United Methodist Communications

10/23/2026

Two critical security vulnerabilities in PHP, the programming language behind millions of websites, could allow attackers to take control of church websites without ever needing a password. GCFA is urging congregations, conferences, and United Methodist agencies to treat the threat as a high priority.

https://www.gcfa.org/resource/critical-php-flaws-could-let-hackers-take-over-church-websites
General Council on Finance and Administration

Critical PHP vulnerabilities could put church websites at risk—even when an outside provider manages them. Security updates are available now. Learn what to ask your hosting provider and how to help protect your congregation’s website and online services.

10/23/2026

Participants at the Council of Bishops - The United Methodist Church Leadership Gathering spent their second full day reflecting on practices that can help United Methodist congregations thrive.

United Methodist News provides a look at day two:

Gathering explores new practices for church | Participants at the Council of Bishops Leadership Gathering spent their second full day together moving from naming the realities facing The United Methodist Church to reflecting on ways to help it thrive.

https://www.umnews.org/en/news/gathering-explores-new-practices-for-church

10/22/2026

More than 280 lay and clergy leaders from four continents are now gathered in person and online to begin the work of trying to shape The United Methodist Church of tomorrow.

Explore what went on during day one of the event:

Lay and clergy leaders from four continents gathered in Canada and online to begin the work of praying, listening and striving for The United Methodist Church of the future. But first they had to grapple with the denomination’s realities of the present.

10/21/2026

The Leadership Gathering in Calgary is underway. Livestreaming of the event begins this morning (8AM Mountain Time).

The event aims to bring lay and clergy from around the world together to imagine a new future for The United Methodist Church. Find the livestream and more details:

Follow the Council of Bishops Leadership Gathering in Calgary, October 20–24, 2026: livestream, program, FAQ, covenant and devotions.

10/20/2026

Facebook is limiting the number of links pages can share in a month and is rolling out a new paid-membership plan for communicators.

Are the link limitations impacting your social media strategy?

The latest episode of our MyCom Church Communications and Marketing podcast explores how churches can adapt to Facebook's new 2-link limit, discover practical workarounds, and learn a few new digital ministry strategies:

Explore how churches can adapt to Facebook's new 2-link limit, discover practical workarounds, and learn digital ministry strategies in this MyCom podcast episode.

10/19/2026

We've all received a message like this: "Ignore that message from me. My account was hacked,"

Cybercriminals are well-practiced at finding ways to infiltrate accounts. It often sounds like a friend or colleague. These red flags will help our church leaders identify possible scams.
https://www.resourceumc.org/en/content/scam-awareness-how-to-recognize-a-scammers-cover-story

General Council on Finance and Administration

The General Council on Finance and Administration offers an in-depth look at how to spot a scammer that makes their requests seem legitimate and familiar.

10/18/2026

Our latest episode of the Compass podcast is one of those rare sessions that is both technical and theological.

DZ Kalman joined the conversation to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping our understanding of religion, ethics, and humanity itself.

"The more that we connect being created in the image of God to some unique aspect of humanity, the more it ends up being threatened when AI takes away those things that are unique."

Join in this deep and timely conversation:

We're joined on Compass by DZ Kalman for a conversation about how artificial intelligence is reshaping our understanding of religion, ethics, and humanity itself.

10/16/2026

Things are changing on Facebook, it's becoming more important to have compelling images on your posts no matter what platform you're on.

Get practical ideas for creating graphics for your social media page through this tutorial on using Canva:

guidde creates stunning step by step videos in seconds.

10/15/2026

Last weekend, Hurricane Isaias made landfall as a powerful Category 2 storm, leaving a trail of destruction across the Southeast.

Hundreds of thousands of people across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina have been impacted by this storm, experiencing home and property damage, extended power outages, and disruptions to key community infrastructure and daily life.

Before landfall, United Methodists in the Alabama-West Florida Conference prepared to provide immediate relief, and they are now quickly providing aid to those in need through the distribution of food, water, and UMCOR relief supplies, debris removal, roof tarping, and more. A solidarity grant from UMCOR is bolstering this work, ensuring relief is offered to as many people as possible.

As long-term needs across the region become clear, UMCOR will remain in close communication with United Methodist leaders in the affected annual conferences, ready to walk the road to recovery alongside those in need.

Looking for a way to help?
🛐 Join us in prayer, especially for those who lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods.
👐 Give to support our U.S. relief and recovery efforts: https://bit.ly/umcorusdr.
🦺 Explore Early Response Team (ERT) volunteer opportunities with your United Methodist annual conference.
📲 Share this post to encourage others to pray and give.



Photo: Foley United Methodist Church in Foley, Alabama, collected UMCOR cleaning kits last week before Isaias struck, which will be distributed to those in need across the state!

10/15/2026

Have need for some free UMC-branded shirts, stickers... or some free downloadable social media images?

The UMCstore has you covered.
https://umcstore.org/