Ohio church plans $1.5 million 'Christmas miracle offering'

Refugees in Darfur receive humanitarian relief from the Sudan Project, funded by Ginghamsburg Church, a United Methodist congregation in Tipp City, Ohio.UMNS photos courtesy of Ginghamsburg Church.

By United Methodist News Service

TIPP CITY, Ohio (UMNS) - A United Methodist church is challenging its members and partner schools, businesses and churches to raise $1.5 million during the Christmas season for relief work in Sudan.

For its fourth "Christmas miracle offering," Ginghamsburg Church in Tipp City is asking that people contribute the same amount of money that they intend to spend celebrating Christmas with family and friends.

The $1.5 million target almost would equal what the church already has invested in The Sudan Project. The ministry provides humanitarian relief to refugees in Darfur, where an estimated 300,000 people have died since 2003 as a result of civil unrest, lack of food and disease.

With the $1.8 million raised so far, Ginghamsburg is partnering on the project with the United Methodist Committee on Relief. Work over the past two years includes developing a sustainable agriculture project, a five-year child development/protection program and a four-year safe water initiative.

To date, the child development program has trained 200 teachers, built or rehabilitated 100 schools, and enrolled 11,000 students. The sustainable agricultural project is feeding 65,000 people. By the close of 2010, a safe water and sanitation initiative will provide water to nearly a quarter of a million Sudanese.

Celebrations planned
During the weekend of Dec. 1-2, Sashi Chanda, an UMCOR project leader in the Sudan, and the Rev. Sam Dixon, UMCOR's chief executive, will participate in five worship celebrations at Ginghamsburg and update worshipers on the project and the Darfur situation.

Those celebrations will be held at 5 and 7 p.m. Dec. 1 and at 9, 10:15 and 11:30 a.m. Dec. 2 on the Ginghamsburg main campus at 6759 South County Road 25A in Tipp City. Slater Armstrong, a Nashville, Tenn.-based Christian recording artist, will perform.

Ginghamsburg is hosting an informal reception at 12:45 p.m. on Dec. 2 in The Avenue student center on the Ginghamsburg main campus, including a question-and-answer session with the UMCOR staff. The public is invited to all events.

Money raised from this year's offering will continue the current commitments toward the child development and safe water programs, as well as expand the agricultural project to an additional 2,000 households and train and deploy health care workers for refugees living in internally displaced persons camps.

Ginghamsburg, with 1,300 members and an average weekly attendance of about 4,500, has been taking up a Christmas miracle offering for Sudan since 2004.

"Sacrificial giving has transformed our faith community, and our great hope is that other churches will be encouraged to focus on taking the church into the world rather than only attempting to coax the world into the church," said Karen P. Smith, who oversees the church's global initiatives.

For more information on donating to The Sudan Project, visit http://ginghamsburg.org/getinvolved/.

New technology offers stay-at-home option to aging seniors

Frances Bolen, 83, receives her medicine from an automated dispenser, part of the Senior Safe at Home program administered by Sears Methodist Retirement System. UMNS photos by John Gordon.

By John Gordon*

ABILENE, Texas (UMNS) - As aging baby boomers increasingly face the difficult decision of whether to live independently or seek nursing assistance, a Texas company is tapping the Internet to help seniors stay in their homes longer - with an emphasis on safety.

Seniors Safe at Home combines the latest medical technology and new computer software and is being rolled out by Sears Methodist Retirement System, which operates nursing homes and assisted living centers in eight cities in Texas.

Backers say the program is several years in development and offers a timely option in a nation where a baby boomer turns 50 every seven seconds. "The fastest growing population in this country are those people who are over age 85," said Sandy Perry, vice president of the Abilene-based program.

Senior Safe at Home links automated medicine dispensers, fall sensors and computer terminals for seniors to enter their vital signs and get reminders of their next doctors' appointments. If they're not feeling well, they can use the system to talk to a nurse at the program's national client service center in Abilene.

"There is that security that we are there," said Cornell. "We're not going to always have to call 911."

Relatives also can check in using an Internet web portal. "It will let them know if any of our alert systems have been triggered and what kind of intervention occurred as a result of that," said Perry.

Good medicine
The automated medicine dispensers are designed to eliminate errors that can land seniors in the hospital. "If they can't remember if they've taken the medication, they will go ahead and take an extra one, or they won't take it at all," said Tanya Cornell, a registered nurse who works at the national service center. "It is a very big, big issue."

Frances Bolen, 83, of Abilene uses one of the dispensers for her arthritis medicine.

"At first, it irritated me because I've always been real independent. And I thought if I can't take medicine without help, I'm in a bad way," she said. "But I realized I needed to, especially when you take that much."

Dick Evatt, 73, also of Abilene, enters his weight, blood pressure and other information in a home computer. The software even asks if he has had a stressful day. His doctor recommended the system because Evatt has a heart murmur and is alone much of the day while his wife is at work.

"I think this technology is on the cutting edge of making your baby boomers feel a whole lot safer at home," he said. "It puts you at ease much more and it just lets you rest easier."

Perry says falls are among the biggest risks for seniors at home. Senior Safe at Home partners with local health-care providers who check homes for tripping hazards and other dangers. Fall sensors can alert the national service center even if a senior is not able to push a button.

"If you can get to someone who's fallen within an hour of that fall, they have a much, much better chance of recovering fully from it," she said. "But if they're on the floor and you don't get to them for as long as 12 hours or a long period of time, then they're much more likely not to be able to go home."

Cost-effective
Perry believes the program is cost-effective and can help aging seniors to safely stay in their own homes for an additional six months to a year.

"We don't have the manpower to continue to do everything with individuals in people's homes," she said. "We are very excited about the potential of Senior Safe at Home to really revolutionize the way care is provided to older people around the world."

Sears Methodist began in 1966 as a mission of The United Methodist Church in Texas. Launched with its first retirement community in Abilene, the system has expanded to serve 1,800 residents in 12 locations across Texas.

*Gordon is a freelance writer and producer in Marshall, Texas.

Focus on names, not numbers, on World AIDS Day

The Rev. Donald Messer preaches during a worship service for world AIDS awareness at the Upper Room Chapel in Nashville, Tenn. Dec. 1 is World AIDS Day. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose.

By Deborah White*

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - On World AIDS Day, people should focus on names and faces rather than numbers and facts, the Rev. Donald Messer told worshippers during a special service at the Upper Room Chapel of The United Methodist Church.

Holding up a list of 1,220 names of children affected by HIV/AIDS, Messer declared "these are names, not numbers. To me they are faces, not facts."

The Upper Room worship service was held Nov. 28 in anticipation of World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, an annual international observance that aims to raise awareness of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Messer, a United Methodist theologian and former seminary president, is widely known for his work in combating HIV/AIDS and world hunger. He is the author of Breaking the Conspiracy of Silence-Christian Churches and the Global AIDS Crisis and is executive director of the Center for Church and Global AIDS, an ecumenical faith-based organization.

Citing a recent report showing a decline in HIV/AIDS cases worldwide, Messer said it would be great if fewer people are affected by HIV/AIDS. However, he said, "It's easier to estimate the number of fish in the sea than to determine how many are infected or affected by AIDS. We are still estimating."

The United Nations and World Health Organization reported on Nov. 20 that 33.2 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, down from the 2006 estimate of 39.5 million. The report attributes the decrease primarily to revised estimates in India and five African countries.

"But it doesn't make any difference to the average American or average church goers because frankly we don't care," Messer said. "The church doesn't give much concern to this issue."

