UMCOR OFFERS HOPE ON THE LONG ROAD TO HELENE RECOVERY
Three hard-hit conferences are working with UMCOR to set-up long-term disaster management programs. Western North Carolina Conference, South Carolina Conference and Holston Conference are each receiving recovery grants.
“UMCOR has been in partnership with the conference here since day one,” noted Jim Cox, executive director of UMCOR, on a recent trip to Asheville, NC. “Western North Carolina Conference has done great work early on. We’re now looking at long-term recovery. We plan to partner together with the conference for several years.”
SUPPORT MIGRANTS IN YOUR COMMUNITY
Apply now for an UMCOR Mustard Seed Migration Grant to fund community-based projects with migrants and refugees for United Methodist churches in the U.S.
RESOURCES FOR LOS ANGELES WILDFIRE RESPONSE
In the aftermath of the Eaton and Palisades fires, UMCOR awarded two emergency grants to the California-Pacific Conference to undergird their response. Looking for ways to help? Access resources for churches and conferences.
MUSTARD SEED MIGRATION GRANTS
Every day, thousands of people flee their homes in search of a better life for their families. Global Ministries and the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) provide support for refugees and migrants around the world, seeking to fulfill the biblical mandate to “love thy neighbor” and “welcome the stranger.”
Tiny mustard seeds, as Jesus described in his parable, have a potential to grow into something big or pervasive that spreads throughout a field. Our hope is that by learning more about migrants in local communities and addressing their needs through these grants, the “seed” of welcoming strangers might be planted in new ways in congregations around the country.
WHAT IS THE MUSTARD SEED MIGRATION PROGRAM?
The Mustard Seed Migration Grant program is designed to encourage local United Methodist churches to engage in ministry to migrants in their midst. UMCOR will award grants of $2,000 USD to up to 100 United Methodist local churches in the U.S. to engage in new, one-time community-based service projects and ministries focused on migrants and refugees.
The goal of this program is to nurture a deeper understanding and care for the most vulnerable in our communities. We also encourage participating congregations to think about what they might do on a long-term basis, how they might get involved in advocacy to address systemic injustices present in immigration policy or consider how they might more completely live into a new understanding of church as the kingdom of God, actively engaged in caring for the most vulnerable in the community.
THE 2025 APPLICATION IS NOW OPEN
Apply here.
Applications will be reviewed and approved on a rolling basis until Sept. 1, 2025 or until all 100 grants have been disbursed. We encourage churches to submit their applications as soon as possible, since awards will be given on a first-come first-served basis. Applicants will be notified within four weeks of the application submission date. Submit a completed, signed application via email to [email protected].
LAY SERVANT MINISTRIES
LSM UM Heritage Course Last Call For Registrations
Registration Deadline: January 27thThe relationship of life and faith, our world-wide connection and our distinct history are studied and related to today’s world in the LSM UM Heritage Course: The UM Way, Living our Beliefs. This LSM class is one of six advanced courses on the path to being a certified Lay Servant Minister. Others serving in lay leadership roles seeking to appreciate the larger relationship of United Methodism will also benefit.
This in-person ten hour course offering is being held over two Saturdays, February 1 and 15, from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM at Lake Mills UMC, 271 East Prospect Street, Lake Mills. Leading the class will be the Reverends Sarah Johnsen and Steve Zekoff, both retired Elders of the Wisconsin Conference. .
Deadline for registration extended to January 27. Participants are asked to obtain a copy of the course text, The United Methodist Way, Living our Beliefs, 2nd Edition by Kenneth L. Carder. The $25 registration fee covers lunches, beverages and snacks for both Saturdays.
For more information or to register contact [email protected].
Rooted & Rising’s New Agency Video is Live!
Rooted & Rising is thrilled to unveil something special they’ve been working on—their brand-new agency overview video!
This inspiring video gives you an inside look at the heart of Rooted & Rising, highlighting the incredible work we’re doing together to build stronger, more connected communities.
