Five reasons teens are avoiding church. By Shane Raynor (Faith Experience) http://www.faithexperience.com/2010/08/5reasons/

Baptismal waters bless post-Katrina church. By Betty Backstrom (UMNS) http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=5259669&ct=8628099

Tool Kit for Radical Methodists: Wesley’s General Rules. By Shane Raynor (Faith Experience) http://www.faithexperience.com/2010/08/tool-kit-for-radical-methodists-wesleys-general-rules/

Are we changing lives or merely affiliations? By Robert Schnase (UM Portal) http://umportal.com/article.asp?id=7100

United Methodist “Call to Action” Calls 15% of Churches Highly “Vital.” By Mark Tooley (UM Action) http://www.theird.org/Page.aspx?pid=1560&frcrld=1

Too bland for our own good? By Robin Russell (UM Portal) http://umportal.com/article.asp?id=7101

United Methodist young people reject same-sex unions, affirm pro-life resolutions (UM Action) http://www.theird.org/Page.aspx?pid=1596

United Methodist general agencies rate below average in fulfilling the church’s mission to “make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” A comprehensive study of church structures also found that agencies often fail to collaborate with each other and their boards are too large and meet too infrequently to provide effective oversight.

The Council of Bishops recently ratified the voting results on the nearly three dozen proposed amendments to the United Methodist Church’s constitution (news story on page 5). Of the 32 proposed amendments, 27 of them failed to receive the two-thirds vote necessary from annual conference members in order to become part of the church’s constitution.

Stepping around Biblical teaching and the firm stance of our United Methodist Discipline, proponents of full inclusion for practicing gays and lesbians gained another victory at the 2010 session of the West Ohio Annual Conference.