We Are God's Family: Encounters with Racism

United Methodist News Service is inviting people to share their own personal stories about encounters with racism, as well as hopes and ideas for combating it. Read reflections and share your own story at https://www.umnews.org/en/we-are-gods-family-personal-encounters-with-racism.

Four Inexpensive Online Giving Solutions for Small and Mid-Sized Churches

The staff at Church Dev offers online giving solutions that are affordable for small and mid size churches.
Learn more at https://www.churchdev.com/4-inexpensive-online-giving-solutions-for-small-and-mid-sized-churches/.  

COVID-19 Guidelines for In-Person Worship

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance that may allow reducing restrictions on gatherings, particularly in outdoor spaces. In the spirit of doing no harm, Bishop Farr suggests that local churches first consider their county health guidelines*, continue to mask for indoor events and adhere to social distancing guidelines. That said, Bishop Farr trusts the local church to make decisions regarding safety protocols for their ministry context. If a local church decides to lift its masking or social distancing policy, don’t do so all at once. Offer a gradual approach. If a local church lifts is policies and has a case of COVID-19, return to stricter guidelines.
*Please continue to look at your local (county) vaccination rates as well as test positivity rates. The state of Missouri claims that 36.4% of the state have initiated the vaccine with only 27.8% completed. We celebrate the progress toward vaccinating our population.