According to a new survey by World Vision, one-third of people in seven wealthy nations say they know little or nothing about the global HIV and AIDS epidemic, and one-fourth believe the problem is "greatly exaggerated." The survey was released Nov. 29 by the international humanitarian organization.

Call to action
Messer urged people to "join God in bringing the healing touch to those living with HIV/AIDS." He said individuals can make a difference by offering prayers, supporting educational work and exerting influence with churches.

"We are called to be a friend to those who are lost," he said. "Sometimes we are too late getting to the lost. Six-thousand people will die today, and 7,000 more will get infected because we are not getting the message of prevention and treatment out to the people."

Messer told the story of a tourist who returned to England after a vacation in Zambia. During his devotional time, the man felt God asking him, "What did you do for the people of Zambia?"
His feeble response was, "Nothing." So the man returned to Zambia and gave £10,000 (U.S. $20,688) to a woman who started a ministry for people affected by HIV/AIDS.

"We have to ask ourselves that kind of question: What are we doing? What does God call me to do? Our calling is to think of those who are lost. Is it us? Until I respond like the Englishman, I too am lost. Let us ask, 'What can I do?'"

Prayers of Encouragement
Participants in The Upper Room's worship service received copies of the devotional book Prayers for Encouragement and Hope for Persons Suffering with HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Other Diseases. The 32-page book contains meditations, Scriptures and prayers written by people who have HIV and people who minister to people with HIV/AIDS.

"Pray through the prayers and pass it on," urged the Rev. Tom Albin, dean of the Upper Room Chapel.

Upper Room Ministries published the devotional guide in 2006 after Messer noticed two 10-year-old copies of The Upper Room daily devotional guide in the waiting room of Maua Methodist Hospital in Kenya.

Approximately 375,000 copies of Prayers for Encouragement have been distributed in English, Kiswahili, Portuguese, French and Xhosa, according to Dale Waymack, Africa region coordinator for Upper Room Ministries. In production are 50,000 copies in Spanish and 50,000 copies in Korean. And the devotional books are being translated into Zulu, Setswana and Sotho.

For more information about the book, contact Dale Waymack at (877) 899-2780, ext. 7236 or e-mail dwaymack@upperroom.org.

*White is associate editor of Interpreter magazine and Interpreter OnLine.

Mountain T.O.P. Awarded Home Repair Grant for Grundy, Marion, Sequatchie Counties

ALTAMONT -- Mountain T.O.P. (Tennessee Outreach Project), an interdenominational ministry which has completed thousands of home repair and construction projects in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee since its founding in 1975, has been awarded a Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) through the USDA Rural Housing Development program.

The money will be used to continue home repair and construction projects in Grundy, Marion and Sequatchie counties.

“This grant will allow us to serve more people,” said the Rev. Ed Simmons, executive director of Mountain T.O.P. “It's great news, and we're delighted that USDA has given us this opportunity.”

Currently, Mountain T.O.P. is utilizing other USDA programs in service to families in need. With this new grant opportunity, Mountain T.O.P. now has the ability to reach families or individuals who may not qualify for other programs.

To complete these projects, Mountain T.O.P. utilizes volunteers – church youth groups, young adults and adults – who come from across the U.S. to attend Mountain T.O.P. camp events each year. Mountain T.O.P. works in partnership with the families being served. Depending on the situation and the ability of those being served, the family may contribute “sweat equity” on the project, help repay materials or just provide hospitality to volunteers working on the project.

“For the past thirty years, Mountain T.O.P. has been serving people of the Appalachian region regardless of ethnicity, family make up, or disability,” said Simmons. In addition, the ministry is committed to providing services according to the Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing Plan, which ensures that grant-funded projects will be open to all who are in need.

“We can't wait to get started,” said Simmons.

Those who think they might qualify for assistance can call Mountain T.O.P. at (931) 692-3999 or by e-mailing info@mountain-top.org. Other background information about the program, such as applications for 2008 camp events or other volunteer opportunities, can be found on the Mountain T.O.P. web site, www.mountain-top.org.

Mountain T.O.P. is an interdenominational Christian mission, affiliated with the Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church, dedicated to rural life ministry in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee.

Scholarship for five Tennessee Conference young clergypersons who register for the SEJ Young Clergy Forum/Lake Junaluska Peace Conference -- the events are sponsored by the General Board of Church and Society

The General Board of Church and Society is partnering with a number of SEJ United Methodist agencies and leaders to host a GBCS-SEJ Young Clergy Forum in conjunction with this year’s Lake Junaluska Peace Conference. If you are a young clergy or know of young clergy please encourage them to consider attending this event.

GBCS will provide scholarships for up to five young clergy from each SEJ conference to attend the Young Clergy GBCS Gathering on January 30-21 at Lake Junaluska and then stay for the SEJ Peace Conference January 31-Feb 2. (For our purposes we are defining young clergy as “United Methodist elders or deacons age 40 and younger”)

Upon checkout General Board of Church and Society will pay $150 toward the Lake Junaluska expenses for each Young Clergy participant in the full program January 30-Feb 2. Registration for the Young Clergy Forum will be limited to 50 Young Clergy from across the SEJ.

This will provide clergy an excellent opportunity to meet GBCS staff and learn about our ministry of advocacy, network with other young clergy across the jurisdiction, talk about the issue of peacebuilding and the call of the church to respond with faithfulness in a world addicted to violence.

Dynamic Speakers for the Peace Conference include: Peter Storey, Jim Winkler, Jan Love, Richard Hays, Celeste Zapalla.

Young clergy can register at http://www.umc-gbcs.org/sejyoungclergy08

Registrants will then need to register for a room at Lake Junaluska Lodging Reservations at 1-800-222-4930.

The registration fee is only $50 per young clergy. One continuing education credit will be awarded for full participants.

Questions? Contact Rev. Clayton Childers, cchilders@umc-gbcs.org or 202-488-5642.

WCC's Kobia focuses on human rights in Philippines

By United Methodist News Service

The Rev. Samuel Kobia

Concern about human rights violations in the Philippines is a major focus as the chief executive of the World Council of Churches visits the country Nov. 18-21.

The Rev. Samuel Kobia, a Methodist from Kenya, is expected to meet with victims of human rights violations and families of victims of abductions and extrajudicial executions. He also will visit with representatives of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, the Catholic Bishops Conference and various churches.

Kobia delivered the commemorative sermon Nov. 18 at the Iglesia Filipina Independiente for the late Most Rev. Alberto Ramento, who was brutally slain in October 2006. On Nov. 20, he will deliver the Gumersindo Garcia Memorial Lecture, which is organized by the national council in honor of a late ecumenical leader in the Philippines.

He will be the keynote speaker at the Nov. 21 opening ceremony of the 22nd general convention of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, which takes place every four years.

Kobia is accompanied by Justice Sophia Adinyira of the Supreme Court of Ghana and a member of the (Anglican) Church of the Province of West Africa; the Rev. Sandy Yule, national secretary for Christian unity, Uniting Church in Australia; and the Rev. Mathews George Chunakara, the WCC program executive for Asia.

The WCC has a longstanding commitment to support advocacy against human rights violations in the Philippines, according to its press office, and has joined other organizations in highlighting those violations during the last two sessions of the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council.

A report documenting more than 800 victims of extrajudicial executions in the last six years in the Philippines was presented in Geneva last March by a Philippine ecumenical delegation sponsored by the council and the Lutheran World Federation.

Book offers blueprint for Wesleyan way of living

By Kathy L. Gilbert*

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS ) - In a world divided and filled with fear for what tomorrow may bring, comes a still, quiet voice saying "God loves us all."

