OnFire at Drew University!

At the beginning of the current university school year, me and one other Drew University seminary student were charged with creating a new United Methodist student organization as part of our internship. As time went on, Steve and I met with undergraduate students to hear from them about what kind of things they were looking for in a student group. It came out from many of them that they were looking for a space to discuss social issues. One student mentioned how each organization had their own social issue they cared about, but there was not one organization that cared about all social issues (whether that be sexuality, immigration, occupy wall street, etc).

It was then that I remembered the OnFire movement, and talked to Shannon about the possibility of creating an OnFire group at Drew University. That's how Drew OnFire was born.

We are a group of young seminarians and college undergraduates who meet weekly for "java and justice" -- a time to sit around, drink fair trade coffee, and discuss issues in the world.

Our first meeting we talked about Fair Trade, and the issues surrounding that. We are blessed to have a connection with the Sustainable Food group on campus, and are co-hosting a Fair Fest that is happening tonight, where local artisans will be selling their handmade goods.

The group is excited to begin on this new endeavor, and will be creating space to talk about issues of faith and justice. We will be creating a facebook page soon, so be sure and keep your eyes posted for that, and keep us in our thoughts!
---
Kaleigh Hussey-Tomich is a seminary student at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, and is pursuing ordination in the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference. She is a youth director at a local UMC, and loves all things about summer camp. She is one of the student leaders in the new Drew OnFire group for students at Drew. She blogs at Campy Living.

a new kind of "us"

by Eric Burton-Krieger

So what's next for a movement? Well, I don't have a black and white answer and I'm not interested in peddling a false sense of certainty. What I do know is that I've been blessed to share in so many stories over the course of Sing A New Song that as I drove back to Tennessee, I could not help but wear a smile on my face.

The smile came from the people I met, the new relationships that had been forged and my sense of hope—that God is indeed at work changing our church and our world into a place that slowly—sometimes very slowly, gives off the glow of God's reign. This doesn't make for easy work. As a pastor told me once, when we are frustrated and feel like the church does not stand up against injustice, these are the moments when we must be reminded that God is so great as to be able to use "us" despite "us".

Thankfully, there lots of young adults who are making space at the table for a new kind of "us" and in responding to God’s call are bringing with them a whole lot of creative and passionate change-agents for God to work through! We want to see those parts of the church that embody our instuitionalism change. To have them welcome all sexual identities and expression at the table, challenge unjust laws, and find creative solutions to real problems—mostly, we want a church that worries more about the Gospel than its own survival.

OnFire is committed to this kind of work and to finding new ways for the stories that give us hope to find tangible connections to the deep needs we witness all around us. We envision this work in local communities where people come together and out of their faith, touch hearts and transform lives (their own and others) after the witness of Christ. This is the new kind of "us" for which we and we think God, labors.

The invitation is for you to join the conversation not only with your mind through social media but with your body as well. We're starting local OnFire groups around the country and hope these are places for our stories to be part of God’s work and witness. Who knows, if we're faithful, maybe even Christ might crack a smile.

-

Eric Burton-Krieger, is a co-facilitator for OnFire in addition to being a spouse, divinity student, candidate for ordination and staff member at a United Methodist congregation. He loves the church and has been working to help it change for longer than he would care to admit. If you happen to be in Nashville, he'd love to meet up and buy you a cup of coffee!

What is "hi" in the middle and round on both ends?

O-H-I-O

Greetings from the Buckeye State where several hundred progressive United Methodists have gathered to worship, fellowship and organize to make the UMC a better place for all of God's people.

Today I had the lovely privilege of co-leading a workshop about ways people can create safe spaces in their local congregations and communities as a response to bullying. The workshop included information about human development theory and counseling best practices. Together, my co-leader, Josh Noblitt, and I facilitated discussion among more than 30 concerned leaders about how they can shift their communities to be safer spaces for queer folk, migrant families, differently abled and others who are marginalized by our church and society. Those of us gathered shared our personal stories of times we felt unwelcomed or bullied, times of hope for the future of our church, and methods we have used to create safe spaces in the church. The conversations left the workshop space and continued into the hallways, lunch tables and afternoon affinity groups.

As the first day of Sing A New Song 2011, today has been a busy and productive day. We are learning, planning, and preparing to share our witness between now and the end of General Conference 2012, growing together as a community and moving our church to being fully inclusive of all God's people.

More Sing a New Song

Greetings OnFire members! Here is more information about Sing a New Song logistics from MOSAIC's website.

