Leaders Guide to the special Cooperative Ministries edition of The Tennessee Annual Conference REVIEW for October 3, 2008

By the Rev. Joe Bowers*

Cooperative ministries can take many forms; typically the ministries involve two or more churches working together as partners for a common mission purpose. Cooperative ministries also include churches working in partnership with other groups to provide ministries that go beyond the local church capabilities.
Here are a few suggestions that you might find helpful.

Suggestions for utilization of the Review:

*After reading the articles have participants with missional interest discuss and seek a common understanding or definition of Cooperative Ministries as it pertains to your church.
(Find a working definition and common ground with key people.)

*Assess your local church’s current cooperative ministry activities.
(What are we doing? Do any of the ministries reported in the Review resemble our ministries?)

*Reflect on previous cooperative ministries in which your church has been involved.
(What have we done?)

*Prayerfully consider possibilities that God has placed on your hearts for ministry in cooperation with other churches and/or non church groups.
(Brainstorm about possibilities, how can we see the need?)

*Search for persons in your local church who have gifts for potential involvement in current ministries or could give support to developing future cooperative ministries.
(Assess and tap your resources.)

*Hold a church wide event to share with your congregation what is going on and explore future possibilities for cooperative ministries.
(Promote cooperative ministries and educate your congregation.)

*Plan to co-op with other churches in you district to expand your ministries and connect with others in mission by requesting an educational training event utilizing conference and general board resources.
(Seek to reach outside your church for expansion and training.)

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The lead article in the October 3rd issue of THE REVIEW is by Julia Kuhn Wallace, a staff person with the General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church. A book she has written with Edward A. Kail can be used with this guide and the October 3rd REVIEW to expand a local church’s exploration of Cooperative Ministries.

Partnersteps
Developing Cooperative Ministries Today
By Edward A. Kail, Julia Kuhn Wallace
This resource is a workbook to form healthy cooperative ministries. It provides a process and guidelines to move from mission to shared ministry. This book is especially useful for ministry teams, any church wanting to work cooperatively, and those already sharing a pastor.

$13.00 Ten or More: $11.05 each 96 PagesISBN# 0-88177-357-3, order at gbod.org and use order# DR357

*Joe Bowers is an active member of the Tennessee Annual Conference Cooperative Ministries Committee.

New Center for Health focuses on clergy, lay workers

Participants form symbolic cups to demonstrate that they are praying with their whole being at a worship service during the National Congregational Health Ministries Conference at Lake Junaluska, N.C. A UMNS photo courtesy of the Board of Pension and Health Benefits.

By Deborah White*

LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. (UMNS)-A new Center for Health will address growing health concerns among United Methodist clergy and lay workers by focusing on their holistic wellness, Bishop Mike Watson announced during the denomination's annual health ministries conference.

The center is based at the United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits in Evanston, Ill.

"As a denomination, we need to empower ministries of health today so that our clergy and laity are able to continue effective ministry tomorrow and in the future," said Watson, chairperson of the church's health benefits agency and bishop of the North Georgia Annual (regional) Conference.

"Health affects our physical vitality, psychological well-being, spirituality, social connection and financial security," Watson said in an address to the fourth annual National Congregational Health Ministries Conference, held Sept. 21-24 at Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center. The event's theme was "Empowering Ministries of Health: Connecting Around the World."

The conference, sponsored by the health benefits agency and the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, attracted about 200 participants from 57 of the church's annual conferences.

They attended worship services, plenary presentations and workshops led by more than 25 spiritual leaders and health ministry experts on topics ranging from self-care to global health. They spoke-often passionately-about the need for church leaders to improve their own health and to advocate for excellent health care for all.

'Fit to Lead'
"Fit to Lead" is the slogan of the Center for Health. A stylized laurel leaf with a cross and flame and clergyperson in the center symbolizes health as wholeness in five dimensions: physical, emotional, spiritual, social and financial.

"Rather than trying to fix the symptoms, the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits is joining with others in the church to address the problem, the cause, the real meat," Watson said.

Creation of the center resulted from a series of health-related petitions passed by the 2008 General Conference, the denomination's top legislative body. The petitions directed the church's health benefits agency to establish wellness guidelines for clergy and lay workers, collect data and examine employment systems including itinerancy, appointment making and supervision.

A denominational health task force recommended the legislation after a three-year study that focused on the feasibility of a mandatory health insurance plan for the denomination. The task force recommended that United Methodists confront their health issues rather than adopt a mandatory insurance plan.

"This task force, on which I was privileged to serve, uncovered that we have a problem more insidious than the need for health insurance. We have an underlying health problem, and it's not getting any better," Watson said. "It's getting worse every day."

Five health initiatives
Five initiatives of the Center for Health are intended to help The United Methodist Church become "the healthy denomination"-a hope shared by Barbara Boigegrain, chief executive of the Board of Pension and Health Benefits.

The initiatives are:
.Seminary Workshops: Personal health assessments and self-care programs will address clergy health in seminaries. Pilot programs this fall will include Drew Theological Seminary, Garrett Evangelical Seminary and Union Theological Seminary.
.Fit to Lead Health Assessments: Introduced in seminary, assessments will be used by active clergy annually throughout their careers.
.Study of employment systems: A joint task force of the boards of Pension and Health Benefits and Higher Education and Ministry will conduct the study to determine the health impact of employment systems.
.Walking program: An incentive-based physical activity program will be offered to annual conferences and seminarians. A pilot program is scheduled to begin in October.
.Data Collection: Health-related data for annual conferences, general agencies and the Council of Bishops will be collected, analyzed and shared. The data will be used to establish denomination-wide benchmarks and standards, identify best practices for healthy lifestyles and advise health care plans and wellness programs.

"We want to collect information from conferences because really exciting things are happening in annual conferences, and in many places conferences are leading the way on focusing on health," Boigegrain said. "We will help disseminate that information across the denomination so that everyone who wants to participate or who wants ideas or is passionate about health as wholeness has an opportunity to learn and to apply that in their own setting."

In his address, Watson urged participants not to let the health ministries conference become just a pleasant memory. "Internalize the knowledge and become change agents," he said, cautioning them to stay positive and encouraging. "We must be careful that we do not simply become irritating.

"We have good news to share. We offer abundant life in Christ. We need to leave here contagious, infectious. Enthusiasm and encouragement are in our midst."

*White is associate editor of Interpreter magazine and a member of the health ministries conference leadership team.

Native American women hear call to be role models

Native American women dance as part of a music workshop held during the United Methodist Native American Women in Ministry Conference in Albuquerque, N.M. UMNS photos by Karla Abernethy-Thetford

By Karla Abernethy-Thetford*

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (UMNS)-Native American women in The United Methodist Church must follow God's call on their lives while remembering that they are role models for future generations, says an indigenous bishop in the Episcopal Church.

The Rt. Rev. Carol Gallagher encouraged some 150 Native American women to continue moving forward, sharing their history and traditions, and persevering despite obstacles. One of those obstacles is discrimination, but persistence and continued education are weakening the barriers, she said.

