WEEKLY DIGEST- Week of November 30, 2014

The Digest is an easy way to catch up on all of the stories that have been published in the last week. Each story is linked to the original, and there is a short excerpt. You may want to share this digest on your church's website so that they know what has been happening in our conference and beyond.  (This edition includes stories from November 24- December 4) UMC #GIVINGTUESDAY SHOWS THE STRENGTH OF A DENOMINATION UNITED December 4, 2014 United Methodists once again responded with extravagant generosity on UMC #GivingTuesday. On December 2, 2014, more than $2.5 million was donated online through The Advance to support mission and ministries around the world.   TV WEATHERMAN PASTOR December 3, 2014 Steve McKay is a weatherman in Maine, and a United Methodist pastor. This video story is from UMTV.   TAKE THE ADVENT QUIZ! December 3, 2014 Test your knowledge of the season with this feature from UMC.ORG. Share the page with others and keep up through the four weeks of Advent.   LIVE NATIVITY BRINGS THE CHRISTMAS STORY TO LIFE IN TRINITY, NC December 1, 2014 The Live Nativity will be held December 13th from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. Mt. Zion is located at 2354 Finch Farm Road in Trinity, NC (Randolph County). The Walk to Bethlehem Live Nativity Event is presented by Mt. Zion in partnership Trinity UMC in Thomasville, and other local churches in the Yadkin Valley District. The event is made possible through a Congregational Vitality Grant.   MAKING MOBILITY POSSIBLE December 1, 2014 Roshan Johan, a 30-year-old polio patient who has spent most of her life crawling on the floor like, in her words, a small child, can move without pain thanks to the PET Cart, a three-wheel vehicle, she received through the Rural Health and Community Development Project (RHCDP) of the Clara Swain Hospital in Faridpur, India.That’s just one of the things donations through The Advance on #GivingTuesday can make possible. (The articles below have not been moved to the new website) IN RESPONSE TO FERGUSON, MO November 26, 2014 A Collection of excerpts and articles related to the shooting and grand jury process in Ferguson, Missouri.   ORDER OF ELDERS RETREAT RECAP November 24, 2014 On November 11, St. Luke's UMC in Hickory hosted the WNCC Order of Elders for a Day Apart featuring Rev. Dr. Warren Smith from Duke Divinity School. The day-long retreat featured times of worship, fellowship, lecture, and discussion based around Professor Smith's forthcoming book on the Lord's Prayer.   EASY WAYS TO SHARE GRATITUDE THIS THANKSGIVING November 24, 2014 Thanksgiving Day elicits a bounty of wonderful memories for many people in the U.S. The crisp air. The smell of a turkey roasting and a pumpkin pie baking. The sound of a cheering crowd at a football game. All these can create warm feelings during this special time of year.