Missouri Net News [link removed] #toc1 The Human Toll at the Border
#toc2 Lydia Patterson Institute Remains Steadfast in Face of Violence
#toc3 Ignore that Gift Card Email
#toc4 Learn and Lead Fall Line-Up
#toc5 Early Response Team Training for Disaster Relief on September 21
#toc6 Job Posting
The Human Toll at the Border
The border between the United States and Mexico has received a lot of media attention in recent months. On August 3, El Paso was again in the international spotlight because of a mass shooting. Rev. Lucas Endicott, currently serving in the Mission, Service and Justice Office in Columbia, has lived and studied on the border in El Paso. He will be in Springfield to talk about the current situation. He will help humanize the story by talking about life on both the US and Mexico side of the border and describe what Methodists are doing to help those in need. The United Methodist of Missouri are invited to join in a conversation about this important topic at 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, August 21 at Atkins Charter House at King's Way UMC in Springfield.
Lydia Patterson Institute Remains Steadfast in Face of Violence
Statement follows from Dr. Socorro de Anda, president of Lydia Patterson Institute in El Paso, Texas:
Now more than ever we proclaim being the deliverer of good news. We teach love and respect to all regardless of race, religion, national origin, or any other God given grace unlike our own. We are exactly what is so badly needed in our communities. We are uniters not instigators of racism and bigotry. At a time when religious ministries and community programs are at a decline in our country, we stand steadfast. Our students disperse throughout the countries of the US and Mexico after graduation. Wherever they go, they spread the love of Jesus in their daily lives and their relationships with their fellow brothers and sisters. This is what we send out. This is what we teach. That is what is so badly needed. Frankly, if we had more Lydia Pattersons throughout the country, perhaps tragedies like that of Saturday would not occur. The United Methodist Church should stand up and proclaim this truth. We are the Good News". El Paso is a very safe and peaceful city as you all very well know. To have a stranger that knows nothing of our people and our culture come and threaten our values is unconscionable. We hurt for every one of the victims of Saturdays massacre as well of those in Dayton, but we also mourn for the evil in the hearts of so many of our "fellow" Americans. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.
Ignore that Gift Card Email
The [link removed] Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, is alerting religious leaders around the country about a gift card scam targeting worshipers. The FTC alert, [link removed] Worshipers targeted by gift card scam, explains that scammers pretend to be a pastor, rabbi, priest, imam, or bishop and then ask worshipers for gift card contributions for a worthy cause. Appeals are often made by email, but we’ve heard people are also getting texts and phone calls, too. The imposter asks people to buy a popular gift card — frequently, iTunes, Google Play, or Amazon — and then asks for the gift card number and PIN on the back of the card. Those numbers let the scammer immediately get the money people loaded onto the card. And once that’s done, the scammer and peoples’ money are gone, usually without a trace. But, as outlined in the alert, there are things people should do if they [link removed] paid a scammer with a gift card.
Learn and Lead Fall Line-Up
This fall monthly webinars are switching to quarterly webinars, one in September and one in November. The September 17 webinar will focus on how to introduce new people to Christ and the tool Alpha. The Alpha program is a series of sessions exploring the Christian faith, typically run over eleven weeks. Each talk looks at a different question around faith and is designed to create conversation. Alpha is run all around the globe, and La Croix UMC hosts a weekly Alpha class on its Cape Girardeau campus. La Croix pastor Rev. Ron Watts will share about the program and how it’s helped his church introduce new people to faith in Christ. Learn more and register [link removed] [link removed].
Early Response Team Training for Disaster Relief on September 21
Early Response Teams (ERTs) fill a specific need in the days after a disaster to clean out flood-damaged homes, remove debris, place tarps on homes, and otherwise help to prevent further damage, while providing a caring Christian presence. ERTs are not a first-response group of emergency workers, nor are they recovery, rebuild, or repair teams. Under very specific guidelines, ERTs assist survivors, without causing further harm or being a burden to the affected community. Our next ERT training will be held at Church of the Shepherd in St. Charles on September 21. Learn more and register at [link removed] www.moumethodist.org/ert.
Job Posting
Student Ministry Director - Peculiar UMC
For complete job descriptions, application instructions or to post at job at your Missouri Conference church, go to [link removed] www.moumethodist.org/classifieds.



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Missouri Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
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