"Stand your ground and do what God is calling you to do," said Gallagher, a member of the Cherokee nation. "Find ways to celebrate the uniqueness that you are."

Gallagher was the keynote speaker at the Native American Women in Ministry Conference, held Sept. 18-20 by the United Methodist Native American Comprehensive Plan. She is the first indigenous woman bishop in the worldwide Anglican Communion.

"Each of you here has done what you could do," Gallagher said. "Some of us have felt we have not done enough. Some have felt there isn't enough time in the day. Some think 'I'm just a woman.' Jesus says to each of us 'you have done what you can do. You have shared what you have.' God needs us to do and offer what we have. Make sure that we offer to those coming behind us and do what we can do."

Fellowship and ideas
Women from more than 20 tribes attended the event, held every four years.

"We don't get to be with a group like this often, and we need this," said Corine Paulk of the Houma Tribe of Louisiana. "We need fellowship with women, with other tribal groups. The fellowship is wonderful. And I will be able to go back home and bring new ideas to share with women and the congregation."

Meeting under the theme "Stick a Fork in Me-Am I Done Yet?", the conference was designed to serve as "a time to come together in joy and celebration," said the Rev. Anita Phillips, an Oklahoma Cherokee and executive director of the Native American Comprehensive Plan. "We celebrate the coming together of nations, the sharing of languages and the joy of bringing generations of our people together."

The participants included a group of young women from Prospect, N.C. "Our church encouraged the younger women to come to this event to develop leadership skills and become more involved in the church," said Rachel Moore of the Lumbee tribe. "It's an exciting opportunity."

Healing journey
The conference included three plenary sessions centered on the conference theme. Anne Marshall, a Muscogee Creek and interim executive secretary of Indigenous Ministries, presented "Healing: When you Come to the Fork in the Road." She shared her story of healing, which began with the death of her husband in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.

"My healing journey began April 19, 1995," Marshall said. "That was the day my husband died."

She spoke of the days waiting for her husband's body to be found in the rubble, the anger she felt and the experience of viewing the execution of convicted bomber Timothy McVeigh. She told how people ridiculed and condemned her for accepting the invitation to witness such an event.

At the execution, Marshall found herself praying for the man responsible for her husband's death and later she found herself comforting a survivor.

"She was saying, 'I don't know why I live.' She was a survivor. I told her that I lost 14 friends and my husband...," Marshall recalled. "I said, 'I know why you lived. You live because long after the reporters are gone and the newspapers forget, you and I will keep that memory alive.' I realized then that I wasn't there to view the execution; I was there to witness to her.

"I got through those days. ... I realized there was nothing anyone can do to you. ... I learned that healing is a journey, not a destination."

'Roll up our sleeves'
The Rev. Shirley Montoya of Arizona spoke on "Nurturing: Stick a Fork in the Monster." Montoya, of the Dine' Nation, shared that once the healing journey has begun, the lessons learned should be used to nurture others.

"Too often we keep information that would be helpful to others to ourselves. We must roll up our sleeves and jump in," Montoya said.

She described her struggle to be ordained and the conflict that existed as she was asked to leave her "Indian self outside." As a result, she moved away from her home and was ordained in another conference. Now, she has returned to her community and hopes to use what she has learned to nurture others.

In the final plenary, the Rev. Tweedy Sombrero of Arizona addressed the issue of "Wholeness: Hold on to Your Fork."

"I had heard that you could not be a Navajo and a Christian at the same time," Sombrero said. "I later realized that it's OK to believe in Indian ways. In fact, I found that the Christian ways enhanced the traditional Indian ways, and the traditional ways enhanced the Christian ways."

New eyes
One way Native American women can educate people in their congregations is through the United Methodist Women Mission Study on Native Americans. Suanne Ware-Diaz, a staff executive with the Commission on Religion and Race, met with several who had taught the study to find ways to improve it and learn how it was being received.

Some concerns expressed included the high number of non-Native Americans teaching the study. The teacher and those taking the class need to understand and respect the sanctity of the various Indian cultures, Ware-Diaz said.

The Apache Chorus sings during worship

"Also, we need to teach that 'Native American' is a label put on us. There are many different tribes made up of distinct people with their own traditions. It is a complex history," she said. "We just want people to stand back and look from a different viewpoint, to look back at history with new eyes."

Through the UMW study, Ware-Diaz said she hoped people will gain new insight about Native Americans and continue to break down stereotypes, and that they will realize it is possible to be both Indian and Christian.

*Abernethy-Thetford is director of communications for the United Methodist Northwest Texas and New Mexico Conferences.

Church center hosts hearing on U.N. goals to end poverty
By Yvette Moore*

Kasaine Nalangu (right) of Kenya testifies through interpreter Ene Taki at Millennium Development Goals hearings at the Church Center for the United Nations. A UMNS photo by Joshua Wiese, Every Human Has Rights Campaign.

NEW YORK (UMNS)-Worried about land rights, the effects of disease and even getting enough food to eat, women, children and human rights advocates testified on efforts to end poverty in their countries in a hearing at the Church Center for the United Nations.

A Call to Action Against Poverty-an international coalition of trade unions, faith groups and other non-governmental organizations-convened the Sept. 22-23 hearing for grassroots voices excluded from the U.N.'s Sept. 25 High Level Event on the Millennium Development Goals.

A drummer's prelude set the tone for the opening interfaith worship service in the chapel that included dramatic readings on a child's view of the U.N. Millennium Development Goals and singing by a local children's choir.

Harriett Jane Olson, president of the Women's Division, United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, welcomed the standing-room-only gathering to the United Methodist Women-owned facility. "This is the place and now is the time for us to let the urgency of the Millennium Development Goals be known," Olson said. "Thank you for your commitment."

Harriett Jane Olson

The hearing began with the words of "witnesses"-indigenous peoples, children and grassroots women-and a panel of advocates that included former Ireland President Mary Robinson voicing concerns about education, poverty and hunger, and environmental sustainability in their nations.

An Indian woman advocate said parents in her country were ready to send even their girl children to school, but lack of money and schools in rural areas hindered fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goal for universal primary education. A witness representing tenant farmers in Nepal cited lack of access to land as a major hindrance to eradication of extreme poverty and hunger in her country.

"We do not have land rights," said Sharmila Karki of Nepal's Citizen's Campaign for Democracy and Social Transformation. "We produce food from the land, but we do not have rights to the food."

A Masai mother from Kenya appealed to the international community for debt relief for African nations, for health initiatives on malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis and for action to stem the global warming causing droughts in her country.

"We depend on our livestock," said Kasaine Nalangu of Kenya's Narok Development Initiative. "If our animals die, we may not survive. As a mother of eight, all my children are looking to me for food, but I don't know if I can provide it at the end of the day."

Sense of urgency
Participants shared stories of impoverished children orphaned by HIV/AIDS and raising siblings, women spending hours fetching potable water for their families, and subsistence farmers losing land to multinational agribusinesses. Their testimony stood in stark contrast to U.S. government negotiations to spend billions of dollars to bail out international banks and financial institutions-a fact that was not lost on the audience.