Sing a New Song is a multi-generational event for persons of all ages. This exciting opportunity to gather with progressive United Methodists, worship, learn and work for a fully inclusive church is a DO NOT MISS event for young adults. Learn more at the event website: sans2011.org

Hospitality Suite / Lounge

You are invited to visit the Young Adult Hospitality Lounge in the Shawnee Hospitality Suite for breakfast, snacks, soft drinks, nap, or just to hang out and with other young United Methodists. Informal gatherings are planned during recreation/affinity group time each afternoon, and late night coffee will be served each evening after event programming ends. The hospitality suite is located at the far end of the Shawnee building near Mulligan’s Pub.

Social Events

• Thursday meet and greet: Young adults are invited to meet one another in the Tall Pines lounge from 3pm until the programming begins. The Tall Pines lounge can be found by following signs posted at the pool and Big Sky Lounge (between the front desk and the hotel buildings).



• Late Night Coffee: Conversation, good music, laughter and games will be found in the young adult hospitality suite from 10pm to 1am each night. Join us for snacks, coffee and great conversations.



• Sunday Lunch: Help us finish off any leftover food (pizza will be ordered if needed).

Programming

• Thursday All-Day Forum: Join OnFire and MOSAIC for a day of education and action. We'll be exploring methods of resistance, helping us to become better organizers and activists in our own communities. We'll worship together, and in the afternoon we'll start planning action for General Conference. If you're a young adult in the UMC and you want to work for change, you don't want to miss this! All young adults are invited to attend the worship at 2pm, regardless of registration status.



• Leadership Interest Meeting: Do you have skills and passion for advocacy at the national and global level? Do you want to plan an action for equality at General Conference 2012? Have you ever wanted to serve on the board of directors of a national organization? Join current leaders and alumni of the young adult movements for a discussion about leadership at the national level with MFSA and RMN. This session with conclude with an opportunity to volunteer to work with standing working groups, upcoming projects and event planning.



• General Conference Advocacy Planning: Everyone is welcome to this time of concrete action planning, preparation and mobilizing our grassroots organizers (YOU!) to participate in the work of our Common Witness Coalition to help our church follow God’s call for justice and compassion.

Cost Reducing Options:

We have done our very best to lower expenses and make this event welcoming for those of us at all income levels, but some costs are unavoidable. Here are a few creative ways to lower your costs:

Meals: For those who cannot afford to participate in the event meal plan, light meals will be offered in the Young Adult Hospitality suite. A $20 contribution to help cover the cost of food is requested. These simple provisions will include pastry and fruit at breakfast, sandwiches and soups for lunch, and pasta on Friday evening. Coffee, tea, and snacks will also be available in the hospitality room throughout the event.

Housing: The best way to lower your lodging costs will be finding roommates. A message board has been created for this purpose at: SANS 2011 Roommates. However, if you would be willing to sleep on a couch or cot in the young adult hospitality suite, a limited number of spaces are available for participants who will be responsible for laying out meals, making coffee, and keeping the suite clean and welcoming. You can fill out the application on line for this position, or email Audrey (RMN National Organizer) with questions.

Registration Scholarships: Sing a New Song provides a limited number of scholarships to help cover event registration. For more information or an application, email RMN Associate Executive Director, Rachel Harvey at Rachel@rmnetwork.org

Educating to Counter Oppression

Greetings OnFire members! Planning on joining us in singing a new song? Here is an awesome opportunity for young people:

Young People's All Day Forum: Educating to Counter Oppression
Thursday, August 25, 2011, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Young People ages 18-35! Join OnFire and MOSAIC for a day of education and action. We'll be exploring methods of resistance, helping us to become better organizers and activists in our own communities. We'll worship together, and in the afternoon we'll start planning action for General Conference. If you're a young adult in the UMC and you want to work for change, you don't want to miss this!

Look for more information coming soon, and check out the Sing a New Song website and facebook page for more information on All Day Forums!

Join us in Singing a New Song!

Greetings OnFire members! I am writing to you today to inform you of an exciting opportunity in 2011 to join with hundreds of United Methodists committed to organizing for justice as we approach General Conference 2012. Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) and Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) are coming together to Sing a New Song, to worship together, in worship designed by Mark Miller and Tanya Bennett, and organize for justice in our church and world.

Sing! Sing a new song!
Sing of that great day when all will be one!
God will reign
and we'll walk with each other as sisters and brothers united in love!

Save the Date!

August 24-28, 2011
Sawmill Creek Resort
400 Sawmill Creek Drive West
Huron, OH 44839

Not convinced that you need to be there? Then check out the MFSA Love Train!



Join us in August! For more information visit the Sing a New Song! website and look for more information from us soon!