Rueben P. Job, retired bishop of The United Methodist Church, uses John Wesley's three general rules to give Christians a blueprint for a faithful life in a new book, Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living, published by the United Methodist Publishing House.

The rules from Wesley, the founder of Methodism, are simple: "Do no harm. Do good. Stay in love with God."

"These simple rules then and now applied to everyone," Job says. "No one was left out. No one was too good, too mean, too rich or too poor, too educated, too illiterate."

Drawing parallels between Wesley's time and the world today, Job says the feelings of disenfranchisement, doubt and fear are much the same.

"Our world is deeply divided, highly cynical about its leadership, greatly disappointed in its structures and systems that seem so flawed, broken and corrupt, broadly conflicted and gravely afraid of tomorrow."

With so many hurting, frightened people Job says a radical change must take place.

"There are two enormously encouraging truths for us to remember," Job says. "One, God is with us. God continues to woo us, seek us out, love us, speak to us, enable us and lead us into the future. Second, it has been done before."

Wesley's three simple rules transformed women and men and started a movement that became a denomination and transformed a forming nation in North America, Job points out.

"Today we also need a message that can be clearly understood by persons of every age, every educational and economic level, every condition and circumstance of life," he says. "And today these three simple rules provide that message."

Primer for holy living
"In Three Simple Rules, Rueben Job tells the truth about God and about our relationship with God. He makes plain the way of life that, in John Wesley's day, launched a vibrant movement that transformed the personal lives of millions and their communities," says Susan Salley, executive director of adult resources at the publishing house.

"Job provides a straightforward path that leads to the joy of deepening our love of God and living every day the way Jesus shows us," she says.

Bishop John L. Hopkins of the Ohio East Annual (regional) Conference, says Job's book offers "a more faithful way of living as a disciple of Jesus Christ with personal practices that have the power to change the world.

"If you want to change the world, you must begin with changing yourself," Hopkins says. "Three Simple Rules is a primer for holy living that is both personal and social."

"Every year I review the three general rules of The United Methodist Church with those who are being ordained," says Bishop Sally Dyck of the Minnesota Area. "I try to get them to envision these historic rules in contemporary terms along with the historic questions. Now I have a wonderful ordination gift to give them in Bishop Job's, Three Simple Rules, to start and deepen the conversation as they enter a new relationship with the church."

Daily practice
An important component of the book is lessons on daily practice that will help Christians live a faithful life.

"It is not what many of us have been doing, so to adopt this way is a radical shift in our lifestyle," Job says. "It is a radical departure from our regular way of living, so of course it will be difficult."

The book offers a liturgy for the beginning, middle and end of the day with prayers, scriptures, reflections and blessings.

The book closes with a song adapted from John Wesley with music by Raquel Mora Martinez, "Stay in Love With God."

"The rules are simple, but the way is not easy," Job writes. "Only those with great courage will attempt it, and only those with great faith will be able to walk this exciting and demanding way."

The core of Wesley's message was that God loves us all, Job says.

"All of us are the apple of God's eye. We all can claim our full inheritance as God's children."

Three Simple Rules is published by Abingdon Press and can be ordered at www.cokesbury.com for $5 each. A video to go with the book is in production and will be available in April.

*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.

Mainstream Christians, evangelicals mix in Kenya

The Nairobi Girls Chorale sings to open the Global Christian Forum in Limuru, Kenya. A UMNS photo by Juan Michel, World Council of Churches.

A UMNS Report By Linda Bloom*

When Christians from more than 70 countries gathered recently in Kenya, it was a remarkable moment, according to one United Methodist participant.

A significant number of the 240 church leaders attending were Pentecostals and Evangelicals - groups that don't normally interact with the mainstream ecumenical movement, said the Rev. W. Douglas Mills, an executive with the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns.

"It's a huge step for them to be involved," Mills said. One result of the Global Christian Forum, which met Nov. 6-9 in Limuru, near Nairobi, was a "Message from the Global Christian Forum to Brothers and Sisters in Christ Throughout the World." The official statement of the forum encourages development of "a new awareness and understanding of one another" to God's glory.

Mutual respect
Although the forum was initiated by the World Council of Churches, the council considered itself on the same level as all participating faith groups. The stated purpose of the event - first proposed in the mid-1990s by the Rev. Konrad Raiser, then the WCC's chief executive - was to create a new space where all streams of Christianity could meet in a setting of mutual respect to explore and address common challenges.

Considered a process rather than an organization or network, the forum is based on participation rather than membership. It is led by a 12-member committee.

Attending the meeting were representatives of Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox and Pentecostal churches, as well as the broader Evangelical movement and other Christian churches, communities and interchurch organizations. Representing The United Methodist Church with Mills was retired Bishop Emilio de Carvalho of Angola.

The Rev. Sam Kobia, a Methodist from Kenya who serves as the WCC's chief executive, pointed to the "unprecedented breadth" of the gathering and told participants to take risks.

The Rev. Mvume Dandala, a South African Methodist and chief executive of the All Africa Conference of Churches, noted that "to show signs of unity in diversity is essential if Christians are to contribute to healing the fractures of the African continent."

'Getting to know one another'
Much of the forum was spent in prayer and Bible study. "It was really about getting to know one another," said Mills. He added that United Methodists have been involved in the ecumenical movement for so long, "we almost forget how powerful that (prayerful interaction) is for others."

Such contact had an impact on the participants' preconceived notions about each other. "We heard from Pentecostals and Evangelicals that (the forum) was changing a number of their misconceptions as well," Mills said.

The official message from the Global Christian Forum stated that the process "has encouraged us to develop a new awareness and understanding of one another and to recognize that God is working graciously among us.

"We have been invited into a common journey of faith with confidence in the guidance of Christ's life-giving Spirit. We have been encouraged to move out of the familiar ground on which we normally stand, to meet each other on a common ground where mutual trust might flourish and where we might be empowered to celebrate, enter into dialogue and act together to the glory of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

The process is expected to continue. "We will pray for one another and work to convene local and regional events, as well as other global encounters, in order to deepen this journey toward the goal of reconciliation," the message stated.

*Bloom is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in New York.

Texas churches reach out in faith and justice

William Ford talks about his internship work with low-income children in the Dallas area during a presentation at "Living Faith, Seeking Justice," an international conference sponsored by the United Methodist Board of Church and Society. UMNS photos by Kathy L. Gilbert.

By Kathy L. Gilbert*

FORT WORTH, Texas (UMNS) - "I love my job. I love my job. I love my job," declared 22-year-old Elspeth Allen of her full-time job that pays $11,100 a year and overloads her with work but generates "blessings beyond measure."

Allen was one of six young people who stood before United Methodists from around the world at a conference on justice ministries and talked about one that has changed her life forever. As part of the "Living Faith, Seeking Justice" conference Nov. 1-4, participants visited churches active in justice ministries in the denomination's North Texas Annual (regional) conference.

Allen is an intern at Project Transformation, a nonprofit organization supported by Dallas-area United Methodist churches that matches young people seeking to grow in their spiritual journey with children in low-income neighborhoods.

The ministry started as a summer camp and has grown to include a year-round internship that provides homework assistance, health and nutrition education, a hot meal and extracurricular activities in the after-school program for more than 200 children.

"Some of these children don't have anyone who cares," Allen said. "If not for Project Transformation, my kids wouldn't do well in school. Serving these kids has taught me so much. I see small changes everyday."

"This program makes such an impact on your life when you are in your early 20s," said Nathaniel O'Dell, 22. "This is a hard time in our lives. We are in the middle of many transitions, and they offer us love and support and are building us up as leaders."