"We need a sense of urgency about the Millennium Development Goals because we're talking about power, and we're talking about political will," Robinson said. "There is never any shortage of funds to buy arms. -- It's no problem to get $700 billion to bail out financial institutions. -- It's a scandal. But our strength is in our numbers -- and our capacity to network more efficiently because of technology."

U.N. Millennium Campaign Global Director Salil Shetty encouraged participants to demand that their nations meet their obligations to implement the goals. No hands went up when he asked if participants believed the goals would be fulfilled by 2015, although all hands rose when he asked if they ought to be implemented.

"That gap between the ought and the will is why we are here," Shetty said, reminding the audience of other seemingly impossible human rights victories achieved over the years because of advocates like them. "Remember, even if a little baby wants to be fed by its mother, it has to cry out loud."

In 2000, the United Nations adopted the Millennium Declaration calling for implementation of eight goals by 2015:
.Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger;
.Achieve universal primary education;
.Promote gender equality and empowerment of women;
.Reduce child mortality;
.Improve maternal health;
.Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases;
.Ensure environmental sustainability; and
.Create global partnerships for development.

The Women's Division is the national policy-making arm of the nearly 800,000-member United Methodist Women organization. Members raise nearly $20 million annually for programs to improve the lives of women, children and youth.

*Moore is executive secretary for communications for the Women's Division.

A UMNS Commentary by the Rev. Lewis A. Parks: Who is visiting small churches today?

The Rev. Lewis A. Parks

When small church lay and clergy leaders gather, their first comments often reflect an understandable anger, defensiveness and dread of the imminent future.

This is understandable given the challenges they face. But if you listen long enough, as I have done regularly for the last several years, you begin to pick up signs of hope. There's hope consistent with empirical data showing that approximately 35 percent of small membership churches are indeed growing each year-and hope consistent with the church's own theological metrics for measuring the viability and vitality of a congregation.

So who needs a small church these days? What I hear paints a hopeful picture. Call it a work of prevenient grace. Call it a wooing by the Spirit. Call it a happy confluence of the new seekers and the congregations they seek. Whatever you call it, five types of persons keep showing up as visitors to small churches, whether those churches are located in cities, towns or rural settings:

1. Persons seeking surrogate family. They are separated from their families of origin by work, school or military obligations. They are estranged or divorced from those once dear. They are looking for brothers and sisters with whom they can relate in reciprocity. They are looking for aunts and grandfathers who can share wisdom for the journey of life. They hunger for family-like gatherings brimming with assorted characters and stories. The surrogate family language that dominates Paul's letters written to congregations of 35 to 50 people resonates with these persons.

2. Persons seeking an alternative to the anonymity of the workplace and public square. They have learned to be compliant minds and bodies so they can navigate the interstate highways to get to work or to get through airport security without setting off alarms. They shop in big-box stores like Home Depot, Target and Ikea, where consumers seek products without regard for etiquette. They bank and take courses online. But when it comes to worship and spiritual growth, they want a setting where they know and are known by name. They want to be more like performers in worship and less like audience.

3. Persons weary of self-absorption and in search of a corporate story into which they can jump. Author and theologian C.S. Lewis once observed that there comes the day when one realizes one isn't going to be a Great Person after all! So where does one go from there? One of the healthiest answers is to find a community or institution that is more than the sum of its individual members, and give oneself over to it. One reason small churches need to have their story ready to tell is that there are people looking for such stories. Many of the seekers are looking for a story bigger than themselves but still small enough that they might contribute to the advancement of the plot.

4. Persons who have a score to settle with God but want to settle it in a safe environment. They have outgrown the eclectic and nebulous spirituality of their New Age phase. They demand that God make sense of the sudden death of a child, spouse or best friend. They regret the setbacks of their lives and would like to find an overriding providence. As they have it out with God, they have a strong preference for an intimate setting. They want to be able to ask the preacher face to face their hardest questions after the sermon. They want to tell their stories in Bible study with persons whose ongoing stories they are following. They want to be able to feel their way into new vistas of faith and know that those who see the collateral tears read them sympathetically.

5. Persons who are looking for a place to give back for the blessings they have received. Life has been good to them and they have reached a fork in the road. Will they be anxious and grasping like the farmer in Jesus' parable whose logic is "more, more; there's never enough!"? Or will they deem themselves blessed to be a blessing? If the latter, chances are they will look for a place where their gifts make a visible difference. Behold the small church where the budget is nearly always barebones and where "extras" like sending a teenager on a mission trip to Bolivia, having a 2600 lumens projector for the worship service, or making the bathrooms handicap accessible usually depend on the presence of patrons and the energy of volunteer labor.

Whether these five types of persons will come back to the small churches they visit is another story. There are issues of hospitality and excellence of execution that must be faced. But courage for facing them surely starts with a belief that someone is likely to show up and notice. The signs are strong that someone will.

*Parks is professor of theology, ministry and congregational development at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D.C., and has done extensive work with small membership churches and their leaders. This commentary first appeared in Leading Ideas, the online newsletter of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

Drive-in worshipers opt for bucket seats over pews

Chuck Allen and his wife, Rebecca, attend New Hope United Methodist Church in Marietta, Ga., from the comfort of their car. UMNS photos by Reed Galin.

By Reed Galin*

MARIETTA, Ga. (UMNS)-Chuck Allen and his wife, Rebecca, pull into the parking lot of New Hope United Methodist Church in their green convertible, top down.

The small, picturesque white church is framed in their windshield, with tall old pine trees on either side. It's Sunday morning but, as Allen shuts off the engine, he doesn't reach for the door handle to head inside for worship.

In shorts and sandals, he doesn't have to.

"Hey, glad ya could make it this morning!" says the Rev. Norman Markle as he walks to the Allens' car and leans down to chat awhile. The pastor mentions a few details that will be different about today's worship order because New Hope's early morning drive-in service, which debuted in June, is a work in progress.

Markle preaches from the church’s front steps.

Surrounded by other cars and SUVs, the Allens are among those who had never attended New Hope before Markle added an outdoor drive-in service before its traditional indoor service. And they are among the reasons for the unique worship approach. While New Hope is old enough to have survived General Sherman's march on Atlanta during the Civil War, its graying members worried the congregation might not be viable much longer.

"We have to change," Markle declares, citing a need to be less formal. "We're a wonderful little church; we're just in a bad location."

Most New Hope members grew up around the church, but those residential neighborhoods gave way to commercial development as Marietta grew into a city.

The congregation is mostly elderly and needs new blood, says Markle. When talk focused on what the church could do, he spoke up. "Every Sunday morning, we hear these cars going up and down that road beside the church. What if we did some sort of advertising and we could entice 'em to just come into the parking lot?" he asked.

