Grant City UMC

10/20/2024

06/16/2024

A Father’s Day prayer from Pete Greig of Lectio365:

We pray today for dads:
New dads, granddads, stepdads, adoptive dads & solo dads.
Baldy ones, beardy ones, skinny ones & cuddly ones.
Dads who tell bad jokes & dads who dance to YMCA.
Dads who know how to fix things, & dads who just pretend.

Father to the fatherless, we pray for those for whom this day is sadder than it is happy:
Those who feel they have failed
Those who are grieving children they never had
Those missing their dads, or their children, even more than usual.

Father God, in a world where some dads are distant, absent, or even abusive, we lean into Your ever-present love. You are faithful, especially to those of us orphaned, abandoned & hurt. ‘Even if my father abandons me, the Lord will hold me close’ (Ps. 27:10).

Father of Comfort, heal our wounds. Restore the dignity, integrity, and centrality of fatherhood in our nation…

And finally, Lord, for all those poor souls everywhere who forgot that today is Father’s Day, we ask you to bless them, in your abundant grace and manifold mercy, with the discovery of chocolate and a half-decent card in surprisingly well-stocked convenience stores.
Amen.*

06/10/2024

I’m back! Excited for year number four with the good folks of Eagleville, Grant City, and Ridgeway United Methodist churches.

04/30/2024

Prayer for the United Methodist General Conference, especially for the volunteers, host conferences and the Commission on General Conference:
God, you have shown such amazing hospitality to us in coming to us, inviting us into your family, and making a place for us in your home. We give thanks for the people of North Carolina and of Charlotte in particular who have welcomed the United Methodist General Conference into their city. We lift up the people of the United Methodist Church in North Carolina who have played a particularly significant role in providing hospitality for the General Conference. May they, their communities, and churches receive a special blessing for their service. Finally, Lord, we give thanks for the many volunteers who have taken time away from their jobs, family, and homes to travel to Charlotte and be part of the General Conference. We give thanks for those who have worked hard to plan and coordinate the General Conference. It is a huge undertaking involving countless details and a lot of hiccups throughout the conference. Grant them creativity in problem-solving, joy in seeing their work come together, and perseverance in the face of challenges, long days, and short tempers. Bless their service and bring them safely home. May each of those who have served and welcomed the delegates find themselves richer for the experience. Amen.

04/28/2024

Prayer for General Conference:
Sunday of General Conference is taken as a Sabbath (a break from work) so today we are praying the the delegates and others will experience God's presence in worship today and each day of the General conference
Glorious God, whenever your people gather, you have promised to be their with them. May all those participating in the General Conference catch a clearer and greater vision of you that causes them to worship with all that they are. May they be set on fire by your Holy Spirit and may they carry that flame back to their own families, congregations and communities. Lord, may a renewal of your church be sparked by the gathering of your people to worship you and seek you. Amen.

04/26/2024

Daily prayer for United Methodist General Conference: Translators For all who listen in languages not their own
God,
What a glorious mosaic it must be when so may of your people gather from so many different places in this wonderful world you have made. We give thanks for those who are translating the proceedings into a variety of languages so that all may participate with understanding. Give these interpreters grace, creativity and clarity as they spend hours each day in the challenging task of translating not just words, but ideas and tones and emotions. May their work be anointed by your power, Holy Spirit, so that each one hears what is said in their own language. Amen.

04/23/2024

The United Methodist General Conference began today in Charlotte, North Carolina. 862 delegates (½ clergy, ½ lay) along with alternates will meet through May 3rd to consider petitions that have been submitted. The delegates are joined by the Council of Bishops (active and retired bishops from around the world) General Church agency staff, and volunteers from across the country. There will be times of worship and fellowship and a lot of work completed by the delegates elected by their home conferences. It is highly unlikely that any legislation will go before the plenary session of the General Conference to be voted on until next week. If you hear that something has passed before that time, it is likely that it has been passed by a committee and will be voted on by the plenary session later.
If you would like to see General Conference in action you can watch livestreams on the General Conference website at www.resourceumc.org/en/churchwide/general-conference-2020/live-stream.
Other information about General Conference, including the schedule and updated information can be found at: https://www.resourceumc.org/en/churchwide/general-conference-2020?utm_source=email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=clergy
The most important thing we can do is pray for the General Conference. Over the next several days, I will be posting things to pray about and suggested prayers. Today’s focus is Orientation and first-day jitters
Lord, the last several years have been a difficult and divisive time for our United Methodist church family around the world. Some have felt called to follow you on a different path and many have remained, yet there are still questions before us. 864 delegates from around the world together with alternate delegates, our council of bishops, General church staff, General conference staff and volunteers, and many others begin today to discern the way forward for our United Methodist family. We ask that you be with them as they gather for worship, committee meetings, meals, and fellowship. Guide each one as they navigate a new space both physically and in the life of this Christian tribe. Grant them humility, compassion, patience, hope, and discernment in the days to come. Above all, Lord, may they find time to know you as God together and individually. Amen

Welcome to the official site of The United Methodist General Conference. Find news, press releases and resources about the upcoming conference.

04/17/2024

A resource for praying for our United Methodist General conference which takes place April 23-May 3 in Charlotte with hundreds of delegates from across the globe.
https://www.resourceumc.org/.../guidetoprayer_gc24...