We are called to act with justice.
We are called to love tenderly.
We are called to serve one another, to walk humbly with God.

*MFSA is still looking for volunteers to join its planning committee, especially those from Ohio and the North Central Jurisdiction. Also needed are individuals with experience or interest in outreach, fundraising, and workshop coordination. For more information or to volunteer, contact MFSA Board member Melissa Calvillo.

UMConnection: "United Methodists call for immigration reform"

The most recent issue of UMConnection, the newspaper of the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church, has a great article about United Methodist participation in the immigration reform rally, including quotes from UMOnFire staff Jen Mihok, a reference to our BorderLinks trip, and a front page photo of OnFire members. Check it out:

United Methodists call for immigration reform

BY JOHN W. COLEMAN
SPECIAL TO THE UMCONNECTION














Baltimore-Washington Conference churches were represented among the tens of thousands of marchers who gathered in the nation’s capital March 21 to call for improvements in U.S.
immigration laws.

“The time for comprehensive immigration reform is now,” proclaimed United Methodist Bishop Minerva Carcaño of Phoenix, Ariz., leader of the Desert-Southwest Conference.

She joined a diverse procession of speakers representing religious bodies, advocacy organizations, labor unions and other groups. They urged Congress and President Barack Obama to move the issue to the top of the legislation agenda.

Churches from Washington, D.C., to Frederick, Baltimore, Hyattsville, Oxon Hill and other areas of the conference joined the colorful, enthusiastic, noisy throng of marchers, many of them shouting “Si, se puede” in Spanish and “Yes, we can” in English. Parading with signs, banners, baby strollers and even marching bands, they filled nearly five blocks on the national mall near the U.S. Capitol.

“This country says to you, ‘Harvest our fields, build our homes, take care of our children, serve our tables, clean up after us and then be gone,’” Carcaño told listeners.

She and other speakers called for humane, viable policies and procedures that would allow about 11 million immigrants now in the U.S.
illegally to attain legal status and to work and live with their families, safe from intimidation, arrest and deportation.

Carcaño, who chairs two of the denomination’s immigration task forces, called current laws and enforcement “a shameful state of affairs for a country that prides itself on providing justice for all.”

Hundreds of United Methodists were seen gathered and scattered among the crowd with identifying shirts and signs. They came via trains, cars and buses, some from across our region, others from across the nation, many riding all night to be a part of history.

“We have voices and power, and we are here to say we want this to be a fair and just system that treats people with dignity and respect,” said David Hosey, who attends Dumbarton UMC in Washington. He is a mission intern with the General Board of Global Ministries.

Part of the church’s active young adult group, he and others visited both sides of the border in Nogales, Ariz., and Nogales, Mexico, last October. They met with Mexican migrant workers and high school students through the BorderLinks program. “We saw the economic disparities and pressures they suffer,” he said. “They’re looking for opportunities, jobs and hope for their families.”

Jennifer Mihok, a member of Woodside UMC in Silver Spring and a mission intern at the Methodist Federation for Social Action, coordinated the trip. “I’m here because I don’t need to be in the shadows when so many others have to be,” she said.

“This was an amazing experience and a strong statement for our country to address the need for comprehensive immigration reform” said the Rev. Edgardo Rivera, who coordinates Hispanic/Latino Ministries for the Baltimore-Washington Conference. “Offering a path to citizenship for undocumented people and protecting them from harm and exploitation is an issue of justice and hospitality. I’m pleased to see our church represented here.”

Valerie Hames, of First UMC Hyattsville, worked with others across the conference since December to promote the march and organize buses to bring in church members. “But when I finally saw all the people gathered there at the march, I was overwhelmed,” she said. “The energy there was great, and hearing victims of enforcement and broken families speak their pain — especially one little boy — really resonated with a lot of people and opened their eyes and hearts to this problem.”

Hames, who came here from Sierra Leone 20 years ago, endured her struggles with the inefficient, expensive immigration legal system before finally receiving her green card just this year.

She is a volunteer in the Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON) immigration legal assistance ministry at First Church Hyattsville, and she chairs the conference’s oversight committee for the program which operates in three locations.

“I brought JFON volunteers to the march for them to see how important this ministry is to people’s lives,” she said. “And I felt stronger about my own involvement in JFON when I left there.”