So one day, as Chuck Allen drove past New Hope on his way to work, he spied several small signs on the church property inviting passersby to "come as you are" to an early morning drive-in service. The Allens recently had moved here and liked the idea of worshiping with the top down. "We spend all week indoors," says Rebecca Ash-Allen. "This is very appealing to us, and we like the pastor's message."

Each week, the church's front steps become Markle's pulpit and, this morning, he preaches about the virtue of forgiveness. There are 18 vehicles in the parking lot, hardly a traffic jam-yet.

Holding her Bible and carrying her dog in her lap, Linda Martin is among the new congregants. "We've got all the comforts of home," she says of the outdoor sanctuary. "I can almost roll out of bed on Sunday morning and just throw on some clothes and come to church. … And it's early, so if we still want to go out on the boat on Sunday we've still got the rest of the day left."

But it's not just about convenience and comfort. The setting gives participants a greater sense of control over their worship experience. And most, like long-time New Hope member Cheryl Ellis, just like being outdoors. "When the preacher is preaching about all the earthly things, you're really out here visualizing it. From the cloudy days to the sunshine, you just know you're out there with God. Not that you're not when you're inside, but you know it's just a totally different environment."

The church choir gathers on the lawn and sings an upbeat standard just as the sun finally breaks through, melting off early morning clouds that had threatened drizzle.

As he concludes the service, Pastor Markle strolls through the parking lot to say hello to those he didn't greet earlier. He's relieved that the weather held, and that at least a few of the cars passing have ventured into his parking lot.

"My philosophy has been when you're ready, you'll come. But I have to give you some feed," he says.

Markle points out that he didn't make any pitch during the service about officially joining New Hope, and notes with humor that some folks seem to like the quick getaway possible with a drive-in service.

"If you like what you hear, then you'll want to hear more and maybe you'll come in when the weather turns cold out here," he says. "Success to me is not in numbers and how many we get to join the church. If we get just one person that has changed their life and lives more honestly with the word of God, than we have a winner."

*Galin is a freelance producer based in Nashville, Tenn.

Women’s Division head to Congress: `Act justly for families in U.S. financial crisis’

by Yvette Moore*

In a Sept. 19 letter to Congressional leaders, Women’s Division Deputy General Secretary Harriett Jane Olson reminded legislators of their duty to represent families and children as they address the global financial crisis spurred by the collapse of several Wall Street giants. Ms. Olson wrote to Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chair of the House Financial Services Committee, and Rep. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.), chair of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, after reports of a government plan to rescue banks and other financial institutions failing under the home mortgage meltdown.

“We call upon you to keep before you the faces of families and children whose future will be determined by the decisions you make,” Ms. Olson wrote. “We pray that you will look out for the future of families and children even if it requires action that is not in the interest of the powerful corporations.”

Ms. Olson reminded the legislators of the financial crises faced by women and children in recent months as families lost homes, pensions and jobs. She called for bi-partisan short-term and long-term action that would aid families facing foreclosure and bankruptcy to retain ownership of their homes. Ms. Olson also called for:

• Aid for workers hurt by the market collapse;
• Increased consumer protection and disclosure of financial transactions; and
• Enhanced regulation, cooperation and oversight of financial regulator agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“You are in our prayers,” Ms. Olson wrote. “We do not believe that ensuring corporate survival at the expense of the families of the United States is adequate, nor do we believe it is necessary. By providing homeowners with time and options to restructure loans and avoid foreclosure, by rolling back unworkable bankruptcy provisions and by preventing speculative trading, excess profit taking and grotesque officer and director pay, you can ensure the well being of women and children across the United States.”

The Women’s Division of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries is the national policy-making arm of the nearly 800,000-member United Methodist Women organization. Each year members raise nearly $20 million for programs to improve the lives of women, children and youth.

*Yvette Moore is an executive secretary for communications with the Women’s Division.

Open Spots still available in the Miriam’s Promise Golf and Walk Challenge, September 29, 2008 – Old Natchez Country Club – Franklin, TN

We invite you to participate in our GOLF & WALK Challenge for 2008. This event raises almost 25% of the budget needed to fund the ministry of Miriam’s Promise – our non-profit agency that provides pregnancy counseling and adoptions. Golfers and Walkers participate to raise awareness and funds by gathering sponsors and pledges from friends and family. Walkers will have the opportunity to walk the beautiful 4.2 mile Old Natchez Course. At the completion of the walk, golfers will tee off for an 18 Hole scramble. For more information, please call Debbie Robinson @ 292-3500 or visit our website at www.miriamspromise.org.

Recently we asked prior golfers and walkers to tell us why they answered the call to participate. Here are some of their responses:

From Scott Aleridge, United Methodist Pastor:

Recently, I was asked the question, “Why do you play in the Miriam’s Promise Golf Tournament?” Well, to be honest with you, it is not because I like golf or am good at the game. The true reason I play in the golf tournament is because I’ve personally experienced God’s Amazing Grace through the services Miriam’s Promise provides.

In our own family, Beth and I have blessed by their wonderful work with our son, James Scott. This October, James Scott will turn four years old. What a wonderful four years it has been! You see, Beth and I have known firsthand the incredible gifts and services Miriam’s Promise provides and the difference it makes in a family’s life.

Each day as I wake up and look into my son’s face, I’m reminded of God’s “Means of Grace.” I have no doubt that God is alive and well in the world because I’ve experienced his touch. Moreover, I believe Miriam’s Promise is one of the extensions of God’s hands in the world, right here in middle Tennessee.

So, why do I play the Miriam’s Promise Golf Tournament?

In addition to getting to have fun with fellow pastors chasing a small ball around a beautiful golf course, I also know that I truly to get to be part of something that brings someone closer to the hand of God. I might not be able to change the world for every child, but I can change the world for that one child.

I hope you will consider playing…

From Carl “Trip” Boon, Calvary UMC member:

I am not an adoptive father first of all, so I am looking at this from an entirely different perspective than adoptive parents. My wife and received two wonderful gifts from God in the birth of our son and daughter. We have been truly blessed.

There are many that are less fortunate and this does sadden me. People that want to be parents and cannot, should be given this opportunity. Children deserve a loving and nurturing home. Miriam’s Promise motto of adoption changing the world for a child and changing the world for a family is a large reason for my involvement.

As a Christian, I feel called to this ministry. This is God’s work being done by Miriam’s Promise. The golf tournament each September represents a large percentage of the operating budget for this wonderful ministry. The golf tournament allows me to nourish two passions of mine. I have the opportunity to enjoy the game of golf while raising money for a ministry near and dear to my heart.

Children are our future, so I feel we must love them and enrich their lives as much as possible. I hope that you will not only give generously, but also please keep Miriam’s Promise in your prayers.

From Sally Rogers, Bellevue UMC member, Adoptive Mom,

While thinking about participating in the Miriam’s Promise Golf & Walk Challenge, my mind goes immediately to our two beautiful children and their birthmothers. They are why we work to make this event a success.

