Rev. Ronald Williams, vice chairperson of the Bishop’s Round-up for Hunger committee, wants to encourage support for this year’s Round-up for Hunger.

You cannot sit in a conversation these days without hearing about gasoline prices and other economic woes. This effects our institutions in many ways, including:

• Families have to choose between food on the table and gas in the car to get to work.
• Food donors find that they do not have the extra funds to donate or the gas to take it to the agency.
• Food prices have increased both for the families and for the people donating food.

Round-up for Hunger is coming up in a few months and is more important than ever because:

• Kansas East Conference agencies depend on the food brought to Round-up. It is critical to their ministry.
• Our cash-receiving agencies in Haiti and Mexico also need our offerings. Give Ye Them To Eat in Mexico has had its receipts drop radically lately, and a special fund drive had to be held to help them.
• We have a special opportunity in Haiti with the Edgertons there to make our cash donations work.

We need to begin now to search out sales for food donations to Round-up to make donation dollars go further.

When Round-up time comes, some churches could pool their transportation to the event.

The bottom line is that we had a decrease in food donations for Round-up last year. With the increased need for food service and the critical need of our UMC agencies for the food donations, the food really needs to come into Roundup. I know it is needed at other places, but it is also needed at the Round-up site.

Ronald J. Williams, ronaldj7@cox.net

News
United Methodists prepare for post-Fay relief work
United Methodists in waterlogged Florida are beginning to assess the damage and coordinate relief efforts.

"We are receiving reports of catastrophic flooding and debris in parts of the state," said Marilyn Swanson, director of Disaster Recovery Ministry for the Florida Annual Conference. "We are trying to anticipate the needs that will be arising in the next few days."

Read more at www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=1723955&ct=5846737.

Black Methodist caucus starts fund, giving program
Black Methodists for Church Renewal has established two financial endeavors to encourage, connect and train African-American youth and young adults in the United Methodist Church and to support the work of the church's black caucus.

If we are concerned about the future of BMCR, we need to find a way to empower and involve the young people of our constituency," said retired Bishop Forrest C. Stith at the board’s meeting Aug. 15-16 in Nashville, Tenn.
He suggested initiating efforts toward creative programming, increasing attendance at various United Methodist conferences and organizing special events that would attract young people.

Find out more at www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=1723955&ct=5848025.

Urging Christians to abandon ‘bumper sticker’ mentality
Too often, Christians are more concerned with “being right” than with showing the love of Christ to those with whom they disagree.

That message hits home in Dan Merchant’s new documentary, “Lord, Save Us From Your Followers,” which opened in June in 20 cities along the West Coast and also is being marketed to pastors and lay leaders for church screenings. An accompanying book was released in March by Thomas Nelson.

Merchant is an evangelical Christian and an Emmy Award-winning television writer and producer. He hopes the movie will spur Christians to abandon their tendency to argue and engage in conversations instead.

He hammers the message home with a powerful quote from author Phillip Yancey: “No one ever converted to Christianity because they lost the argument.”

Learn more at www.umportal.org/article.asp?id=3965.

Labor Day communion service
The General Board of Discipleship has “A Service of Holy Communion for Labor Day” on their website that may be used near Labor Day or other occasions when the church gathers to celebrate the blessing and sacrifice of human labor at www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=12237&loc_id=9,32,54.

Bible exhibit at Baker University
The Quayle Collection 2008-2009 exhibit at Baker University’s Collins Library will feature Bibles before the King James 1611 Edition, Bible materials for the visually impaired and the famous presidential signatures collection each Sunday, 1:30 – 4 P.M., Sept. 7 through Dec. 7 (closed Nov. 30).

In 2011, the famous King James or “Authorized Version” of 1611 will be 400 years old. A series of exhibits over the next three years will serve as prelude and background to that important event. This year we feature titles pages, decorative and political, from early printed Bibles.

Two systems of Braille, or raised dots, are featured: the Standard Braille alphabet and New York Point, a form of Braille no longer used. Boston Linetype, raised, embossed letters, is also featured.

The Quayle Rare Bible Collection has a series of Bibles bearing presidential signatures. Harry Truman signed the earliest Bible and the span runs through George W. Bush. This subset of the collection is displayed every presidential election year.

Regular weekly hours are Monday, Thursday, Friday, 1 – 4 P.M. Appointments for special viewings can be made by calling 785-594-8393.

Classified ads online
New classifieds have been posted on the conference website:

Vertical platform lift, Moran UMC

See all the current classifieds in the News & Events section at www.kansaseast.org/classifieds_find.asp.

Featured events

Saint Paul Opening Convocation
Saint Paul School of Theology will hold its 50th Opening Convocation Sept. 2 at 11 a.m. in the Kresge Chapel, 5123 E. Truman Road in Kansas City, Mo. President Myron F. McCoy will preach. All are invited.

An optional lunch will be held in the Holter Center for Renewal following the ceremony for $10. Contact Leigh Precise at leighp@spst.edu or 816-245-4819 if you plan to stay for the noon meal.

Tallgrass retreats
The following retreats are being offered this fall at the Tallgrass Retreat Center near Matfield Green:

• “Sensing the Sacred,” Sept. 3, $36, includes lunch
• “Finding Space for Grace,” Sept. 10, $36, includes lunch
• “Gather the Women: C.O.P.S.,” Sept. 8, $36, includes lunch “Balance: The Delicate Dance between Work, Family and the Rest of Your Life,” Sept. 12-13, $70, includes supplies
• “Quiet Day Away,” Sept. 15, $12, includes lunch “Prayer Potpourri,” Sept. 16, $36, includes lunch “Prayer Shawls: Knitting with the Power of Prayer,” Sept. 26-27, $75
• “Collage from the Soul,” Sept. 30, $36, includes lunch “Discovering and Living Your Passions,” Oct. 3-5, $120
• “Quiet Day Away,” Oct. 6, $12, includes lunch
• “Letters from the Soul,” Oct. 8, $36, includes lunch “Gather the Women: Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral,” Oct. 11, $36, includes lunch “Prayer Drawing,” Oct. 14, $36, includes lunch
• “Spiritual Gardening,” Oct. 17-18, $70
• “Quiet Day Away,” Oct. 20, $12, includes lunch
• “Affirmation Cards: For I Am Fearfully and Wonderfully Made,” Oct. 22, $45, includes lunch
• “Scrapbooking Your Faith,” Oct. 27, $36, includes lunch

More information about the retreats, deposits and applicable taxes is available online at http://www.tallgrassretreats.com/, or contact the center at 620-753-3465.

Upcoming Alban Institute retreats
The Alban Institute website has the schedule of retreats posted for the 2008-09 season at www.alban.org/learning.aspx?id=4062.

Visit the conference calendar at www.kansaseast.org/calendar.asp for more upcoming events.