PPUMC Responds to COVID-19 Outbreak
Beloved friends, by now, I’m certain you have heard several opinions about helpful response to the virus spreading throughout the world. C-19, Covid, COVID-19, the Pandemic – by whatever name, this contagion has its own momentum and must be reckoned with. Let’s respond boldly and set our goal at 0% illness within our small and mighty church community! The facts seem to shimmy a little depending on whose opinion is currently in front of you.This we do know – it is important for…
A message from Bishop Ough: Monitoring and preventing the spread of coronavirus
Dear Beloved in Christ: As if there is not enough fear and anxiety in our lives, the world is now enveloped in the fear of the spread of COVID-19, commonly known as coronavirus. This fear is fed by the repetitive 24-hour news cycle, crashing stock markets, and growing restrictions on travel and large gatherings. And now we have our first confirmed case in Minnesota’s Ramsey County. This probably means that community transmission of the virus is already taking place in Minnesota. The most common…
What Does Nonviolence Mean to You? (Video)
This year, during our annual winter retreat, we continued our series on nonviolence with a community discussion about Dr. King’s Six Principles of Nonviolence. This video shows the answers to the question: “what does nonviolence mean to you?”
Grove Church Response from MN UMC Conference
In light of recent publicity around the closure and relaunch of The Grove UMC church in Cottage Grove, we wanted to provide additional context on what has become a complicated and often confusing mix of media accounts and dialogue. For many years, there have been two campuses for The Grove church – one in Woodbury, and a much smaller congregation in Cottage Grove. Despite efforts to engage more attendees over the years, the Cottage Grove congregation has worshiped about 30…
A Message from Bishop Bruce Ough
Greetings, Friends: you may have already seen various media accounts or read an assortment of online postings in relation to last week’s announcement of a possible plan to form a new structure within The United Methodist Church. A diverse, 16-member group of United Methodist bishops and other leaders has offered a proposal that would preserve The United Methodist Church while allowing traditionalist-minded congregations to form a new denomination. Earlier this week, Bishop Bruce Ough of the UMC Dakotas-Minnesota Episcopal Area, shared…
Advent & Christmas Schedule
All services are Sunday mornings at 10am, except for Christmas Eve. First Sunday of Advent, December 1: Hanging the Greens & Communion. Advent arrives while our Thanksgiving dinner is practically still on our tongues! What to do? Begin slowly and together. And keep it simple. Second Sunday of Advent, December 8: Mysteries & Miracles. So many Christmas legends, so little time! Recalling the beautiful and bizarre remnants of Christmas long past. Third Sunday of Advent, December 15: PoP-uP Christmas Pageant.…
The PPUMC Choir Celebrates Advent!
The season of Advent is here, and the PPUMC Choir is preparing to celebrate this time of anticipation with an array of both familiar and new music to warm our spirits and light our path. We begin on December 1 with a stirring arrangement of, “With A Voice of Singing” by Martin Shaw. This composition dates back nearly a century yet resonates with an energy that is as relevant and welcome as ever. On December 8, we turn to the gospel stylings…
Giving Thanks
We wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Below are two passages to reflect on this holiday week. God who loves us, who deserves our gratitude for so much that is good,We offer our prayers of thanksgiving to you:For the beauty of the earth — bright orange leaves mixed with green, a gentle rain, a spider’s delicate web.For friends, for family, even acquaintances who offer us kindness, who bring us laughter, who hold us to a higher standard.Lord of all that is…
2019 Leadership Institute at UM Church of The Resurrection
Each year, the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection (COR) in Leawood, Kansas holds a three-day event that draws thousands of United Methodists from around the country to learn, share, engage and empower attendees on the issues and opportunities facing the church today. This year’s conference took a different tone, serving as a forum for discussion and strategizing about the future of the United Methodist denomination. Sixty-two Minnesotans attended the 2019 Leadership Institute with many expressing a renewed sense of…
PPUMC supports youth climate strike
Members of the Prospect Park UMC community joined with Minnesotans of all ages at the State Capitol in St. Paul as part of the Global Youth Climate Strike, held Friday, Sept. 20. The event was energized, enthusiastic and inspiring, as organizers called for legislation at the state and local level to help reverse climate change. Held in conjunction with demonstrations around the world, the event was inspired in part by the activism of Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg, who has been…