Birthmothers

Four amazing gifts
Two are my beautiful children
And two are their beautiful birthmothers

I am so blessed to have the opportunity to know my children’s birthmothers.
For this I am grateful-
I can’t imagine not knowing them or not having the opportunity to tell them how honored I am to be a part of their lives.
I would not be who I am, a mommy, without them.
I am in awe of their strength, courage and unselfishness.

For the true definition of love- look at Christy and Melissa

United Methodist pension board focuses on long term during down market

The financial crisis rocking Wall Street and global markets is impacting the investment portfolio managed by the United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits, though not to the same extent as the broad market averages. A UMNS photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

A UMNS Report
By Marta W. Aldrich*

Pension leaders for The United Methodist Church are assuring participants that their accounts are well-funded through a diverse portfolio of investments, despite losses of $1.5 billion during 2008.

Shaky U.S. and world financial markets have hurt investments of the United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits, the largest faith-based investor in the United States. However, its leaders say the losses are still less than the broad market averages, and they are preaching a "stay-the-course" philosophy to the 74,000 clergy and lay employees participating in their plans.

"We recognize and accept the cycles in the market, and right now the markets are down," said David Zellner, chief investment officer for the Evanston, Ill.-based agency.

"But we have a disciplined investment process that we've had in place for many years, and we stick with that process. We don't waver, and we do not panic. We take a very calm approach."

Chief investment officer David Zellner addresses a January meeting in Fort Worth, Texas.A UMNS file photo by Marta W. Aldrich.

The board's investments closed at $14.9 billion on Sept. 17-down from $16.8 billion at the close of 2007-then increased to $15.2 billion the following day when the market shot up 400 points. The rest of the decrease in assets in 2008 is due to payment of monthly benefits and regular withdrawals.

This week's seesaw numbers follow another tumultuous week in the financial sector that included the collapse of Lehman Brothers investment bankers and the takeover of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America. They are the latest U.S.-based financial institutions that, during the past year, have failed or teetered on the edge of bankruptcy as a result of losses related to risky home mortgages and loans, as well as other high-risk transactions.

Zellner characterized as "minimal" the board's losses directly attributable to securities issued by those institutions.

"At the beginning of the week, we had $5 million directly invested in Lehman Brothers, and that $5 million is now probably worth $2 million. Three million dollars is a lot of money but, as a percentage of a $15 billion portfolio, it is relatively small," Zellner said in a Sept. 18 interview with United Methodist News Service.

In all, he said, less than 1 percent of the board's portfolio was invested in stock issued by Lehman Brothers, mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, investment banker Bear Stearns and insurance giant American International Group. All are among Wall Street icons involved in the shakeup.

Zellner emphasized, however, that investments in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bonds are safe because the U.S. government has taken over responsibility for those liabilities.

As for AIG, the board suffered some investment losses and is in the process of replacing the insurer with another provider to insure one of the board's seven investment funds.

Spreading the risk
The United Methodist pension fund ranks among the top 100 pension funds in the United States, according to Crain's Pension & Investments.

Zellner spoke to UMNS one day after the board posted a question-and-answer report (http://www.gbophb.org/sri_funds/marketsept08.asp) on its Web site about its investment performance in the current market. The report emphasized the board's diverse portfolio that includes U.S. and international stocks, bonds, real estate securities, inflation-protected bonds, commodities futures contracts, private equity, real estate, privately placed mortgage-backed loans through its Positive Social Purpose investments program and other types of investments.

The greatest losses in the past year have resulted from decreased investor confidence in the U.S. and world economies as a result of the failure of these institutions, causing a steady decline in stock and some bond markets.

"Because of the loss of confidence in the U.S. financial system, as well as concerns about the decline in the U.S. and world economies, investors have lost confidence in not only corporate America but in corporations around the world that they'll be able to continue to be as profitable as they have been in the past," Zellner said. "This has had an adverse effect on investor psychology and has resulted in a decline in the value of stock prices for companies."

Zellner said the church's pension funds are positioned to weather such financial storms, however, because of its "long-term investment philosophy of a measured, balanced, diversified approach to managing investments."

"The greatest challenge is assuring participants that we have a disciplined process, that we're adhering to that process and that they should ignore short-term fluctuations in stock prices," he said.

He also noted that clergy in the Ministerial Pension Plan (MPP) that are nearing retirement should not be significantly impacted by the latest market fluctuations as MPP balances are managed by the board's LifeStage Investment Management Service. LifeStage places investments with higher risk but the potential for greater return during early years of a participant's career and reduces exposure to higher-risk equities as retirement approaches.

"Although the recent decline in the stock market has had an adverse impact on MPP balances, most participants approaching retirement have a majority of their balances invested in lower-risk, fixed-income funds," the Q&A report states.

Clergy who are a decade or more from retirement will see reductions in the value of their accounts, "but given the amount of time before retirement, there is time to recover those losses," Zellner said.

The board received numerous calls from participants after Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy protection on Sept. 15 because the pension agency has about $2 billion in assets managed by Lehman Brothers Asset Management (LBAM). The Q&A explains that LBAM is a subsidiary of Lehman Brothers Holding Co. that is not subject to the bankruptcy filing and that securities managed by LBAM on behalf of the board are held by and under the control of Bank of New York Mellon, custodian of the board's investments.

"Approximately 60 percent of the securities managed by LBAM for the General Board are safe U.S. government-issued securities," the report states.

Zellner noted that the value of the board's LBAM assets actually increased on the day when Lehman Brothers collapsed. "That entity is the money management arm, and our participants should rest assured that those assets are safe," he said.

Opportunity amid turmoil
Julianne Malveaux, an economist and president of United Methodist-related Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C., said participants in the denominational pension plan should not panic when they see a reduction in their account balances.

"I wouldn't be alarmed by what represents a 6 percent loss at a time when some companies are experiencing losses of 30 and 40 percent," she said. "I'd be more alarmed if we don't get on top of this in the longrun by pushing our influence as a socially responsible investor and sharing with our stakeholders what we should be doing around this economy."

Malveaux said the succession of collapses or mergers of some of Wall Street's oldest and biggest firms represents an opportunity for the pension board and other large managers to use their investment muscle to influence public policy and address corporate greed.

"With such financial instability, the question we might want to raise is how we can be a force for stability," she said. "With more than $15 billion, the pension board has an enormous influence to emphasize not only rate of return but also social and economic justice. Investors can change the course of corporate greed," for instance, by advocating against unfair compensation packages, balancing CEO bonuses with assistance to "the least of these" and pushing companies to be environmentally, economically and racially just.

"This is a great time for people to think about where we are and to begin to raise questions. At any shareholder meeting, there should be a United Methodist statement at the table. We need to make sure we're seen as a socially responsible investor that has a vision about what our nation looks like."

The Board of Pension and Health Benefits is an original signer of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment. All of its investments are screened according to investment policies adopted by its board of directors in accordance with the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church. These policies exclude investments in companies earning significant revenues from gambling or from the manufacture, sale or distribution of alcoholic beverages, tobacco-related products, pornography or weapons.

*Aldrich is news editor of United Methodist News Service.