Eric Lindh, executive director of the program, said living in community with each other is part of the experience. Volunteers from different churches bring the young interns food each evening, and they attend worship services and other events to help them on their faith journey.

Of the 95 interns participating in the 2007 summer program, 54 percent said they are more likely to pursue a vocation in a ministry-related field; 63 percent said they are more likely to continue to serve the needs of low-income communities; and 98 percent felt better equipped to understand and serve the needs of low-income communities, according to Lindh.

Faith and justice in the world
The site visits to local churches and ministries were held Nov. 2-3 during the conference sponsored by the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, the denomination's social action agency.

The visits included trips to see community reformulation ministries, restorative justice ministries and initiatives working to transform their community through art, culture and leadership development.

Before enjoying a homemade Mexican enchilada lunch prepared by La Trinidad's United Methodist Women, the group visited the future home of Delores Orta, a single mother of five.

Her new home is being built by Habitat for Humanity, and many United Methodist volunteers have worked on the project.

"I raised five kids in a not-so-very-nice house," she said. "It was a struggle. This is the first house I will ever own."

Orta worked fulltime at a local plastic company for 12 years making $8.50 an hour. She supplements her income by working part time at a day care center. Until she qualified for a Habitat home, Orta said "having a house was impossible. I never could afford the taxes, mortgage and insurance."

Orta and her youngest daughter hope to move into her new 1,600-square-foot house by Christmas.

Cynthia Rives, a United Methodist laywoman from Stephenville, Texas, said the Scriptures, stories and experiences shared at the conference remind her there is work to do in her own community.

"In my community, immigration is an issue, education, health care ... I think that is true not only for my community but for my district and my conference," she said. "Those issues are the same for everyone but we gain strength and courage by coming together."

*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.

Justice lovers gather for international conference

The Rev. Elizabeth Tapia welcomes more than 600 justice lovers to "Living Faith, Seeking Justice," a conference sponsored by the United Methodist Board of Church and Society. UMNS photos by Kathy L. Gilbert.

FORT WORTH, Texas (UMNS) - More than 600 "justice lovers" from across the globe gathered in Texas to celebrate faith in action and renew their spirits at an international conference sponsored by The United Methodist Church.

"My goal tonight is simple: to encourage you in your justice-making ministries," said the Rev. Elizabeth Tapia, an ordained elder from the Philippines. "We need to encourage one another because at times justice making can be a very lonely, unrewarded, risky endeavor."

The United Methodist Board of Church and Society sponsored the "Living Faith, Seeking Justice" conference Nov. 1-4. Participants included 53 international participants from 16 countries.

"The conference is opening the whole world to us," said the Rev. Lloyd Nyarota, a pastor in Zimbabwe, Africa. "Hearing so many different issues, different challenges ... prepares you to face your situation and to remobilize your energy for a new day."

It was the first such conference held by the church's social action agency, and the response was overwhelming, said design team members as they scanned a conference room packed with people of all ages, colors and cultures.

"This conference was more than I even dreamed of," said the Rev. Hilde Marie Øgreid, pastor of Bjolsen United Methodist Church in Oslo, Norway, and a member of the design team. Øgreid brought 10 young people with her from Norway, all of whom worked to raise the money to attend.

"I saw the topics we were going to discuss here were many and good," said Audun Westad of Norway. "I think we need to be aware of all these topics to be an alive church today. I like the sermons. They are very different from what we have in Norway. It is good to experience something different and something new."

Bible studies, plenaries, worship services, visits to local churches and workshops all reinforced the mission of the conference to resource local churches for justice ministry.

The 'sweet spot'
The Rev. Adam Hamilton, pastor at Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kan., said when evangelism and social justice merge, the result is the "sweet spot."

"Sometimes evangelists forget about social justice, and sometimes justice seekers forget to tell people about Jesus," he said. "People need to know about the bread of life, but they also need to know their lives matter."

Hamilton said many unchurched people want to start with mission. He said the emerging generation longs for a gospel that pursues justice. "I see generations hungry for the Methodist way. God's grace is a call to holiness, a call to be the heart, head and hands of God," he said.

"If we care about the poor, we know their names," said activist Shane Claiborne, a founding member of The Simple Way, a community in inner-city Philadelphia working with the poor.
Claiborne recounted traveling to Calcutta, India, to spend time with Mother Teresa before she died. She told him that "Calcutta is everywhere."

"I learned so much from her, but especially that change starts with one person at a time," said Claiborne. "We can know all the right answers and still be mean. If we don't have joy or love then no one is going to want what we have."

Transforming experience
Cynthia Rives, a layperson from Stephenville, Texas, was inspired by the international participation.

"To be with the central conference members (who live outside of the United States) is very important to me because they speak a story I don't hear in my local church. But their story compares to mine so we are in solidarity and I am reminded of that when we are together," she said.

Albert Aruna Trye, a music director in Sierra Leone, Africa, said he was "elated and touched" by the acceptance he felt.

"It is good to feel accepted and appreciated, especially when we have suffered rejection and oppression during our 10-year rebel war," he said. "It is a motivation to be with Christians who can make you feel part of them."

Jim Winkler, chief executive of the Board of Church and Society, said the conference experience was about growing together and growing stronger. "I will walk with you because I need you to walk with me," he said in a sermon.

At the close, Winkler called people "to recommit to Christ." As pastors lined the front of the hotel ballroom, participants streamed forward to receive prayers and words of encouragement.

"Even though we are different from one another, we are one in faith and mission," said the Rev. Connie Semy Mella, a pastor from the Philippines. "After listening and experiencing this wonderful conference, we could not help but be transformed. We will never be the same again."

*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.

Students seek hearts for justice at conference

By Kathy L. Gilbert*

FORT WORTH, Texas (UMNS) - Five recent graduates of Florida State University drove hundreds of miles to stretch their minds and souls at an international conference on justice ministry.

"I want my heart to be a heart that seeks out justice," said Natalie Valenti, 22, as she attended the United Methodist "Living Faith, Seeking Justice" conference.

"I am not well informed about a lot of issues. I care about them, but I am not educated. It has been really wonderful to be here to be stretched and feel uncomfortable about things we don't like to confront because we don't want to step on people's toes or we don't want our own minds to change."

Lauren Knowles, Leah Wright, Lauren Hughson, Donald Furlong and Natalie Valenti, recent graduates of Florida State University, drove hundreds of miles to attend the "Living Faith, Seeking Justice" conference in Fort Worth, Texas. A UMNS photo by Kathy L. Gilbert.

Valenti and four friends, all interns at the Wesley Foundation at Florida State, drove from Tallahassee for the Nov. 1-4 conference in Fort Worth sponsored by the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, the church's social action agency.

"The Florida Annual (regional) Conference was willing to fly two young people to the conference, but we all wanted to go," said Donald Furlong, 23. "So we used the money for the airline tickets to drive here, and we are staying at Leah's uncle's house sleeping on the couch and the floor."

Leah Wright, 22, didn't know what to expect from the event but, when she heard that activist Shane Claiborne was speaking, she said, "I was coming, there was just no doubt."

Claiborne, who founded The Simple Way, a community in inner-city Philadelphia serving the poor, was plenary speaker for the conference's last day.

"I came for Shane because his book really inspired me to want to live differently, to be informed and to figure out what my issue will be," she said. "I am so excited to be in this atmosphere."

Lauren Knowles, 22, came looking for ideas on ways to get involved and take action. "These issues we are talking about here are what matter," she said.

Knowles said she was disturbed to hear talk about The United Methodist Church splitting because of opposing ideas. "These justice issues are so worth our discussion, and it is so worth staying together no matter what our problems are," she said.

