UWFaith News

Ditch the “New Year, New Me” pressure. Instead of focusing on resolutions that demand depletion, try a soul care twist: intention setting.

Don’t resolve to do more; resolve to be more present, more rested, and more nourished.

What is one resolution you are transforming into a gentle, restorative intention this year? Get nourished in our community. Join UMFaith Digital.

Know your rights when they’re under threat

United Methodists have good reason to stand up for basic rights — especially when those rights are being ignored or violated.

The United Methodist Church’s Social Principles declare that all individuals — no matter their circumstances — deserve basic human rights and freedoms. These include the right to life, liberty, security as well as equal treatment before the law and freedom from unlawful detention.

“These rights are grounded in God’s gracious act in creation (Gen. 1:27), and they are revealed fully in Jesus’s incarnation of divine love,” say the General Conference-approved social teachings.

“As a church, we will work to protect these rights and freedoms within the church and to reform the structures of society to ensure that every human being can thrive.”

Read more at this link.

Wednesday with the Wesleys

But may not women, as well as men, bear a part in this honourable service?" Undoubtedly, they may; nay, they ought; it is meet, right, and their bounden duty. Herein there is no difference; "there is neither male nor female in Christ Jesus." Indeed, it has long passed for a maxim with many, that "women are only to be seen, not heard."

And accordingly, many of them are brought up in such a manner as if they were only designed for agreeable playthings! But is this doing honour to the sex? Or is it a real kindness to them? No; it is the deepest unkindness; it is horrid cruelty; .... And I know not how any woman of sense and spirit can submit to it. Let all you that have it in your power assert the right which the God of nature has given you.

Yield not to that vile bondage any longer. You, as well as men, are rational creatures. You, like them, were made in the image of God; you are equally candidates for immortality; you too are called of God, as you have time, to "do good unto all men." Be "not disobedient to the heavenly calling." Whenever you have opportunity, do all the good you can, particularly to your poor, sick neighbour. And every one of you likewise "shall receive your own reward, according to your own labour."

~ John Wesley (On Visiting the Sick)

Help Shape the Future of The United Methodist Church

The Leadership Gathering Design Team invites leaders across the connection to participate in this survey as part of the ongoing preparation for the 2026 Leadership Gathering. Your voice will help inform how the church listens, discerns, and leads together in the years ahead.

Estimated completion time: 10–12 minutes.

Complete the survey at this link.

United Methodist Church Bishops Condemn Violence in Minnesota

Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ. 
 
In recent days, events in Minnesota and beyond have caused deep grief, concern, and alarm across our connection. The use of lethal force in public spaces, the detention of naturalized citizens, members of our indigenous communities, children, documented and undocumented immigrants, and the treatment of other vulnerable persons have weighed heavily on the hearts of many in our church. These actions have unsettled communities, strained trust, and intensified fear among those already living at the margins. 
 
Scripture reminds us that “when one part of the body suffers, we all suffer with them 

(1 Corinthians 12:26). As a Connectional church, we are reminded that we are one body that cares for and needs each other. The whole body is suffering, right now, today! The violence being perpetrated on our streets, the loss of safety, and the inhumane treatment of God’s children, are hurting us all. We cannot stay silent in the face of the evils of our day.
 
The United Methodist Church deplores the use of violence, fear, separation, and intimidation as a means of creating social order. Such means do not build beloved community. We reaffirm our longstanding commitment to the sacred worth of every person and to the way of peace taught and embodied by Jesus. We stand against the separation of children from their families. We detest the inhumane, evil actions that are perpetuated by governmental authorities.
 
Our Social Principles are clear: “We reject governmental use of threats, extortion, unlawful detentions, extrajudicial killings, and other forms of coercion to silence political opponents and those objecting to unlawful or immoral government policies and practices.” They further affirm that the church has both the right and the responsibility to educate and equip its members to be advocates for justice in the wider world (¶163D). 
 
This is a moment that calls for prayerful courage to speak against actions that are bringing harm to our neighbors. This is our time to have an effectual faith that stands with those who are suffering. This is our faithful response to our baptismal vow that summons us into what is required of us “to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8). We must continue to work for justice to help heal the brokenness in our communities and in the world.
 
We ask you to pray for peace and for justice. And we ask that we work together with our communities so that we can create a world where the sword is turned into plowshares, and the lion lays down with the lamb. May we be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, who empowered by the Holy Spirit, do our part to bring comfort, just practices, and healing for all God’s suffering people.

In Christ’s peace,

Bishop Tracy S. Malone
President, Council of Bishops
The United Methodist Church

Scripture lessons for February 1st

We begin the month of February with scripture lessons from Matthew 5:1-12 and Micah 6:1-8.

A cold Sunday in Glenville

Joys:

+Thanking God for the gift of a warm home. Praying for the safety of all God’s creatures who live outside during this arctic blast of below freezing weather.