Children learn reading skills in homeless shelter

By Heidi Robinson*

Ginger Cashin works with third-grader Mayce Simpson during Reading is Fun, a literacy program operated by Atlanta Urban Ministry for children living in homeless shelters. UMNS photos by Heidi Robinson.

ATLANTA (UMNS)-Sixteen children gleefully hop off the yellow bus after a full day in school, chattering with friends as they head inside for a snack.

They are home-for now-at a homeless shelter for mothers and children.

"When does the reading program start tonight?" asks Mayce, a third-grader.

Mayce and her family came to the shelter several months ago as her mother struggled with an addiction to crack cocaine.

"There have been blessings in this crisis," says Mayce's mother, Alethia Simpson, 36. "The tears I am crying now are tears of joy."

Simpson's three daughters-Mayce, Chelsea and Tracie-entered Reading is Fun, a program offered twice a week to the shelter's children. The literacy program has been operated for five years by Atlanta Urban Ministry, an outreach of the United Methodist North Georgia Conference.

Simpson says the program has had a dramatic effect on her daughters' outlook on school.

"Chelsea would cry when someone asked her to read, and her teacher said she was on the border of failing last year," Simpson says. "Her latest progress report has As and Bs. I am so proud of her. My girls are now helping other children read."

Alethia Simpson and her children plan to move into an apartment soon.

The ministry serves about 100 children each year and hired educator Millicent Green to oversee the sessions.

"Children who experience homelessness have special academic needs," says Green, a public school teacher in Atlanta. "They may change schools multiple times within the school year. It creates gaps in their learning. We want to bridge the gaps with solid reading skills."

Reading is Fun relies on a dedicated team of 15 volunteers who tutor the children in reading fluency, sight words and phonics. Coming from a variety of professional backgrounds, the volunteers are accountants, business leaders, college students and retirees.

"No teaching experience is required, but consistency is a must," explains Ginger Cashin, supervisor of children's programs at Atlanta Urban Ministry. "Our programs help offer a source of stability when families have been in survival mode."

Lockheed Martin engineer Robert Hanson has volunteered here for years. He holds flashcards for a struggling third-grader and says, "OK, the 'y' sounds like a long 'i.' Let's try this word again."

Atlanta Urban Ministry (http://www.atlantaurbanministries.org/overview.html) also provides after-school homework help and a writing lab to hone language arts skills.

Tracie Simpson, 15, proudly shares the difference the personalized help has made to the start of her high school experience.

"I used to be afraid to read in front of my class. Now I read faster, I speak louder. I am in a literature and debate class, and I am getting great grades," says the ninth-grader. "It is fun to read. I didn't know there were so many books to choose from."

Most of the shelter's families live here for about eight weeks, and the children attend public schools in Atlanta. As each school-age child enters the shelter, he or she receives a reading assessment. Most score below grade-level, and some of the children have had to start at the very beginning.

"We knew we needed to provide this," Cashin says. "Some of our kids would come in after school and couldn't read the directions for the homework. Our hope is that they develop a love reading, but more than that they will know they are capable."

*Robinson is a freelance producer based in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Florida man works to start Hispanic prayer line

Hispanic Methodists hold hands in prayer during an August meeting in Newark, N.J. A UMNS photo by Corey Daniel Godbey.

A UMNS Report
By Jenna De Marco*

Leland McKeown says he can't help but look for ways to help people in need.

A United Methodist from Florida, his latest mission is to establish a denominational toll-free telephone prayer line for the Hispanic community-similar to an English-language prayer line already available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through the Upper Room Living Prayer Center in Nashville, Tenn.

McKeown, who serves as chairman of ministries and missions for the Florida Conference United Methodist Men, shared his vision last March in Nashville at a meeting of the United Methodist Men Conference Presidents and Prayer Advocates.

"It would be a national prayer line (like) the Upper Room prayer line (but) for Spanish-speaking people, and it would cover the United States and Canada and the Caribbean," he said.

In a subsequent letter to local churches in Florida, McKeown outlined three key steps to make the vision a reality.

"First, the United Methodist Men's Foundation would set up a special account for this purpose that would have to accumulate a minimum of $300,000 to fund the program. This was started with a free-will offering that raised the first $1,000," he said. "Secondly, we would need to establish as many remote units as possible that could take calls and pray with people in Spanish. Third, we would need to set up a number of covenant prayer groups to pray over the requests."

McKeown said all United Methodist churches and conferences can contribute to the startup ministry, although it is his prayer "that the membership of the Florida Conference will lead the way to attain the three basic needs it will take to fulfill this mission."

Leland McKeown, an officer of United Methodist Men in Florida, is championing an effort to launch a Spanish-language prayer line. A UMNS photo courtesy of Leland McKeown.

More than 175 Christian volunteers staff the English-language prayer line, which averages about 30,000 toll-free telephone prayer requests and 7,000 e-mail requests each month, in addition to many written requests. More than 300 groups pray for the requests.

Migdiel Pérez, manager of the Upper Room Living Prayer Center, sees a need for a Hispanic prayer line. He cites denominational statistics that people of Hispanic/Latino descent make up 51,871 of the church's members, 357 congregations, 506 clergy and three bishops. At the same time, U.S. Census information indicates Hispanics accounted for half of the U.S. population growth-1.4 million people out of a total 2.9 million-from July 2005 through July 2006. California, Texas and Florida have the largest populations of Hispanics.

"We are a diverse community with many needs and gifts," said Pérez, himself from Puerto Rico.

"Despite a common language and shared cultural values and practices, it manifests rich variations of linguistic and cultural expression that reflect regional and national origin differences. Taking all of this into consideration, the staff of Upper Room Living Prayer Center feel that God is leading us to work with this growing community by making our prayer ministry available in Spanish, their heart language."

The $300,000 goal is a benchmark that would allow the ministry to be fully funded for at least two years. In the meantime, Hispanic people can e-mail prayer requests on the Upper Room Prayer Center's Web site (http://www.upperroom.org/Prayer_Center/enespanol/).

"We do have the Web site, and they can go in and actually read the magazine, the meditation and (make) the prayer requests," Pérez said.

Pérez gives written Spanish prayer requests to several of his staff members who are Hispanic, who take them home or to their churches for prayer.

United Methodists can support the birth of the Hispanic prayer line several ways. Pérez suggests praying for the people who will be a part of it, as well as for the lives that will be touched by it. He also requests help from annual conferences and local churches in promoting this ministry and in forming covenant groups that will be praying for the requests.

Anyone who wants to contribute financially or learn more about forming a covenant group should contact Pérez at (877) 899-2780, ext. 7215, or through the Upper Room Living Prayer Center (http://www.upperroom.org/prayer_center).

*De Marco is a freelance writer based in Nashville, Tenn. This story appeared initially in e-Review, an online publication of the Florida Annual Conference.

Bishop rules request for SMU library decision 'moot'

A UMNS Report
By Linda Green*

A United Methodist bishop has ruled that a request for a decision of law about Southern Methodist University's right to lease campus property to the Bush Foundation is "improper, moot and hypothetical."