"I feel like I am called to push people to change," said Lauren Hughson, 22.

Hughson said she realized the battle for civil rights is not over after she attended a workshop by the Rev. Lawton Higgs and Mary Jones, a biracial team from Church of the Reconciler, a intentionally racially inclusive United Methodist Church in Birmingham, Ala.

"I am learning more and reading more, and I am learning I have been very close-minded and I didn't realize it because I am pretty open to things," she said. She wants to go back to her campus and "push people to think in a different way."

*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.

Ex-gang member helping ex-cons get on track

Former gang member Matthew Taufetee leads Life After Prison, a residential, faith-based program at Pacific Islander United Methodist Church in Honolulu. A UMNS photo by John Coleman.




A UMNS Report
By Kathy L. Gilbert*



While many "preacher's kids" have a reputation for trouble, Matthew Taufetee may be the worst "PK" of all.

At 14, Taufetee joined a gang and began stealing purses from elderly women. By the time he was 28, he had been in prison twice for violent crimes and was addicted to alcohol and crystal methamphetamine.

"I kept hearing stories that pastor's kids are the worst," he said. "I can testify to why we are the worst."

Taufetee's father, a United Methodist pastor, often was called to help the "guys who were making trouble." But those were the same guys with whom Taufetee clicked as a teenager.

His first prison term came when he almost beat a man to death with his bare fists. His second sentence was for stabbing another man to death with a knife from his mother's kitchen.

Three months after he was in jail on murder charges, word came that a rival gang had killed his brother in retaliation for Taufetee's crime. "I felt responsible for taking my brother's life," he said.

"At that time I didn't really know about God even though I went to church. I had people writing letters to me from different churches telling me 'God loves you,' but I never really took that to heart."

After many hard years and many relapses, Taufetee finally turned his life around and founded "LAP," or Life After Prison, a faith-based program that integrates former prison inmates back into the community. He is also a lay minister at Pacific Islander United Methodist Church where his father, the Rev. Faaagi Taufetee, is pastor.

A life apart
Today, Taufetee finally has a loving relationship with his parents.

One of six children, he always had "issues" with church and also with his Samoan, native Hawaiian family. When they moved to the Honolulu suburb of Salt Lake for a new pastoral appointment, Taufetee felt like an outcast because they were the only Samoan family.

"We grew up with strict parents who did the best they could in trying to discipline us, but I just held a lot of things in and I became bitter," he said. "Eventually I just started turning to the wrong crowd."

Bloods and Crips, two notorious rival gangs that started on the mainland, came to Salt Lake, where Taufetee became associated with the worst gang in Hawaii: BSB, for Bad Samoan Bloods.

"They made me feel special," he recalls. "They were always encouraging me, but little did I know they were only feeding my ego."



At 17, Taufetee became the chauffer for one of the biggest drug dealers in Waikiki. In 1987, he was charged with attempted murder after beating a guy with his bare fists. "Till this day, he is brain dead," he said. "I had to go to jail that time for attempted murder, but my dad got me out of supervised release to home, which I know now was probably a mistake."

After another gang-related fight, the victim died. Taufetee was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

"I had a chance of coming out at three and a half years, but they let me out on furlough and I went straight to my gang friends and ended up partying. I went back to jail under the influence."

The violation added another year to his sentence, and he spent 30 days in solitary confinement. "I was just by myself with a toilet for 30 days during my birthday, Christmas and everything," he said.

After completing his sentence, Taufetee quickly rediscovered gangs and drugs. By this time, however, his father was transferred to Torrance, Calif. For the first time in his life, he didn't have his family to fall back on.

Burden lifted
It took "Men of WAR" to finally get him back to God.

Those Christian men of WAR (Wisdom, Authority and Righteousness) followed Taufetee into the bars where he was partying and told him about Jesus.

"I really didn't care to hear anything about the word of God because I felt I was a pastor's son and I was going to heaven. That's what I believed. I was so lost," he recalls.

Taufetee finally relented, though, and went to church at the Word of Life Christian Center. "I remember seeing this Mexican pastor just ministering the Word, and all it took was for him to say 'Jesus loves you.' It was a feeling I cannot describe. I felt like the burden was lifted finally and I felt like I had a future."

His parents moved back to Hawaii and started Pacific Islander United Methodist Church, where Taufetee began attending to support his father.

During this time, Taufetee began to envision a program to help other people like himself when they are released from prison. "LAP" was launched with a grant from the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race.

"They (prisoners) come back wanting to do this and that, to get a relationship back with a girl or get a relationship back with their kids, and they never really work with the issues that caused them to go to prison in the first place," he said.

In Hawaii, one stipulation for prison release is that the inmate gets a full-time job. The first hurdle begins when they have to check the box that asks if they have been convicted of a felony. "Nobody wants to hire a felon," he said. "They don't get called in for interviews, and it kind of leads these guys to go right back to the same thing."

Because Taufetee has walked the same path, he gets a lot of respect from ex-prisoners.

"I really felt this was something I could do — share the same love of God that I really felt and let them know that God loves them and there is hope."

*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.

United Methodist bishops urge immediate Iraq withdrawal

By Linda Green

LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. (UMNS) - Declaring war "incompatible with the teachings and example of Christ," the bishops of The United Methodist Church called on leaders of all nations to begin an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

The bishops also urged against deploying additional troops to Iraq and against establishing permanent military bases in the Middle Eastern country.

"This resolution is long overdue," said retired Bishop Clifton Ives before the Council of Bishops voted its approval on Nov. 9.

The action came during the council's semi-annual meeting at a United Methodist retreat center in western North Carolina. The council represents 11.5 million United Methodists in the United States, Africa, Europe and the Philippines. About 125 active and retired bishops from across the globe attended the Nov. 4-9 gathering.

In addition to calling for the immediate safe and full withdrawal of troops, the bishops called on the United States and other Coalition Force nations to initiate and support a plan for the reconstruction of Iraq, giving strong priority to the humanitarian and social needs of the Iraqi people. They urged increased support for veterans of the Iraq war and all wars.

The bishops said their position is based on Jesus Christ's call for "his followers to be peacemakers."

The resolution is the council's latest action questioning the Iraq war. In November 2005, the bishops urged U.S. President George W. Bush, who is United Methodist, to create a timeline to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq.

Casualties of war
Before the latest vote, the council wrestled with turning the resolution from having a U.S.-centric focus into one with global emphasis to care for all people impacted by the war.

The bishops cited the deaths of more than 3,843 U.S. soldiers, 171 members of the United Kingdom military, 132 members of other Coalition military, the wounding of 28,385 U.S soldiers and the deaths of at least 76,241 Iraqi civilians. They noted the war has displaced 2 million people and made refugees of 1 million others.

"Every day that the war continues, more soldiers and innocent civilians are killed with no end in sight to the violence, bloodshed and carnage," the resolution says.

The bishops called on United Methodists throughout the world to pray for peace; hold regular prayer vigils for congregations and communities; and care for all impacted by the war, including honoring the dead, healing the wounded and calling for an end to the war.

'Moral issue'
The council discussed the resolution over the course of two days before approving a final version on Nov. 9.

Retired Bishop Jack Meadors, of Edisto Beach, S.C., noted that 2007 has been the deadliest year for the U.S. military since the Iraq war began in 2003. He predicted the 4,000th American combat death will occur between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

"The Iraq war is not just a political issue or a military issue. It is a moral issue," Meadors said. "War is sin. It is evil. War is incompatible with the teachings of Jesus."

