Earth Sunday/Native American Ministries Sunday

This Sunday is Earth Sunday/Native American Ministries Sunday, one of six special Sundays in The United Methodist Church. Native American Ministries Sunday serves to remind United Methodists of the gifts and contributions made by Native Americans to our society. A gap in knowledge exists about Native American life, cultures, languages, spirit, values, contemporary issues, and more. On this Sunday we affirm the sacredness of Native peoples, their languages, cultures, and gifts to the church and the world. In worship we will hear a special Indigenous reading of the Gospel lesson, acknowledge the ancestral lands on which our church is planted, and hear the story of how one United Methodist church gave back to their Native neighbors.

Here are a few other ways that you can observe Native American Ministries Sunday:

• Learn about the Greater Northwest Circle of Indigenous Ministries, a new United Methodist ministry in our episcopal area here https://greaternw.org/circle/.
• Read about our first Native American bishop, Rev. David Wilson, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma who was elected last year to serve the Great Plains Conference here.
• Visit the Native American International Caucus of the United Methodist Church's website here. Sign their petition here, urging the U.S. Congress to address the impact of Indian boarding schools.
• Donate to support Native American Ministries at cdaumc.org/give here. Choose "Native American Ministries Sunday" from the dropdown menu - or bring a special offering to worship on Sunday.

See you in church!

Pastor Amanda