Rest in the Word

                                                                     * Photo by NASA 2024 Total Solar Eclipse; Psalm 19 04.14.24 Mars Hill UMC <Once in a Lifetime Event: A Total Solar Eclipse> As Victor shared with you last Sunday, the past two weeks posed numerous challenges for our family with the multitude of Holy Week services, Easter celebrations, sickness among the children, and several doctor's appointments. Despite our busy schedule, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to witness the once-in-a-lifetime event of a Total Solar Eclipse. There were several pre-planned programs for visitors; the town set up a photo booth, provided large eclipse glasses, organized a fireworks display, and many people arranged concerts, opened stores, and hosted fun activities. Many scientists brought a bio bus, and some individuals from NASA arrived with a huge telescope. Our church also made preparations, offering an organ tour, public supper, warming center, and café. Many f

<General Conference 2020> The United Methodist Church has been holding its quadrennial General Conference from April 23 to May 3, 2024, in Charlotte, North Carolina. At this  General   Conference,  fewer delegates were registered due to visa issues and disaffiliation of the delegates. As of noon on April 23, only 751 delegates out of 862 allotted were registered and present, adding that registrations are still ongoing. That total includes 273 delegates out of 370 from central  conferences  — church regions in Africa, Europe, and the Philippines. Delegates speak nine languages including American Sign Language. The  General Conference is the body that makes decisions on behalf of the denomination and updates the  Book of Discipline .  They reduced the budget 40 % Due to the disaffiliation reality, a proposed denomination-wide budget was the United Methodist Church’s lowest in 40 years.  The plenary session on Day 3 of the  General   Conference  produced two historic moments