Our Ministries

Ministry in our community is taking place inside and outside the church - through people's jobs, volunteer work, artistic pursuits, relationships, families, etc. Over the next few weeks, we'll be publishing reflections from people at Druid Hills about their ministries - however they define them. We want to acknowledge, learn from and support the various ways that our community embodies its faith. Look for new posts every Tuesday and Friday, and send an email if you'd like to contribute!

Here's an initial post from Beatitudes Society fellow Emily McNeill:

Back at Union Theological Seminary, where I just finished the first year of my M.Div., I’ve been involved with the Poverty Initiative, a 7-year-old organization dedicated to building a movement to end poverty. That founding mission, which takes inspiration from Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Poor People’s Campaign, is a bold, audacious vision. The folks at the Poverty Initiative are certainly idealists, but they’re also seasoned organizers who are committed to this work for the long haul. Already in my few months working with them, I’ve witnessed the transformative impact that their coalition building and leadership development have had on people from poor communities around the country.

Peace with Justice Sunday, June 13

Sermon by Bradley Schweers

II Samuel 11:26-12:10, 13-15

I am honored to be a part of this service today at Druid Hills. Some people might not know, but it’s not uncommon for preachers to be “protective” of their pulpits, never allowing others to preach in “their” church. Sad but true. But not here. So thanks, Rex.

Today is Peace with Justice worship, a time to reflect on our work and God’s work in the world towards wholeness, peace, and justice. Peace with Justice to me means relationships, right relationships—between all of us in this sanctuary, this city, this country, and this unlikely and fragile spinning ball we all have to live on together. Relationships between us and our sisters and brothers, between us and our Creation. And between us and ourselves. It’s easy to think that peace and justice is out there, with others. People of all stripes—the Libertarians and the Communists—will talk about peace, talk about justice. But it’s all too often out there. There are good people who do good things, and bad people who do bad things. The polarization of our politics today is a sad testimony to our entrenched attitudes towards all who are Other. We and our people are pure—those over there are.

Ugandan Bishop Brings Call for Equality to U.S.

Anglican Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, a longtime supporter of Uganda's LGBTQ community, has been an outspoken opponent of a Ugandan bill that would impose life imprisonment and in some cases the death penalty on lesbians and gays. He was recently in the United States and spoke at an event with America's first openly gay Anglican bishop, Gene Robinson. Read about their conversation here, or watch the video.

21 Myths About Immigration

Teresa Circle, one of Druid Hills's United Methodist Women groups, met last night to discuss Aviva Chomsky's book "They Take Our Jobs!": and 20 Other Myths about Immigration.

Chomsky's book challenges the following ideas:

Myth 1:  Immigrants take American jobs.

Myth 2:  Immigrants compete with low-skilled workers and drive down wages.

Myth 3:  Unions oppose immigration because it harms the working class.

Myth 4:  Immigrants don’t pay taxes.

Myth 5:  Immigrants are a drain on the economy.

Myth 6:  Immigrants send most of what they earn out of the country in the form of remittances.

Myth 7:  The rules apply to everyone, so new immigrants need to follow them just as immigrants in the past did.

Myth 8:  The country is being overrun by illegal immigrants.

Myth 9:  The United States has a generous refugee policy.

Myth 10: The United States is a melting pot that has always welcomed immigrants from all over the world.

Myth 11:  Since we are all the descendants of immigrants here, we all start on equal footing.

Myth 12:  Today’s immigrants threaten the national culture because they are not assimilating.

Myth 13:  Today’s immigrants are not learning English, and bilingual education just adds to the problem.

Myth 14:  Immigrants only come here because they want to enjoy our higher standard of living.

Myth 15:  The American public opposes immigration, and the debate in Congress reflects that. 

Myth 16:  The overwhelming victory of Proposition 187 in California shows that the public opposes immigration.

Myth 17:  Immigration is a problem.

Myth 18:  Countries need to control who goes in and out.  

Myth 19:  We need to protect our borders to prevent criminals and terrorists from entering the country. 

Myth 20:  If people break our laws by immigrating illegally, they are criminals and should be deported.  

Myth 21:  The problems this book raises are so huge that there’s nothing we can do about them.

Joining the Discussion

Beyond Belief is about encouraging conversation, challenging and supporting one another. The content comes from you!

Here are ideas for what you can contribute (email posts to druidhillsjustice[at]gmail.com): 

Reflections - What does the church mean to you? What is your idea of justice? What are you struggling with in your ministry and work? How does your spirituality feed you? What questions do you have or what insights can you share with your community about working for peace and justice?

Issues - What issue is speaking to you right now? What do you think about it? What is the latest news and where can we find helpful resources? What are your questions? How are you involved or how would you like to be? Where do you see the church at work?

Conversations - What do you want your church community talking about? Throw out a question or discussion topic - about this church, about local issues/events, about theology/ministry, whatever is on your heart and mind!

Posts can be anywhere from 200-1000 words (roughly). And please comment on posts to keep the discussions going!

'Rethink Church'

"What if church was a verb?" asks a new marketing campaign from the United Methodist Church. The premise of the campaign, "Rethink Church," is the acknowledgment that our churches are called to be more than a Sunday gathering place - no matter how traditional or edgy our liturgy. Theologians have long identified the church as the Body of Christ in the world, a vessel of God's continuing activity, redemption and grace. "Church is a verb - requiring transformative, collective action," declares the UMC material. As a denomination, the United Methodist Church is asking what that means for us today. As a congregation, Druid Hills United Methodist is exploring similar questions.

We are a people both seeking God's presence and seeking to reflect that presence in our lives. We are humble in the face of God's mystery, but bold in following God's call for us. There is a tension here that we try to navigate in community. We know we can neither discern nor embody faithful living on our own.

This blog is an attempt at facilitating community, in particular among people connected to Druid Hills United Methodist Church. As this congregation seeks to deepen and expand its ministries, we recognize that we need the insights, gifts and support of one another. This will be a place for people to share stories and resources, struggles and successes, as we ask the question, what does it mean to be the church? How do we work for justice toward the fulfillment of God's kingdom (or, as liberation theologians prefer, commonwealth) on earth?