+Praising God for the gift of good health.

+Thanking God for the gift of trained medical staff who stand by to help when needed.

+Praying thanks for every day we wake up and live one more day in this world.

Concerns:

+Praying for warmer weather.

+Praying for Nancy B.’s sister Randy who will have a serious medical procedure this coming Tuesday.

+Praying for Shelley G.'s mother Arletta who is on hospice care.

+Praying for all who loved and cared for Carla, Shelley G.’s sister. Carla died last week.

+Praying for the strength and courage Shelley G. needs to face what is happening in her family members’ lives right now.

+Praying for healing mercies for Gloria S.

+Prayers continue for Erin B. who is facing a serious medical challenge. (Note: A Burger Basket Fundraiser, including a silent auction and bake sale, to help cover family’s expenses is planned at the Albert Lea Moose Lodge, Sunday, February 1, 3:00-6:00.)

+Prayers continue for Jessica who was medevac'd to Houston for continued treatment related to Jessica's needing a new heart.

Wednesday with the Wesleys

In order to this, we continually declare, (what should be frequently and deeply considered by all "who would not make void the law through faith,") that faith itself, even Christian faith, the faith of God's elect, the faith of the operation of God, still is only the handmaid of love. As glorious and honourable as it is, it is not the end of the commandment. God hath given this honour to love alone: Love is the end of all the commandments of God. Love is the end, the sole end, of every dispensation of God, from the beginning of the world to the consummation of all things. And it will endure when heaven and earth flee away; for “love" alone "never faileth."

Faith will totally fail; it will be swallowed up in sight, in the everlasting vision of God.

But even then, love, -

Its nature and its office still the same,

Lasting its lamp and unconsumed its flame,

In deathless triumph shall forever live,

And endless good diffuse, and endless praise receive.

~ John Wesley (The Law Established Through Faith)

"Love Boldly" webinar on theology

In the lead up to the Council of Bishop Leadership Gathering, the Council is working with United Methodist Communications to host a series of three webinars open to all United Methodists. These webinars will focus on how the vision statement’s call to “love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously” connects back to the denomination’s mission and Wesleyan theology. The webinars are free and recordings will be made available publicly. Each will be roughly an hour and half in length.

The first webinar is themed "Love Boldly" and explores the foundations of Wesleyan theology and how they shape United Methodist identity today. Participants will reflect on core theological commitments, shared beliefs, and how theology informs who we are as Wesleyans and as The United Methodist Church.

The webinar is scheduled for January 24, 2026, 9:00am Central Time. 

Register at this link.

Today in Methodist History

Born on this date,1669, Susanna Annesley (later Wesley), the Mother of Methodism, was born in Spitalfields, London.

"I will tell you what rule I observed when I was young, and too much addicted to childish diversions: never to spend more time in mere recreation in one day than I spent in private religious devotions."

Scripture lessons for January 25

We bring our worship in January to a close next week with scripture lessons from Isaiah 9:1-4 and 1 Corinthians 1:10-18.

Today at Glenville UMC

We're proud to be Chamber members!

Donna shares more treats with Mike, Bob, & Sid

Donna, Belinda, and Sandy share a happy moment

A great feeling at the Ad Board meeting

 Joys:

+Korla S. is thankful for her birthday celebrations including a visit to Mom's Bread Company. Also, she was surprised at Plaza Moreno with an anonymous individual paying for her group's supper.

+Nancy B. celebrates that she successfully graduated from physical therapy after her fall.

+Bob S. appreciates the bulk purchase of bags of Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Chocolate Squares and the encouragement to take them to neighbors, friends, and family who could benefit from visits and sweet treats. 

+Belinda A. gives thanks to the congregation for the contribution of $31.38 in the "Noisy Bucket" for UWFaith missions.

+The church family thanks God for all those who help people when they are not well.

+Pastor Charles celebrates visits with Karnella S. and Judy C. at Good Sam. 

Concerns:

+Rita W. asks for prayers for Minneapolis and for God's protection for those involved in the protests.

+Bob S. invites the church family to join him in praying for the family and friends of Gary Anderson who recently died.

+Bob S. asked for prayers for Shelley G.'s mother Arletta who is on hospice.

+Gloria S. asks for continued prayers for her cousin, Carolyn, who is being treated for COPD.

+Korla S. asks for prayers to continue for Jessica who was medevac'd to Houston for continued treatment related to Jessica's needing a new heart.

+Cheryl R. asks for prayers for Pat & Craig R. and Craig's recent health news.

+Pastor Charles lifts up those in area communities (Good Samaritan, St. John's, Thorne Crest, Oak Park, etc.) who have no visitors.

+Traveling mercies are asked for the Tim, Dawn, and Kellen K. as they travel to be with family in The Cities.

