through which lives are being changed, and destinies are being altered. Whether is it through the ministry of the preschool or the invitational worship services, the purpose for which Grace United Methodist Church in Clinton first emerged in the community is the reason she still stands. Making disciples brought Grace UMC into being, and it remains our desire.

Rev. Francis Daniel serves as the pastor of Grace UMC in Clinton, NC.

Opioid Awareness Breakfast

Announcements, Events Published on
March 6, 2023

The Overdose Crisis: The Faith Community Responds in Fayetteville
Thursday, March 30, 9-11 a.m.
Saint Matthews United Methodist Church
202 Hope Mills Rd., Fayetteville
Join our Partners in Health and Wholeness initiative for a Clergy Breakfast in Fayetteville on Opioid Crisis, the Faith Community Responds. At this breakfast, you will learn about the impact in our state, what harm reduction is, and what congregations can do to get involved.
Click here to register.

Equipment for Missions

Announcements Published on
March 6, 2023

Disaster Ministries has equipment available for your church to use for mission projects! We have a variety of equipment and tools at MERCI in Goldsboro, NC.

Utility Trailer
Early Response Trailer
Construction Trailer
Laundry Trailer
Shower Trailer
Mold Spray Trailer (Training needed before use)
Dump Trailer
Scaffolding Trailer

Please contact disaster@nccumc.org or 888-440-9167 for more information.

Day 11 – Betsy Haas

Announcements Published on
March 6, 2023

Early followers of John Wesley who lived in towns across the Sound in 1772 influenced the Kitty Hawk fishing and farming families to form a new church. These hearty folks gathered in homes, on fields, and at beaches until the one-room “Kitty Hawk Methodist Episcopal Church, South” was built in 1858. Renamed “Boaz M.E. Church, South” when the congregation moved in 1887 to our current location, its hand-hewn, rough-board building was replaced in 1938 by a brick structure destroyed by fire in 1973. In 1903, the Wright Brothers stayed in a house later donated to KHUMC for its parsonage. The current sanctuary was consecrated in 1975. The original vision of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world and being a beacon of hope for our community continues these many decades later.

Our location in Kitty Hawk, a popular vacation destination for much of the East Coast, enables us to offer graceful hospitality and a homeport for hundreds of visitors every summer. With a thriving year-round congregation, we extend that hospitality by being active in local mission and ministry on the Outer Banks. Our missions include a homeless ministry called Room in the Inn, our local Beach Food Pantry, and a monthly program offering respite care for seniors and their caregivers. Last year a small group built and continues to maintain a “Little Free Food Pantry” on the front lawn where folks can come by anytime and take boxed and canned food, day or night.

We recently merged with Mighty Wind UMC, a new start church that needed a building. Together we welcome all comers in the name of Jesus. We have multiple small groups, bible studies, music groups, and programs for children and youth. Our excellent preschool serves 88 two-to-four-year olds, who come to learn their ABCs and to get to know Jesus.

In Matthew 25:45, Jesus reminds us that whenever we offer graceful hospitality in the form of food, clothing, shelter, and visiting the sick and the prisoners, we are offering it to him. This will always be our mission at Kitty Hawk UMC.

Rev. Betsy Haas serves as the Associate Pastor of Kitty Hawk UMC in Kitty Hawk, NC

Announcements

Small Group DVD Studies

Small Group Book Studies

Books for Spiritual Growth

Books for Church Leadership

Helping Children Cope with Trauma

Medicaid Expansion

COVID Update

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