From providing safe, affordable housing, food security, childcare and creating spaces for families to thrive, this video showcases the impact YOU help make possible.
Watch the Video Now
WISCONSIN CONFERENCE LICENSING SCHOOL 2025
Wisconsin Conference Licensing School 2025
April 27-May 3, 2025 at Pine Lake UMC Camp
The Wisconsin Conference is thrilled to announce the second annual Licensing School, happening April 27–May 3, 2025, at the serene Pine Lake UMC Camp. This program nurtures spiritual growth and equips participants with practical skills for Licensed Local Pastor ministry. With a focus on worship, preaching, sacraments, pastoral care, and more, students gain the tools to serve their congregations effectively.
Read the full article and registration information here
For Questions:
Contact Rev. Cathy Hamblin at [email protected] or Rev. Mary Beth Scow at [email protected].
Using AI Tools in the Church & Hybrid Hospitality
Using AI Tools in the Church & Hybrid Hospitality
February 21 & 22, 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM | First UMC, MadisonFirst United Methodist Church in Madison, along with The Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation and First Foundation, invite you to this two-day event on Using AI in the Church and Hybrid Hospitality.
Day 1: Using A.I. in the Church
Explore how Artificial Intelligence can enhance ministry with practical tools, ethical insights, and demos. Day 2: BOTH/AND: To Be Continued
Learn strategies to engage both in-person and online audiences with hybrid ministry tips and solutions.$100 Registration Fee (covers both days)
Snacks, drinks, and follow-up coaching session included!
Click here for full details and to register
Welcome the Strangers Among Us
“I was a stranger and you welcomed me . . .” (Matt. 25:35)
There are many images in scripture for the life of faith: the body of Christ (I Cor. 12), the household of God (I Peter), and the vine (John 15). While John Wesley taught that our life of faith entails personal holiness, he also helped us understand that our life together is one of social holiness. A pastoral letter from the United Methodist Council of Bishops, “Beloved Community: An Antidote to Extremism” (Sept. 19, 2024), reminds us that love of God inevitably leads to love of neighbor. It is that love that causes me to seek your prayers and faithfulness.
While I support the legitimate efforts of law enforcement to protect the safety and security of our communities, I also support ordinances and statutes that protect the rights of immigrants in Illinois and Wisconsin.
Paragraph 163 of The 2020/2024 Book of Discipline says that “we affirm that every form of government stands under God’s judgment and must therefore be held accountable for protecting the innocent, guaranteeing basic freedoms and liberties, protecting the natural world, and establishing just, equitable, and sustainable economies.”
Insofar as the scripture calls us more than 35 times to love the stranger, I call us to stand with nonviolent migrants, immigrants, and refugees in this country, who live in the shadows of society in a state of perpetual fear. I prayerfully ask us to reject the measure of mass deportations and consider families that include citizens and noncitizens, parents and children, who must not be separated from each other. A recent Council of Bishops letter, “Addressing the Plight of Migrants, Immigrants, and Refugees” (Dec. 18, 2024), states that “they are our neighbors, our friends, and members and pastors of our churches.”
I reject the needless provocation of Chicago as a stated ground zero for a mass deportation effort. I call on federal and state governments to work out bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform that will solve our issues and provide healing for the nation.
At other times in our history, whether it be the Trail of Tears, the Japanese detention centers, or the legacy of slavery, when the United States government has moved or restricted a mass of people, a tragic loss of life and generational cycles of harm result. The tool of mass deportation is not necessary and is abhorrent to followers of a nonviolent Jesus.
Once again, please pray for the migrants, immigrants, and refugees among us and welcome them with the fullness of Christian love, remembering that as we welcome these our brothers and sisters, we welcome Jesus our Lord.
Thank you.
Peace,
Daniel W. Schwerin, Bishop
Northern Illinois-Wisconsin Area
The United Methodist Church
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