The Bishop: Getting our priorities straight
Bishop Bledsoe
BY BISHOP W. EARL BLEDSOE
North Texas Conference
Leslie and I are excited about the upcoming Schools of Missions provided by theUnited Methodist Women. I hope you are planning to enroll and attend one of the schools this summer. Why am I telling you this now? Well, because if you are like me, if you don’t get it on the calendar and plan to attend early, the time will arrive and the calendar will be already filled. No, actually I just started reading the new, unpublished materials from the Mission Resource Center. Leslie and I will be teaching the study on “Mission in the Age of Global Christianity.” The study text will be, “Joy to the World! Mission in the Age of Global Christianity” by Dana L. Robert, professor of World Christianity and History of Mission at Boston University School of Theology. The published text should be available after February 9, 2010. I encourage you to get a copy and begin your reading early and
come prepared to share with others in a wonderful learning opportunity.
Dates and locations of the schools are: The Weekday School, July 26-29, First UMC, Plano, and The Weekend Event, July 23-25, Austin College, Sherman.
We should want to take advantage of every opportunity we get to learn something new and to study the Scriptures in the context of Christian missions. Even though we sometimes do it to prepare for teaching, I promise you, we learn much more from reading and from the class participants. United Methodists are people of the Book and people in mission in the world. The summer study programs are an excellent way to learn more about God’s world and to meet other people who are excited about missions as well.
On another note: thank you so much for your generous response to the Haiti Initiative. Many of us just wanted to catch a plane to get there and provide as much hands-on help as we could offer. To see the hurt, pain, and devastation on the faces of the people just broke my heart. We cry out, “what can we do to help?” Well, we have been encouraged to send money now to purchase immediate resources and to meet emergency needs. Later on, I have been assured that we will have opportunities to take teams and do some hands-on ministry. Right now the infrastructure is not in place to allow for that. In the meantime, please pray, send money, and help provide health kits, all of which are greatly needed and appreciated. Also, pray for the families of those who lost loved ones in this tragedy, and more personally, the families of Jean Arnwine, Rev. Sam Dixon, and Rev. Clinton Rabb, who lost their lives doing what they believed God had called them to do.
May God continue to bless the people of the North Texas Conference for your Christian witness in the world.