Today in Methodist History

With the Moravians onboard the Simmonds

On January 17, 1736, John and Charles Wesley were headed to Georgia on board the Simmonds when they encountered a storm at sea.

"About eleven I lay down in the great cabin and in a short time fell asleep, though very uncertain whether I should wake alive and much ashamed of my un-willingness to die. Oh, how pure in heart must he be, who would rejoice to appear before God at a moment's warning!"

~ John Wesley (journal)

National Religious Freedom Day

Reclaiming faith beyond fear and ideology

We live in a time of deep polarization — politically, socially and even within the church. The name of Christ is used to justify ideologies that conflict with the core of the Gospel.

In many countries, Christian identity has been reduced to party allegiance. Instead of healing divisions, the language of faith often becomes a weapon that makes them worse.

However, this crisis is not new. History shows that whenever faith is controlled by empire, nationalism or moralism, the Spirit calls forth voices of renewal — prophets, reformers, mystics and disciples — who reclaim the radical message of Jesus. From Francis of Assisi to John Wesley, from Sojourner Truth to Gustavo Gutiérrez, the Spirit continues to draw the church back to the core of the Gospel: love that both liberates and reconciles.

Read more at this link.

Wednesday with the Wesleys

 "Of all preaching, what is usually called gospel preaching is the most useless... 

A harangue on the sufferings of Christ or salvation by faith speaks little 

of the commands of Christ... 

It is an unconnected rhapsody of unmeaning words 

containing neither sense nor grace... 

The essence of a Methodist sermon is holiness of heart and life."

- John Wesley

Countering federal violence with neighborly love

Just two blocks from where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot Renée Good, Park Avenue United Methodist Church in Minneapolis opened its doors Sunday to give worshippers space to grieve and restore their faith in the face of violence.

Bishop Lanette Plambeck helped with the service, reminding the large, multiethnic congregation that God is near the brokenhearted. The bishop, who leads the Dakotas and Minnesota conferences, also suggested that worshippers’ own experiences might help guide their response to the presence of ICE officers.

“We all know here in the Upper Midwest that the way you care for ice is that you throw a little salt on it. So, I invite you to go into the world and be salt and light,” she said, referencing Christ’s Sermon on the Mount to applause. “I invite you to love and be a good neighbor.”

Read more at this link.

Scripture lessons for January 18

St. John Altarpiece by Hans Memling
Bruge, Belgium (1479)

Our lessons for the Second Sunday after Epiphany will come from First Corinthians 1:1-9 and John 1:29-42.

Baptism of the Lord Sunday / First Sunday after Epiphany

Korla has a birthday this week!

Shelley G. is today's reader

Kraig S. adjusts the green cloth

Changing the season's decor

JOYS
+Praise be to God for the joy that Dawn Kaasa’s Aunt Esther is worshipping with us today.

+ Belinda A. thanks God she just learned about the positive outcome of a brief encounter with a Ph.D. candidate in Boulder, Colorado, three years ago. It is a blessing to be a blessing – to be able to help her with her educational pursuits.

+Shelley G. thanks God for being able to attend her grandson’s wildly successful hockey game.

+Korla S. is thankful for the new mat at the front entrance with the church name and the UMC logo on it.

+The congregation is thankful for Shelley G.’s service as Scripture reader this morning.

+The congregation is thankful for the music ministry of our beloved pianist/organist, Renae H.

CONCERNS
+Nancy B. invites the church family to join her in praying for the country and world at unrest — asking God’s Spirit to bring peace to the world.

+The congregation prays for patience during these challenging times.

+Korla S. invites the congregation to join her in praying for her cousin Jessica who needs a new heart. She is in the ICU at a hospital in Oklahoma, awaiting a transplant. Also, we pray for the family who will be grappling to decide on their beloved’s organ donation.

+Nancy B. asks the church family to join her in praying for Mark S. who must have another eye surgery and for his wife Nancy S., too.

+Sandy D. invites the congregation to join her in praying for her mother, Donna D., who is not feeling well. Also, she asks for prayers for healing for her nephew Jay who is in the hospital dealing with a medical challenge.

+Shelley G. asks for prayers for her mother Arletta who is in a care facility in Rochester and for her sister Carla who is dealing with a serious medical diagnosis.

+The congregation continues to pray for Karnella S. who has returned to her apartment at The Woodlands at Good Sam.

+The church family continues to pray for Erin Bremseth, Faron and Janet Bremseth’s daughter who is dealing with serious medical challenges. A caring bridge has been established to support the family.

+The congregation continues to pray for healing mercies for Judy C., Bob S.’s daughter Sharon; Nancy B.’s sister Sharon; Shelley G.’s friend Linda; Kraig and Korla’s friend Bill P. and his wife. 