Calling the resolution "a faith-based statement," Meadors said Christians must be "peacemakers that we might be known as children of God."

Bishop James Swanson of the Holston (Tenn.-Va.-Ga.) Conference said President Bush's intentions for entering the war may have been noble but that the results have been deadly.

"We as bishops are concerned about the loss of lives and any resulting effect once the war ends and the troops are removed," Swanson said. He added that, once the troops leave, "the church needs to be about helping the Iraqi people rebuild their lives."

*Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn. Stephen Drachler, media consultant for the Council of Bishops, contributed to this report.

Commentary: Helping warriors transition into citizens
A soldier hugs his children as he returns home to Asheville, N.C., after a 15-month deployment to Iraq. A UMNS photo by Tech Sgt. Brian E. Christiansen, U.S. Air Force.

A UMNS Commentary
By the Rev. John Morris*

Parts of the United States are about to experience an unprecedented event: the near simultaneous return of thousands of combat veterans. The proud, tired and bloodied are returning home, many after 22-month combat deployment in Iraq.

Their towns will, in fine fashion, hail the returning warriors with wonderful "Welcome Home" ceremonies. The veterans will cherish the sentiment, then shoulder their duffle bags and simply "go home."

Unfortunately, "going home" is neither simple nor easy. Months of combat training, followed by more months of combat operations, combine to forge these men and women into warriors. Within 300 hours of their last combat mission, they are demobilized and back on the streets in the United States.

The homes to which they will return have changed. Families either have become "survivors" or "broken." The majority have learned to survive without their soldier. Roles have changed, children have grown and family dynamics have altered. For a minority, marriages have ended and families have shattered beneath the stress of almost two years of separation.

Our proud combat veterans will face the daunting challenges of freedom. Gone is the austere, disciplined life of a forward operating base, with the focus of missions and the camaraderie of the military unit. Ahead is the complex, multi-tasking, fast-paced world of work, family, civic responsibilities and, for many, school.

The Rev. John Morris

The vast majority of combat veterans will face these challenges and handle them well. In fact, as past generations have shown, this generation of veterans will begin to emerge as leaders in every productive sector of society.

The combination of discipline, wisdom and the love of life appreciated by only those who have seen it threatened will vault this generation ahead of its peers. Future governors, senators, doctors, lawyers, teachers, clergy, social workers and scientists undoubtedly are returning.

A few, unfortunately, will stumble badly. These troubled souls will wrestle with the effects of war on themselves and their families. They will need the best this country has to offer.

How communities can help
The majority will need our support as well. They need employers willing to be patient as they wrestle to regain skills that have atrophied. They need educators in our colleges and technical schools willing to help them through the complexities of admission, registration and return to rigorous study. They need parent educators willing to offer classes to help them learn to parent the children they love but barely know. They need wise counselors to help them negotiate new roles in marriage and families.

They need savvy medical providers who understand traumatic brain injuries, Middle Eastern parasites and skin diseases. They need clergy who can listen without condemnation and help them sort out the hardness of soul that war can produce.

Above all, they need a community that walks with them and their families long after the yellow ribbons unravel. This community, though deeply conflicted by the U.S. war in Iraq, honors the sacrifice made by these unique citizen-soldiers. It challenges our newest, "greatest generation" to continue selfless service by inviting these combat veterans to serve in leadership capacities in business, education, government, houses of worship and nonprofit organizations.

They need a community dedicated to bringing these soldiers all the way home, leaving none behind, and helping each to become the productive, healthy citizen we need.

*Morris is a United Methodist chaplain in the Minnesota National Guard.

Don Messer Will Speak in Upper Room Chapel to Observe World AIDS Day, Thursday, November 28, 8:30 a.m.

The Rev. Dr. Donald Messer, author of “Breaking the Conspiracy of Silence - Christian Churches and the Global AIDS Crisis” and executive director of the Center for the Church and Global AIDS, will be the keynote speaker for a special worship service in observance of World AIDS Day, Thursday, November 28 at 8:30 a.m. in The Upper Room Chapel, 1908 Grand Ave. A reception will follow the service.

Messer, a United Methodist theologian, author, and former college and seminary president, is widely known for his work in combating world hunger and HIV/AIDS. He has traveled to over 30 countries across the world as a speaker and workshop leader.

"Don Messer is one of the most significant Christian leaders in the English speaking world when it comes to the subject of HIV/AIDS and the church. We are delighted to have him with us at GBOD and as our preacher for The Upper Room Chapel service in anticipation of World AIDS Day Observance, December 1,” said the Rev. Tom Albin, dean of Upper Room Chapel.

The purpose of World AIDS Day is to raise awareness of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the grim global statistics associated with the 46 million people infected worldwide.

Messer’s discovery of two copies of The Upper Room daily devotional guide in the waiting room of Maua Methodist Hospital (MMH) in Kenya, led to Upper Room Ministries publishing of “Prayers for Encouragement: Hope for Persons Living with HIV & AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis, and Other Serious Diseases.”

Though the guides were over ten years old, people had repeatedly read these torn pages seeking biblical counsel and strong spiritual advice. This reality inspired Don to contact the Upper Room about publishing a book for persons seeking God’s healing presence while living with stigma, discrimination and rejection from family and friends.

Persons participating in the worship service will receive a copy of “Prayers for Encouragement and Hope for Persons Suffering with HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Other Diseases.”

The 32-page book contains meditations, scriptures and prayers written by persons who have HIV and people who minister with people with HIV/AIDS from around the world.

While a plethora of health and service organizations offer information and support regarding prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, resources from a Christian spirituality perspective are scarce.

Upper Room Ministries, a ministry of the General Board of Discipleship, in conjunction with the Center for the Church and Global AIDS compiled the booklet for those suffering with AIDS and other life threatening diseases.

Upper Room Ministries is an ecumenical organization that produces resources for encouraging deeper spiritual formation, including “The Upper Room daily devotional guide,” five other magazines, and a line of books and programs for youth and adults. More information about Upper Room resources can be found online at www.upperroom.org. For more information about Prayers for Encouragement contact, Dale Waymack at 877-899-2780, ext. 7236.

The General Board of Discipleship’s mission is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, The General Board of Discipleship is located at 1908 Grand Avenue in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, call the Media Relations Office toll free at (877) 899-2780, ext. 7017.

Shalom ministry finds new home at Drew University

By Elliott Wright*

NEW YORK (UMNS) - Starting in January, the Drew University Theological School in Madison, N.J., will be the new home base for Communities of Shalom, a United Methodist ministry engaging congregations and communities to work together for community development, peace and wholeness.

The new partnership was announced jointly by United Methodist Bishop John Schol of Washington, chairman of the National Shalom Committee, and the Rev. Maxine Beach, vice president and dean of Drew Theological School.

For the past 15 years, the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries has administered the Shalom Initiative in collaboration with the National Shalom Committee. Drew will support and develop Shalom as a national network, and Global Ministries will continue as a partner, providing significant funding for the next two years.

Communities of Shalom was launched by the 1992 United Methodist General Conference, the denomination's top legislative body, to respond to social unrest and riots in Los Angeles in 1992.

The initiative has expanded to more than 200 sites, mostly in the United States; two sites are in Africa. "Shalom" is the Hebrew word indicating peace, harmony and well-being.

Mutually beneficial
Schol and Beach say the new relationship benefits both the Shalom sites and the seminary.

"A partnership with Drew University and the Theological School will give the Shalom movement legs well into the future as it transforms congregations and communities," said the bishop, adding, "Shalom has achieved results that far surpassed anyone's expectations over the past 15 years. This new partnership will further enhance the initiative and multiply the results over the next 15 years."