On parking lots, offices, shelters and vineyards

It’s a cold and rainy November morning. I’m up as usual at 6:30 a.m., out the door shortly after 8:00. Overnight, a wintry chill has moved in. Though I’m dressed warmly, my un-gloved hands are numb before I’m halfway to the Metro station. I can’t very well get to my pockets as I manage an umbrella in one hand and my lunch in the other—leftovers from last night’s dinner. On this near-icy day I’ll be able to enjoy a warm midday meal of spaghetti and meatballs—comfort food, in the psychological sense. Physically, I’ll be plenty comfortable at my desk in a heated office, sitting in a cushioned swivel chair with lumbar support. Comfort food for what discomfort?

At the same moment that I’m becoming conscious of my numbing fingertips, my eyes fall upon three figures in the distance. Two, like me, are huddled under umbrellas. The one in the center has his hands in the pocket of a hooded gray jacket and is shuffling back and forth in front of the Home Depot sign. Like me, these men are halfway to work; unlike me, they don’t know where they’re going, if anywhere. Their job “security” involves waiting in a parking lot, hoping that someone will need a hand with a home improvement project they’re tackling this Veterans’ Day.

As I continue on my way to the Metro, the parable of the laborers in the vineyard comes to mind for the hundredth time since moving to this Washington, D.C. neighborhood. How I long to be able to come home on a day like today and play the role of the compassionate owner—rewarding a full day’s wages to all of those seeking work. My head tells me that such charity is unsustainable, that what needs to be addressed and dismantled are the systems of injustice that allow this 2,000-year-old parable to have contemporary relevance. It is for that very reason that I’ve been so vocal in promoting immigration reform, health care reform, and an end to wage theft. But in this moment my righteous anger falls to the wayside. My heart breaks as I sense what can only be a small fraction of their vulnerability, a feeling that echoes an experience I had two weeks earlier in a completely different world.

2,500 miles from my northeast D.C. home lies the once-sleepy town of Altar, Mexico. The mass migration occurring over the past twenty-five years has brought a whirl of activity to the area. People from throughout Central America are passing through; some are on their first journey to the United States, but for many, the trek through the desert has become all too commonplace. During our visit* to Altar, I spent the night at a small migrant shelter run by a Catholic congregation. For no cost, sojourners can get a warm supper, a place to sleep and bathe, a change of clothes if need be, and a warm breakfast for up to three nights, though extensions are granted under extenuating circumstances.

Those seeking refuge at CCAMYN (Centre Comunitario de Atención al Migrante y Necesitado, or the Attention Center for Migrants and those in Need), however, are rarely first-time travelers. Most have already been deported from the United States—some multiple times over—and know about the shelter only because it’s not their first time traveling through the region. Migrants on their first journey are more likely to seek assistance from coyotes, guides who will see them at least part of the way to the border, but who are also likely to exploit, rob, or even physically harm the migrants—who often spend nearly all, if not everything, they have on the journey. In many cases, migrants cannot afford to pay the full price of a coyote, and must agree to pay off the debt for years to come, once they’ve crossed the border.

During dinner at CCAMYN, I found myself sitting next to Juan. He couldn’t have been that much older than I am, but the thousands of miles separating our birthplaces have taken their toll. I’ve spent the past five years on the move—mostly traveling to, from and within Europe—accessing countless destinations with the click of a mouse. Juan has spent the better part of the last ten years trying repeatedly to reach my place of departure. Temporary success has been his at least a dozen times, but that night he was on the road again. He has family in the States now, and they’re there “legally.” But he cannot risk seeing his own nieces out of fear that his sister might be charged with “harboring.” His hope is to cross and lay low for a few months; maybe then he can figure out a way to spend Christmas with the only family he has.

Juan was the first to push back from the large table where about thirty of us had eaten. The inches between us became miles again, as he embarked—under the cover of darkness—on a journey I’d have no trouble making in broad daylight two days later. Neither would I have any trouble boarding a plane to fly me back across the country to our nation’s capital.

Weeks have passed since I spent a night on CCAMYN’s tile floor. Back in the office, I heat up my leftovers and recline in my chair, watching the rain. I wonder where Juan is, whether the laborers have landed a job today, when the policymakers in the buildings outside my window will respond to the widespread, highly-organized advocacy efforts surrounding immigration reform. I wonder if members of my own family, congregation, and circle of friends will be ready to hear the stories of my trip to the border without writing me off for being “partisan,” or naïve to the “complexities” surrounding the situation. But what is so complicated about the desire of parents to feed their children, of young adults to seek a better life for themselves, of people of faith to advocate for those on the margins and in the shadows?