Hymn for Baptism of the Lord Sunday

by Charles Wesley

1. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
In solemn pow'r come down!
Present with Thy heav'nly host,
Thine ordinance to crown,
See a sinful soul of earth!
Bless to him the cleansing flood!
Plunge him, by a second birth, 
Into the depths of God.

2. Let the promised inward grace
Accompany the sign;
On this newborn soul impress
The character divine!
Father, all Thy name reveal;
Jesus, all Thy name impart;
Holy ghost, renew and dwell
Forever in his heart!

Elvis Presley’s Methodist moment

By the start of 1956, Elvis Presley and his recording career had found a new place to dwell. It wasn't at the end of Lonely Street, but in a building bustling with Methodists.

Presley at that point had only regional hits to his name. The giant RCA Records had gambled on the young singer and bought his contract from the small Sun Records.

The sounds of the South — rhythm & blues, country and rock — were starting to transform American airwaves. However, RCA did not yet have a studio of its own in the burgeoning "Music City" of Nashville. Instead, the record company leased studio space in a building it shared with the Methodist Church's Television, Radio and Film Commission — one of the predecessors of today's United Methodist Communications.

So it was that on Jan. 10, 1956 — two days after his 21st birthday — Presley arrived at the Nashville studio at 1525 McGavock St. for his first recording session with his new label.

The session would prove one of the most momentous in Presley's career. It was also a highlight in a little-known chapter of Methodist Church history — when the denomination's communications agency shared its office and studio space with a major record label.

Read more at this link.

We Will Not Be Silent: United Women in Faith Responds to ICE Shooting

NEW YORK – The nation’s largest denominational organization for women today mourned the death of a Minneapolis woman shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer on Jan. 7. The organization issued the following statement, which can be attributed to Sally Vonner, General Secretary and CEO of UWFaith.

“As women of faith, we have a responsibility to raise our voices when we see the rights of innocent people being trampled. In Minneapolis yesterday, we witnessed a grave injustice as an ICE officer shot and killed a woman inside her vehicle. We are heartbroken and angered at this senseless murder. “We are called to put God’s faith, hope, and love in action. This violence and circumvention of due process is unacceptable. No one should be afraid to live in their own communities. Law enforcement should never be weaponized against the very people its officers are sworn to protect. Renee Nicole Good did not deserve the fatal treatment she received. "Such excessive use of force is alarming, and we know that such situations are uniquely dangerous for people of color, persons who are unhoused, immigrants, and those with mental health conditions. Our prayers are with the people of Minnesota and all those around the world in fear of the weaponization of law enforcement. 

Read more at this link.

Group zeroes in on number, work of US bishops

2024 General Conference in Charlotte, NC

Setting the number of United Methodist bishop elections in the U.S. every four years used to be a matter of simple math.

How many bishops each jurisdiction could have within its borders largely depended on how many members were on its church rolls.

But that all changed when the 2024 General Conference eliminated the formula long utilized for calculating each U.S. jurisdiction’s allotment of bishops.

United Methodist leaders are now grappling with what many call the biggest change to bishop distribution since 1939. That was the year when General Conference — the denomination’s top lawmaking assembly — first established the U.S. jurisdictional system and the related formula for electing bishops.

Read more at this link.

A pastoral message from Bishop Lanette regarding the shooting in Minneapolis

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; ...those whose spirits are overwhelmed.” - Psalm 34.18 (NLT, adapt.)  

“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” - Micah 6.8 (NRSV)  

Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ.  

I write as one who, in my episcopal role, is called to guard the faith, shepherd the people, and work for unity. It is from this responsibility that I offer these words. 

Today in Minneapolis, during a federal immigration enforcement operation, Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot. Investigations are underway. Accounts differ. Many details remain unclear. At the time of this writing, what we know, and must not move past too quickly, is this: a human life has been lost.  

The work of the church begins here. Before we receive deep analysis or a full explanation of the events that led to the shooting, we enter into lament. We grieve a life ended too soon. We hold in prayer the family and loved ones who now carry an unimaginable loss. We acknowledge the fear and trauma this event has stirred, especially among immigrant and refugee neighbors for whom encounters with law enforcement already carry profound risk. 

Read more at this link.

Wednesday with the Wesleys

He is the Word whom the Father begat or spoke from eternity;

by whom the Father speaking, maketh all things;

who speaketh the Father to us.

~ John Wesley, Notes on the New Testament, John 1:1

Epiphany of the Lord

The comfort lost, and soon restored,

Doth more transporting bliss afford,

And makes my joy o'erflow;

I bless the' enlightening word that brings

My soul to' adore the King of kings,

God manifest below.

~ Charles Wesley

Scripture lessons for Baptism of the Lord Sunday

Arian Baptistry - Ravenna, Italy (496-527 AD)

Next Sunday is the First Sunday after Epiphany and we will remember our baptism with scripture lessons from Isaiah 42:1-9 and Matthew 3:13-17.