Oklahoma Bishop Robert E. Hayes Jr. rendered the decision after examining actions of the church's South Central Jurisdictional Conference in favor of the private Dallas school's lease agreement for the President George W. Bush Presidential Center. The jurisdiction owns SMU, and the school's bylaws require the church to approve the sale or lease of campus land.

Conference delegates voted 158-118 on July 17 to affirm the lease for the Bush presidential library, museum and policy institute. The jurisdiction's executive committee, called the mission council, initially gave the green light to the lease in March 2007, and school officials approved the agreement last February. The lease charges the Bush Foundation $1,000 for 99 years, renewable for up to 250 years.

Hayes, who presided during the jurisdictional vote, was asked by the Rev. Jeannie Trevino-Teddlie, director of the Mexican-American program at SMU's Perkins School of Theology, for a decision of law on the lease.

Specifically, Trevino-Teddlie asked: "Is the approval of the lease of property of Southern Methodist University by the South Central Jurisdiction and Southern Methodist University, at less than market value, to the Bush Foundation for the purpose of establishing a policy institute, in conflict with the articles of incorporation of Southern Methodist University, the rules of the South Central Jurisdiction and/or The Book of Discipline, specifically (Paragraph) 2503.4, which requires all United Methodist property to be 'kept, maintained … for the benefit of The United Methodist Church and subject to the usages and the Discipline of The United Methodist Church' and said lease would subsidize a specific political and ideological point of view?"

In his Aug. 12 ruling that was recently obtained by United Methodist News Service, Hayes said the first portion of Trevino-Teddlie's request goes beyond church law and involves secular, corporate and real estate law. "I do not believe I have before me a proper request for a ruling on church law," he wrote.

Decision to be reviewed
Decisions of law from bishops are automatically reviewed by the United Methodist Judicial Council, the church's supreme court, and Hayes has forwarded his ruling to that body for its decision. However, as of Sept. 12, the issue had not been placed on the council's docket for this October. After that, the Judicial Council is scheduled to meet again in the spring of 2009.

Trevino-Teddlie said she was disappointed but not surprised by Hayes' ruling. She noted that most of the jurisdiction's bishops had supported the actions of the mission council, which in a closed executive session voted 10-4, with one abstention, in favor of the lease.

"It did not surprise me that Bishop Hayes would rule the way he did," she said. "I look forward to the Judicial Council reviewing the decision."

Officials at SMU were pleased with Hayes' decision.

Since "we followed established procedures in obtaining permission of the mission council to lease the land in question, we obviously concur with the bishop's decision," said Brad Cheves, the school's vice president for development and external affairs.

The library proposal has been debated since SMU was placed on the Bush Foundation's short list of potential sites in December of 2006. Critics have questioned the appropriateness of linking the Bush presidency with the 11,000-student, United Methodist-founded school. They argue that many policies of the Bush administration, particularly the war in Iraq, are contrary to United Methodist teaching.

Library opponents have argued that the mission council did not follow church procedure and that the matter should have gone before the South Central Jurisdictional Conference, which meets once every four years.

Extensively debated
In a Sept. 11 interview with UMNS, Hayes said the substance of Trevino-Teddlie's request was not a question that would hinder the continuation of the Bush library project. "It was a question on whether SMU had the right to use it the way they did," he said. "It was not a direct dispute but whether the approval was in conflict with the articles of incorporation of SMU."

Hayes wrote that the request had been extensively debated by the jurisdictional conference, and that the vote affirming the lease "is in opposition to the position of the person submitting this request for a Decision of Law." He stated that the conference did not concur with other petitions on the SMU issue, including one referred by the 2008 General Conference, the denomination's top legislative body.

The bishop also ruled that the request for a decision of law was framed in a manner that suggests "matters of purported fact that seem to me to be hypothetical and speculative," he wrote.

"The request for a decision of law is posed in a manner that asks if things were done correctly," he told UMNS. "And they were. Everything was in order."

The jurisdictional conference vote affirmed that the regional mission council, which conducts business on behalf of the conference in between its sessions, was authorized to act on the lease.
Hayes said that his "decision of law was mindful and respectful to previous Judicial Council decisions regarding the right of trustees to have unlimited power in deposition of real property."
*Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.

A United Methodist News Service Commentary by Kathy L. Gilbert*: Friends offer hospitality as storm rages

Mary Durusau Erwin (center) hugs her brother, John, during a meal served by the light of candles and one battery-powered lantern. Hurricane Gustav knocked out power to their Baton Rouge, La., home. UMNS photos by Mike DuBose.

There are certain things John Durusau is used to doing.

He goes to his little sister's house most weekends. He bowls on Tuesday, washes his clothes on Saturday and goes to church on Sunday.

Then there are the things he looks forward to all year, like watching the Jerry Lewis telethon on Labor Day.

Hurricane Gustav wrecked all that and more when it roared into Baton Rouge, La., and knocked out the electricity for more than 150,000 people, including John, his sister, Mary Erwin, and brother-in-law, Barry Erwin.

John, 58, has Down syndrome and changes to his routine really throw him off. He lives in a group home and goes to work every day, but he couldn't do either of those things last week because both places were also without power.

He didn't complain about the sweltering, humid, south Louisiana heat, but it did bother him that the clothes he put into the dryer early Saturday morning never got dry. And he was really disappointed he missed every cent Jerry was able to raise for his "kids."

Every so often, he would ask, "When is the electricity coming back on?" and Mary would gently remind him that no one knew how long it would take. He would shake his head and get a big smile on his face. "We will just keep our fingers crossed, right?"

In the eye of a storm
Mary takes care of everyone, whether they deserve it or not and sometimes whether they want it or not.

She is my best friend and former college roommate, and she didn't blink an eye when I asked if I could come to her house for the hurricane. She also graciously accepted two of my United Methodist News Service colleagues, photographer, Mike DuBose, and video producer, John Gordon. We arrived on the last flight to Baton Rouge Aug. 31, before the airport shut down in anticipation of the coming hurricane.

We were watching the Weather Channel when the first strong winds knocked out power to their house around 9 a.m. Sept. 1. John G., Mike and I headed out Interstate 10 in our rented minivan. We were brave until a tree fell over both lanes of the interstate going east. Mike pointed out that if another one fell in the westbound lanes, we would be stuck in the middle of a hurricane in a minivan. Plus, we were the only people on the road, so being out in the storm didn't seem like such a good idea any more.

Back at Mary and Barry's house, we all took turns standing on the back patio or watching through the windows as 90-mph-plus winds rocked the house and split 100-year-old trees like twigs. It was a sight you couldn't wrap your brain around; trees are not supposed to twist like that. The wind is not supposed to sound like that.

Large branches from a neighbor's live oak tree punctured my friends' roof in two places. At one point, a large, heavy branch fell on the gutter, mere inches from my face. At that point, I decided to go inside. But really, no place was safe, it was just the luck of the draw whether a flying projectile would find you, your house, your car or any other earthly possession you owned or person you loved.