Beach said the partnership would allow faculty and students to "have access to the lessons that are stored in these committed communities. Our curriculum is rich with courses that teach of social injustice and increased sensitivity to the marginalized, but we have often lacked ways to give students and faculty opportunities to work with ministries that act out of these convictions."

As the new "national partner" in Shalom, the Drew Theological School will assume major responsibility for the human and financial resources required to sustain the initiative, which will become part of its curriculum and training resources in preparation for parish and community ministry.

The seminary already has strong commitments in the areas of social justice, multicultural collaboration and faith-in-action - all factors in its selection by the national committee.

The Rev. Michael Christensen

The Rev. Michael J. Christensen, a Drew faculty member and director of the Doctor of Ministry program, will become the new Shalom director. He has extensive experience in community development, disaster response and emergency relief, urban ministry, community health and human rights advocacy.

He holds a doctorate degree from Drew and teaches in the area of spirituality and practical theology. Beach called Christensen "the right person" to assume the leadership of Shalom.

Four goals
+Communities of Shalom works to:
+Renew the spirit of God in congregations and communities;
+Develop the shared prosperity and economies of communities;
+Strengthen relationships among diverse neighbors; and Improve community health care and delivery of community services.

Shalom emerged from floor action at the 1992 General Conference, in session only days after violence erupted in Los Angeles when a jury acquitted police officers who were caught on videotape beating motorist Rodney King while he was in custody and handcuffed.

United Methodists in other parts of the United States resonated to the concept of congregations or clusters of churches, often in ecumenical or interfaith configurations, organizing to achieve peaceful, hopeful and economically secure communities. The national office of Shalom has provided seed grants, training and technical consultation, all funded by World Service, the basic central fund of The United Methodist Church.

"There was never any thought that the General Conference would fund Shalom in perpetuity," said Jerald McKie, head of the Global Ministries unit in which the program has been lodged since the mid-1990s. "The idea has always been that of Shalom finding its way into the life and texture of our denomination and ecumenical partners."

*Wright is the information officer for the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.

For cancer patients, support is just a phone call away

Cancer survivor Robert Gunther plays with daughter Larkspur at the family's home in Phoenixville, Pa. Gunther gets encouragement from a weekly teleconference support group hosted by the Cancer Recovery Foundation of America. UMNS photos by John Gordon.

By John Gordon*

HARRISBURG, Penn. (UMNS) - As the Rev. Michael Gingerich listens on a speakerphone, calls come in from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Nebraska and Canada.

The callers have something in common. They're all battling cancer and seeking friendly voices that offer support and encouragement.

"I think it's essential to be able to have the support of people who understand and have been on a very similar journey," said Gingerich, director of program services for the Cancer Recovery Foundation of America.

"And even though every cancer experience is different, there are a lot of similarities, a lot of feelings that everyone goes through."

Gingerich moderates a weekly conference call to provide a telephone support group for cancer survivors. Topics during the hour-long call range from fear to gratitude.
"For many people, fear is perhaps the first reaction that they have. And for a lot of them, it's very overwhelming," said Gingerich.

"Gratitude is one of the things we talk about on our calls almost on a weekly basis - how important it is to seek what is right, what is good, what is going well in life, and to celebrate that."

Support options
Gingerich says the conference call is ideal for people unable to attend a face-to-face support group meeting because of their illness or location. Some members call from bed or from a clinic while receiving chemotherapy.

"What we do here at the Cancer Recovery Foundation is try to let people know that there are options, that it's not hopeless," he said.

Twenty years of experience as a United Methodist pastor helped prepare Gingerich for the task. The disease touched his family three years ago when his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer.

"That has helped tremendously to understand what it's like to be a family member and a caregiver of someone who's going through cancer and to know what the difficulties and the fears and the worries are when you hear that diagnosis," he said.

Gingerich also hosts a weekly telephone support session for caregivers.

The Cancer Recovery Foundation was begun by author Greg Anderson, who was diagnosed in 1984 with lung cancer and given 30 days to live. Anderson survived and shaped the foundation's tenets that - besides medical care - faith, attitude, support, nutrition and exercise are all important elements in surviving cancer.

Sharing the journey
During a recent call to the support group, Robert Gunther noted it was the first anniversary of his cancer diagnosis. A freelance writer from Phoenixville, Pa., Gunther underwent surgery and chemotherapy for colon cancer.

Gunther credits his long-distance friends with giving him the encouragement he's needed.

"It's helped me in a couple of ways," he said. "There's sort of the broad help in feeling like you're not alone in this whole thing, and that there's other people who are struggling with some of the same issues."

When Gunther learned he had cancer, his first thoughts turned to his family-his wife, Cynthia, and their three children, Anders, 22, Pelle, 16, and Larkspur, 10.

"I wanted to be able to see my daughter, who's 10, get married," said Gunther. "It's sort of a cliché because that's the thing that you think that you would think of. But it's actually true."

With chemotherapy treatments completed, Gunther feels stronger today. Though he lacked the strength for a planned 140-mile hike, he has managed to go whitewater kayaking. He also exercises regularly and now eats healthier foods.

Gunther calls cancer a "brutal, relentless and totally unpredictable" disease, but he's learned it is not a death sentence.

"I've had more conversations with people about gratitude, forgiveness and things that you would think that you would talk about when things were going really well …," he said. "It changes the way you look at the world, and there's a real opportunity there."

For more information about telephone support groups, contact the Cancer Recovery Foundation of America (http://www.cancerrecovery.org/site/PageServer?pagename=TeleSupportGroups) at (800) 238-6479.

*Gordon is a freelance writer and producer in Marshall, Texas.

Hearings address nuclear weapons, poverty, environment

WASHINGTON, D.C. (UMNS) -- A task force revising a 1986 United Methodist statement opposing the use of nuclear weapons hosted a two-day hearing focusing on nuclear proliferation, poverty and environmental concerns.

The Council of Bishops task force to update the "In Defense of Creation" document convened Oct. 23-24 to allow United Methodists, people of other faiths and experts to provide testimony on nuclear weapons and global security, pandemic poverty and disease.

The document revision, authorized by the 2004 General Conference, is the denomination's attempt to seriously engage public policy on issues that most affect the human race, according to Florida Conference Bishop Timothy Whitaker, task force chairman.

"I am excited about the revision of 'In Defense of Creation' because it enables the church to relate the Gospel to the crucial issues confronting our world and the makers of public policy," Whitaker said.

"In Defense of Creation" was a 1986 pastoral letter and statement from the church's Council of Bishops in response to the threat of nuclear war at that time and the potential for extinction of life. Dramatic changes in problems facing today's world, including the threat of terrorism and global warming, are behind the update.

'Kairos moment'
Dakotas Bishop Deborah Kiesey said many people believe this is a "Kairos moment" in which the world is particularly open and ready to face the issues of global warming, poverty and nuclear warfare.

"The hearing provided a clear sense of hope," Kiesey said, citing hope that "positive solutions are within our grasp and (that) by working together we can impact these worldwide issues and make a difference for today and the future."

Virginia Conference Bishop Charlene Kammerer was struck most by the connections between the topics addressed. These links are "grim depictions of current realities," she said, but there is "a strong sense of hope and optimism that all these issues can be addressed and necessary changes can happen to preserve and protect all of God's creation, the world and its peoples."

The task force is being assisted by the Churches' Center for Theology and Public Policy at United Methodist-related Wesley Seminary in Washington. The center also helped in drafting the 1986 document.

