The Arkansas United Methodist is the twice-monthly newsletter of the Arkansas Conference that reaches more than 5,000 Arkansas Methodists across our state. Every other week, you’ll receive a newsletter in your inbox packed full of stories from around the Conference, and commentaries from the Bishop, the AUM Editor, clergy, laity and more!
Our goal is to bring hope and inspiration through stories of discipleship. Join us as we share the Good News!
Salem UMC’s Sharing Fridge Provides 24/7 Food Access to Hungry Community
A volunteer at Salem UMC places donated food inside the Sharing Fridge. When we think about feeding people who are in need, we often think of traditional outlets for food distribution, like a food pantry, food bank, or food donation drive. But what if there was a way...
Too Many Books? Give Them a New Home Through the Literacy Initiative
Take a moment and locate the closest book to you right now. Maybe it’s on the bookshelf behind you. Perhaps it is in your bag. If you’re an e-book fan, it could even be in your pocket. I’d venture a guess that, if you’re like me, there is a book within 10 feet of you...
Cheerleading Vaccines is the Wesleyan Way
What an honor it was to be in the last class ever taught by the Rev. Dr. John Farthing at Hendrix College, John Wesley and Methodism. It was in that very class I first learned of John Wesley’s ministry of healthcare to the sick and the poor. One of the books I love...
SAD and CAD
I will always remember Wednesday, March 11, 2020. That was the day it became clear COVID-19 was becoming so dangerous I needed to immediately cancel all in-person events for the Arkansas Annual Conference. It was the beginning of a journey that has caused unspeakable...
Hope, Prayer, and Understanding in 2021
I’m not the biggest fan of making New Year’s resolutions. I’m not knocking the desire to better myself in ways that benefit my health, finances, empathy toward others, spiritual beliefs, whatever it may be. I just don’t think that waiting until the end of one year and...
What Does It Mean to Have a Special Needs Ministry?
Part 2 of 3 in a new series on making your church disability friendly
"Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and...
Stoking an Ember into a Flame
Former Addict Lights the Way for Others by Sharing Her Light of Hope
No one would have ever guessed Elizabeth Grobmyer would be a drug addict. She came from a “good” family, made a lot of friends in school, her stepfather was an attorney and provided her with everything she wanted or needed. On the outside, she had it all. On the...
Replacing Masks of Hate with Masks of Love
“Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within.”As we embrace this advent season, we are called to reflect on what 2020 has meant to us all. The year 2020 has called humanity to look honestly and earnestly at itself. To...
Fill the Fence Ministry Keeps Arkansans Warm
FUMC Rogers new ministry is a socially distanced way to give back to those in need
Winter is one of the harshest seasons for many low-income Arkansas residents. Whether they find themselves without a home or are in a financial hardship that doesn’t allow them to spend money on winter clothing, the cold temperatures bring an increased need for warm...
Children’s Ministry Year in Review
A Glimpse of What's to Come in 2021
We stand at the beginning of a fresh new year, hopefully feeling refreshed after some rest at home with family for the holidays. The year 2020 marched in with the assumption that we would be carrying out ministry like we always have been doing. Many Children’s...