Caring for creation: How one Utah couple is serving their church and community through gardening and beekeeping

MARRIOTT-SLATERVILLE, Weber County (Utah)— It was about a decade ago that Steve and Kristen Bell joined the Ogden First United Methodist Church and had a pivotal conversation with their pastor.

The couple was interested in doing something to benefit their congregation and community. Steve Bell recalls the pastor asking a question that nobody had ever asked him before.

“What gifts has God given you?” the faith leader said.

“Well,” Steve Bell said, “I can grow almost anything.”

The seed was planted.

More than 10 years later, the Bells work together to oversee the church’s community garden and beekeeping ministries on its 11-acre property in a rural part of Marriott-Slaterville. He primarily works the garden, and she keeps the bees.

“We feel that God calls us to care for creation and this is one way we can do that,” Kristen Bell said. “It’s important to us to give to our community. God gives you talents and you want to use them to help others.”

Read more at this link. 

Implicit Bias: What we don't think we think

Note: this was shared in a blog post in December and is shared again today due its timely topic.

The General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) presents a free online course, Implicit Bias: What We Don’t Think We Think

Based off of the popular Implicit Bias Workbook, GCORR has created an online course for anyone who is interested in learning and teaching others about implicit bias.

We invite pastors, teachers, and anyone who is interested in learning and teaching others about implicit bias to take this free on-demand online course. 

The learning engagements included in each section allow for individual work, group work, and optional sermon preparation. All of the learning engagements recognize and lift up the reality that context is known best by those on the ground. Thus, while this course provides multiple entry points for learning about, thinking through, and transforming action regarding implicit bias, it does not contextualize the information for you. Implicit Bias: What We Don’t Think We Think honors the contextual wisdom that you and others will bring to this material. Each exercise is an invitation to the sacred journey of discovering with your church and community how God is leading you to use this material faithfully within your context.

Read more at this link.

Wednesday with the Wesleys

Why Reopening a Church is Different

Everywhere we turn, people are talking about reopening. Should churches simply follow the same guidelines regarding reopening as other institutions? I believe there are practical principles and theological reasons why reopening our church campuses requires a different kind of thinking. The church shouldn’t be looking to sidestep the guidelines. The church shouldn’t be simply reacting to what others are doing. The church should lead the way by modeling a method of safety for others to follow.

Read more at this link.

Annual Conference information

Bishop Karen Oliveto announced in a letter to the Mountain Sky Conference on April 16 that the 2020 Annual Conference Session will be held online June 19 and 20. The theme for this year's session is Repairers of the Breach based on Isaiah 58:9-12, "...you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in." 

The limited digital format will be held over Zoom Webinar. Visit this link for more information.

This week @ St. Paul's

Wednesday:

10:00 am, GBCS Peace with Justice worship (at this link)

10:00 am, Virtual coffee/tea (at this link)

10:30 am, Church Vitality webinar (at this link)

Thursday: 

Noon, Covid-19 Pre-Existing Disparities Exposed webinar 

(Register here)

Saturday:

5:00 pm, Bishop Oliveto's weekly live Facebook chat

Sunday: Trinity Sunday

10:00 am, Virtual worship

11:00 am, Virtual youth group

11:30 am, Virtual Finance meeting 

Scripture lessons for Trinity Sunday

Trinity icon - Andrei Rublev (1425)

We come to another uniquely Christian observance next Sunday, the celebration of the Trinity. Our lessons will come from 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 and Matthew 28:16-20.