Those testifying at the hearings included: Lora Lumpe, legislative representative for Conventional Weapons at the Friends Committee on National Legislation; Howard Morland, an independent journalist; Christopher Flavin, president of Worldwatch, Natural Resources Defense Council; Daniel Lashof, a scientist; Robert Musil, formerly of Physicians for Social Responsibility; and Stephen Lerner, Service Employees International Union.

Weapons of war
Retired Bishop Dale White, who co-chaired the original document process, said doctrines and strategies for national security have changed significantly in two decades.

"The original study action document was prepared at a time in which the mutually assurance destruction doctrine was in rapid retreat," he said, "with members of an aroused civil society 'overcoming their nuclear numbness, getting good and scared, then getting good and mad, and getting into action,' as Dr. Helen Caldicott used to say." He added that mass protests against the then-nuclear freeze campaign forced a sea of change in public policy.

Lumpe testified about the international small-arms trade, anti-personnel landmines and cluster bombs. She said churches in Great Britain have been particularly supportive of an international effort to ban cluster bombs, which break apart midair into smaller "bomblets." A petition to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference, the church's top legislative body, asks the denomination to support the banning effort.

Moral opposition to cluster bombs comes from the indiscriminate nature of the weapons, Lumpe said. She said cluster bombs used by the United States in Laos during the Vietnam War are still killing people 35 years later. Not all of the "bomblets" detonate upon impact, leaving life-threatening hazards for generations of innocent civilians.

Caring for the earth and its people
White said governments are losing credibility as they try to discredit the science of global warming in order to shore up old polluting industries and to build military ramparts higher to protect a decaying empire.

"In this moment, as in the 1980s, the people are rebelling, organizing to create in states, cities and communities the new green shoots of the emerging age," said the bishop. "They are once again turning to trusted leaders of their communities of faith to inspire and to guide them through perilous times, drawing upon the wisdom yet living in their ancient Scriptures."

Participants said increased drought, floods and heat waves brought on by climate change could exacerbate hunger and disease in years to come. "For me it is a 'love thy neighbor' issue," said Reid Detchon, an Episcopal layman who is executive director of the Energy Future Coalition.

"I'm convinced there are young people who are searching for churches which will embrace their passion for caring for the earth. These folks can help the church remember its connection to creation, and the church can give them a sense of wholeness in their lives by relating their passion to Christ," said the Rev. Pat Watkins, a United Methodist clergy member of the Virginia Annual (regional) Conference and environmental coordinator for the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy.

The task force joined Muslim, Jewish and Christian clergy for a breakfast to discuss the role of faith communities in caring for creation. The breakfast was co-sponsored by the British Embassy and the Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light.

Speakers included the Right Rev. James Jones, bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England, who described how he called for a "carbon fast" last year for Lent in the Diocese of Liverpool. He said such a fast was more valuable than giving up chocolate or candy or other more typical seasonal sacrifices. "We are caught up in a disease of consumption, and that is what is afflicting the earth," he said.

Jones said that, by the end of the carbon fast, "people weren't ready to resume their previous consumption levels; it made them think about their life."

A worldwide document
The group is attempting to make the document relevant for the worldwide United Methodist Church. The task force has one member from outside the United States, Bishop Patrick Streiff of the Central and Southern Europe Episcopal Area.

"We shall attempt to get the vigorous leadership of bishops outside the U.S. in addressing the issues from the perspective of the church in their nations," said Whitaker.

Bishops anticipate approving a new document in May 2009 and releasing it to the church for study and action.

Annual conferences, seminaries and others are encouraged to conduct hearings, conversation and study on nuclear proliferation, the environment and poverty in 2007 and 2008. The results should be sent to the Rev. Barbara Green, executive director of the Churches' Center for Theology and Public Policy, at bgreen@wesleyseminary.edu or by mail to 4500 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20016. For more information, contact Green at (202) 885-8648.

*The above article was adapted from a release sent by T.C. Morrow of the Churches' Center for Theology and Public Policy, Washington, DC.

Hispanic church offers alternative to street gangs

Third-grader Desire Flores works on her homework with help from volunteer Marlene Vanzant at an after-school tutoring ministry at La Sagrada Familia United Methodist Church in Salinas, Calif. UMNS photos by John Gordon.

By John Gordon*

SALINAS, Calif. (UMNS) - When Pastor Frank Gomez first arrived at his church on the central California coast, he was sometimes afraid to stay in the building alone.

"(Salinas was) a hotbed of gang activity - many shootings," he says.

While counseling an imprisoned gang member, Gomez learned the young man once used the church parking lot to stake out a nearby business that he planned to rob.

Eight years later, the environment has changed dramatically at the La Sagrada Familia United Methodist Church of Salinas. The church is now a safe haven for children seeking help with their homework after school. In the process, they learn about alternatives to joining street gangs.

The ministry began after an 8-year-old boy asked Gomez' wife, Sandra, for help with his homework.

"His parents couldn't speak English and they weren't able to help him at all," recalls Mrs. Gomez. "So I told him to come and bring it and I would help him."

Word quickly spread through the neighborhood. Soon, about 10 children were showing up at the church for tutoring. The resulting after-school ministry, aimed at students in the second through eighth grades, has grown to an enrollment today of more than 50 students - and a waiting list.

A Christian alternative
Students come to the church for help from volunteer tutors and Mrs. Gomez, who serves as site director for the program. There's also time for outdoor activities.

The church project became part of the non-profit LIFE (Life is for Everyone Inc.) after-school program in Salinas. Besides offering homework help, it is recognized locally for steering children away from street gangs.

"Prevention is much easier and much cheaper than intervention, and certainly more than incarceration," says the Rev. Frank Gomez.

"I believe that if the community, and especially the faith community, gets involved in working to prevent gang membership and gang violence and addiction to drugs and alcohol, I think we can make a huge dent in the problem," says Pastor Gomez. "Prevention is much easier and much cheaper than intervention, and certainly more than incarceration."

Pressure to join gangs comes at an early age. Children as young as age 9 are recruited by local groups.

Sixth-grader Dan Chavez, 11, says he's felt the pressure, but that being at church after school has helped. "It's helped me do the right things because, before, I used to be in the streets hanging out with way bigger guys than me in the park," he says. "One time, they were inviting me to do drugs."

Armando, a former gang member, asked to be identified only by his first name. He says gangs offer youth acceptance that "perhaps you don't get it at home." Now 43, Armando has spent nearly half of his life in jail, prison and youth facilities.

"The average individual don't know nothing about gangs until maybe their house is burglarized, maybe they're carjacked, or maybe the bank that they worked at was robbed and it was robbed by a gang or something like that," he says. "But it's something that, unfortunately, is getting out of hand."

Mrs. Gomez says the church's ministry offers a different kind of acceptance from the gang-land style.

"Here they know they're loved," she says. "My husband and I are like the father and mother. We've been called their second mother or second father. We provide love. No matter what, they know they're loved."

Making a difference
Also part of the curriculum is learning respect for others.

"The things that I've learned here is to behave and not be bullying people in here," says Mariela Raya, 9.

Stefany Delgado, 8, enjoys the healthy snacks and homework encouragement. "They show us manners. We don't speak when other people are talking," she says.

Pastor Gomez, who serves on a citizens' committee that is making recommendations on reducing violence in Salinas, says it is difficult to predict how many children in the after-school ministry might have drifted toward gangs. But he says he can measure success.

"What we can say is that of all the children that have passed through this program, none of the children that we know of have gotten involved in gangs or into trouble with the law," he says. "It definitely makes every effort and every hour worthwhile."

*Gordon is a freelance writer and producer in Marshall, Texas.