Apply for Youth and Young Adult Scholarship

Scholarship opportunities for the 22nd World Methodist Council Conference are open now. Register by clicking on the link below.

https://worldmethodistcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/WMC-Application-Form.pdf

1,000 US Dollars is available to young people 18-35 years old for Conference lodging at this 13-18 August 2024 event.

On The Move

Sweden ”On The Move” is an occasion that deepens faith, bonds together, creates energy for growth and discerns future contours of ministry, service and leadership among the world family of Methodist peoples, churches and conferences. Our main themes are migration, pilgrimage and illumination/guiding lights. The rich and exciting programme will revolve around these themes.

Moving Stories. Travelling and being received. Hospitality. Rising nationalism. The enrichment or degrading of host societies? Borders. And the role of Churches –and particularly WMC family churches and conferences.

The richness of journeying. Discovery. Time for reflection. transformation of self through walking with others – and alone. Identifying ‘waymarks’ that guide us and mark our progress, and the spiritual traditions and practices that help us on our way, all shared with each other.

In a region of the world associated with the Northern Lights what illumination can we learn from each other for such a time as this, what ‘lights our way’ in an often gloomy cultural climate? How are we best ‘salt and light’? What apt and contextually transferable ways of being, mission, service, witness, presence, evangelism are among us?

Peace Award ceremony to honor Ebenezer Joseph

The World Methodist Council’s highest honor, the Peace Award, will be presented to the Rev. W. P. Ebenezer Joseph on Saturday, 18 February, at 4:30 in the afternoon. The presentation will take place in Colombo, Sri Lanka at Wesley College for Boys. Rev. Joseph is receiving the 2022 Peace Award for his efforts as a fearless advocate for justice in Sri Lanka.

The ceremony will include specially invited guests, the WMC officers, and members of the public. It will be hosted by the Wesley College Hall. This Methodist boys’ school is located at Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 9.

The March First Friday Letter will include further information on Rev. Joseph and photos from the ceremony.

Information re Rev. Joseph’s selection was in the September 2022 FFL and January 2023 FFL

Tent campers at Tukwila church occupy new tiny house villages

A once sprawling homeless camp in Tukwila is now the site of the newest tiny house village and people living there say the opportunity is changing their lives.

Riverton Park Village began operating Dec. 1 on the grounds of Riverton Park United Methodist Church. It offers 20 units and is currently housing 40 people, which includes seven children. Pastor Jan Bolerjack said it operates a little differently than other villages because there’s no perimeter fence or check-in system.

Oscar Fernandez lives in one of the tiny houses and said it’s given him the stability he hasn’t seen in years.

“Living in a tent is not safe for anybody,” Fernandez said. “Now I have the opportunity to plan for the future.”

Miracle Village has 28 tiny houses and is hosting 33 residents at a different site on Interurban Ave. Many of the people at Miracle also used to camp in Tukwila’s Riverton Park area.

“They are so excited to have a house,” said Pastor Henry Jenkins of Miracle Temple Church of God in Christ, where the village is located. “They’re not sleeping in the woods. They’re not sleeping in the rain.” “They’re just happy to have a house they can call their own.”

The Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) operates both villages using funding from the King County Regional Homelessness Authority. Residents must follow a set of rules, which includes no drugs or alcohol on site.

“There’s a lot of people dealing with substance abuse barriers, so they want to come into the program to stay clean,” said Mark Robinson, LIHI’s village oper- ations manager at Miracle. “There’s a lot of people, I would say about 1,000 in Tukwila who are homeless, and having something like this, having a community like this, it’s a starting point for people.”

Jerry Diaz and his family live across the street from Riverton Park Village. He said so far, the people living in tiny houses haven’t created any big concerns.

“They haven’t caused any problems for us. It’s been loud sometimes, but other than that, no issues from what I’ve seen,” Diaz said.

Read more and watch a video on this story here

Triptych 2023

Daily Lenten Scripture, Reflection, and Prayer

WesleyMen joyfully announces the newest volume in the Advent and Lent daily devotionals, “Triptych for Lent 2023.” You may order your download (1.99 USD) or hard copy (6.99 USD) at fastpraygive.org/lent. Note: it’s for everyone!

This Lenten ‘triptych’ of interlocking scriptural portraits are connected by their proximity at the climax of Matthew’s gospel. One might think of Matthew 25 and Matthew 28 providing the ‘bookends’ to the narrative of the Passion through the Resurrection, Matthew 26-27. We are indebted to Bishop Hope Morgan Ward (Southeast Jurisdiction, United Methodist Church, retired) for positing “the church of two outstretched hands,” one ‘hand’ outstretched in passionate compassion of Matthew 25:31-46; the other ‘hand’ extended in passionate proclamation of the saving word. We add unto that the ‘passion’ narrative between those two ‘passions;’ one could also think of them as two ‘lungs’ of the one ‘heart’ of the gospel.

• Matthew 25:31-46, which falls as “pre-passion”

• Matthew 26-27 – the heart of the “passion to resurrection” narrative

• Matthew 28:16-20 – the post-passion call to action

The season begins with Ash Wednesday, where key readings from the Sermon on the Mount inform each year’s reflection. WesleyMen find powerful motivation in the Matthew 6 teachings to pray, fast and give. You are invited to see how you may deepen your spirit through those Wesleyan “means of grace,” or spiritual disciplines, at FastPrayGive.org.

Rev. Steve Hickle, President, WesleyMen

Andy Morris, Director of FastPrayGive.org a program of WesleyMen