I put down my empty dish and sink answerless into my chair. It’s not as if these questions haven’t entered into the debate before, so what is to be done? I remember the feeling that rose in my chest as I observed the day laborers that morning: the horrific heartbreak, the longing for an outpouring of compassion, the urgency for justice to be realized on earth. But a glance at my inbox tells me that I’m not the only one experiencing this urgency. Articles, reports, action alerts, prayer requests, invitations to conference calls and prayer vigils—a whole movement is at my fingertips. I push back my plate, sit up, roll in my chair, and reach for the mouse, returning to the vineyard where new laborers are always welcome.

*In late October I traveled with a 10-member OnFire team to the US-Mexico border. We participated in a 3-day border justice immersion experience through the popular education organization BorderLinks. OnFire is a network of young adults within the Methodist Federation for Social Action, a national grassroots organization that promotes social justice in and beyond the United Methodist Church.

Join us this October on the US-Mexico border

Greetings OnFire members! I’m writing today to inform you of an exciting opportunity to travel to the US-Mexico border for a short immersion trip from October 28-31st. We will be working with BorderLinks for an educational and interactive experience at the border: learning, sharing and serving to bring about positive social transformation in the areas of migration and immigration.

We will meet in Phoenix and drive to the BorderLinks facility in Tuscon, AZ, on Wednesday, October 28th. BorderLinks will prepare an itinerary for us that will include activities such as visiting and serving at aid stations, hearing from persons working to document human rights abuses, visiting with immigrants and their families, learning about labor practices in factories along the border, advocacy training in migrant rights.

The cost of the programming including lodging and food is $200, plus the cost of travel to and from Phoenix. [OnFire will provide transportation from Phoenix to Tuscon, where BorderLinks is located.] This includes a $100 scholarship from the Methodist Federation for Social Action. We will gladly help interested young people with fund raising ideas.

We would like to have a committed group of 10-13 people attend this event. The trip is open to any and all young adults who are interested in connecting their faith to issues of immigration and border justice. If you’re interested, please contact Jennifer Mihok at jennifer.mihok@gmail.com for more information and registration materials.

Here’s a bit more information about BorderLinks:



BorderLinks is an international leader in experiential education that raises awareness and inspires action around global political economics. BorderLinks grew out of the Sanctuary Movement in the 1980’s when faith communities, universities, and other organizations rallied to advocate on behalf of thousands of refugees fleeing persecution in Central America. Today, BorderLinks’ educational programs focus on issues of immigration, community formation, development, and social justice in the borderlands between Mexico, the U.S and beyond. As a bi-national organization, BorderLinks brings people together to build bridges of solidarity across North and Latin American borders and promote intercultural understanding and respect. For more information, visit www.borderlinks.org.

T.Don Hutto "Residential Center" Taylor, TX

This week, as a part of OnFire's immigration focus, we'll be looking at detention of immigrants and asylum-seekers. Check out this video (a 3-Part series on YouTube) from Grassroots Leadership on the T. Don Hutto facility in Taylor, TX, and visit the Grassroots site to find ways to take action on this important issue.

Part II: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW_2w0_J6Q0&feature=related

Part III: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F_keG2O8Jk&feature=related

From Grassroots Leadership:
ICE holds immigrant families at the T. Don Hutto family detention center. Before the successful legal action by the ACLU in the fall of 2007, children wore prison garb, and were denied adequate schooling, health care, and recreation. Despite some important improvements made as a result of community organizing, the fight is not over. Hutto remains a medium security prison managed by the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), a for-profit adult corrections company. Incarceration of infants and children cannot be allowed-- even with the "privacy curtains around toilets" mandated in the ACLU settlement.

The Department of Homeland Security must adopt humane alternatives for managing families whose immigration status is in limbo and work to incorporate alternatives which keep families intact and that do not rely on incarceration. Alternatives must recognize that these families possess equal and inalienable rights to dignified treatment as members of the larger human family.

Actions:

Sign the Facebook petition to end family detention.

Write letters to the Obama Administration.

Resources:

The Big Business of Family Detention, by Courtney E. Martin

The Least of These: Documentary Film on Family Detention

US Should Stop Locking Up Immigrant Kids, by Rev. John S. Rausch

Talkback:

"It's not criminal [...] if you run away from your country looking for peace, a place to live."
--Bahja, Asylum-seeker from Somalia
What should be a common-sense statement resonates as profound, or even controversial in our current cultural climate. And though aware of typical responses, I find myself asking anew, why is this the case? There are Biblical examples of "illegals" from Abraham to Joseph, father of Jesus--strangers seeking refuge in a foreign land. If we rarely question the divine purpose of their migrations, why, then, do we criminalize today's peace-seekers? How can we, as young people of faith, reverse the xenophobic hardening of hearts? Please share your thoughts with the community.