Louisiana natives and longtime Baton Rougers, Mary, Barry and John have been through many storms-Andrew, Katrina, Rita, just to name a few recent ones. They remained pretty calm during the whole ordeal. Barry stood outside more than the rest of us, and occasionally he would rush out and move debris around to clear a path to the front and back doors.

Once the wind stopped, the scene that remained was one of utter chaos. Not one street looked like it did the day before Gustav arrived. Power lines were snapped, utility and telephone poles were inches high instead of feet tall. Beautiful old trees that were like members of our families were uprooted and lay helplessly in streets.

Southern comfort
However, no place in Baton Rouge had better food than we did, thanks to a gas stove and Barry's culinary brilliance. Every morning we headed out to the United Methodist Louisiana Annual (regional) Conference office, and every night we came home to southern comfort cooked by flashlight. It gave me a new understanding of the phrase, "Eat your heart out."

Sunday: Shrimp Clemenceau (shrimp and roasted potatoes).
Monday: Grilled chicken and homemade salsa.
Tuesday: Shrimp and pasta.
Wednesday: Jambalaya.
Thursday: Shrimp and crab cakes.

The menu increasingly was dictated by what was defrosting the fastest, but the quality never wavered. And this was after long, hot days for Barry and Mary of chopping up branches, raking soggy leaves, climbing on the roof trying to stop the leaks and endless other miserable chores resulting from the storm.

By Wednesday evening, friends had brought them a generator, and you would have thought we had just won a million dollars. One lamp, a fan and power for the refrigerator-what luxury!

At dinner that night, John offered his philosophy on the storm. Reflecting on how long it would take to get back to normal, he would throw up his hands and say, "Don't be sad, be glad." And he would cross those fingers.

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

United Methodist Social Principles: New changes indicate ever-evolving nature of declarations
By the Rev. Clayton Childers and Wayne Rhodes

The United Methodist Church’s Social Principles trace their roots to a Social Creed introduced 100 years ago. Changes, however, including those by this year’s top policy-making body, which meets every four years, have made the declarations a living, breathing statement of how to put faith into action.

The denomination’s history of outspoken concern for social issues predates that nascent Social Creed by more than 100 years, of course. John Wesley, who founded the Methodist movement, campaigned vigorously for human and economic rights in the late 19th century.

That 1908 Social Creed adopted by The Methodist Episcopal Church (North) inspired within the decade similar statements by The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and by The Methodist Protestant Church. The Evangelical United Brethren Church adopted a statement of social principles in 1946 when it united with the United Brethren and The Evangelical Church.

In 1972, four years after The Methodist Church and The Evangelical United Brethren Church merged, the General Conference of The United Methodist Church adopted a new statement of Social Principles, which has been revised by each successive General Conference.

Salient feature
And that is the salient feature of the Social Principles. They are a prayerful and thoughtful effort on the part of the denomination to speak to contemporary human issues. The opportunity to update or change the Social Principles is offered to anyone, individual, church, district, annual conference, every four years.

The denomination’s General Conference, its top policy-making body, evaluates proposals as to sound biblical and theological foundations as historically demonstrated in United Methodist traditions. If adopted, changes become integral to a century-old tradition that has made the Social Principles essentially a living document, evolving with the times, addressing contemporary, often previously unconceivable controversial issues.

The Social Principles are intended to be instructive and persuasive as a call to faithfulness and action. They are not church law, though. They are to assist the denomination’s members in prayerful, studied dialogue about faith and practice.

Early Methodists opposed the slave trade, smuggling and cruel treatment of prisoners. The 2008 General Conference, which concluded in early May, has furthered the tradition to express how faith should be put into action regarding current social concerns.

This article contains some changes, mostly new language, to various sections of the Social Principles that become effective for 2009 to 2012. These are not comprehensive, but are instead reflective of the ever-evolving nature of the document that appears in the denomination’s Book of Discipline, ¶¶s 160 to 165, and in its Book of Resolutions. The Social Principles are in both because the denomination considers them foundation statements that suggest how and why faith can become action.

Preamble

Respectful Conversation: We pledge to continue to be in respectful dialogue with those with whom we differ, to explore the sources of our differences, to honor the sacred worth of all persons as we continue to seek the mind of Christ and to do the will of God in all things.

¶160. I. The Natural World

A) Water, Air, Soil, Minerals, Plants: We are deeply concerned about the privatization of water resources, the bottling of water to be sold as a commodity for profit, and the resources that go into packaging bottled water. We urge all municipalities and other governmental organizations to develop processes for determining sustainability of water resources, and to determine the environmental, economic and social consequences of privatization of water resources prior to the licensing and approval thereof.

D) Global Climate Stewardship: We acknowledge the global impact of humanity’s disregard for God’s creation. Rampant industrialization and the corresponding increase in the use of fossil fuels have led to a buildup of pollutants in the earth’s atmosphere. These “greenhouse gas” emissions threaten to alter dramatically the earth’s climate for generations to come with severe environmental, economic, and social implications.

The adverse impacts of global climate change disproportionately affect individuals and nations least responsible for the emissions. We therefore support efforts of all governments to require mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and call on individuals, congregations, businesses, industries, and communities to reduce their emissions.

E) Space: We therefore reject any nation’s efforts to weaponize space and urge that all nations pursue the peaceful and collaborative development of space technologies and of outer space itself.

¶161. II. The Nurturing Community

I) Abortion: We support parental, guardian, or other responsible adult notification and consent before abortions can be performed on girls who have not yet reached the age of legal adulthood.

¶162. III. The Social Community

Our respect for the inherent dignity of all persons leads us to call for the recognition, protection, and implementation of the principles of “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights” so that communities and individuals may claim and enjoy their universal, indivisible and inalienable rights.

G) Rights of Immigrants: We recognize, embrace and affirm all persons, regardless of country of origin, as members of the family of God. We affirm the right of all persons to equal opportunities for employment, access to housing, healthcare, education and freedom from social discrimination. We urge the Church and society to recognize the gifts, contributions and struggles of those who are immigrants and to advocate for justice for all.

U) Right to Health Care: We believe it is a governmental responsibility to provide all citizens with health care.

¶163. IV. The Economic Community

E) Poverty: As a church, we are called to support the poor and challenge the rich.

H) Family Farms: We call upon governments to revise support programs that disproportionately benefit wealthier agricultural producers, so that more support can be given to programs which benefit medium- and smaller-sized farming operations, including programs which build rural processing, storage, distribution and other agricultural infrastructure; which link local farmers to local schools; and which promote other community food security measures.

¶164. V. The Political Community

E) Education: We believe that colleges and universities are to ensure that academic freedom is protected for all members of the academic community, and a learning environment is fostered which allows for a free exchange of ideas. We affirm the joining of reason and faith; therefore, we urge colleges and universities to guard the expression of religious life on campus.

¶165 VI. The World Community

C) War and Peace: We oppose unilateral first/preemptive strike actions and strategies on the part of any government. As disciples of Christ, we are called to love our enemies, seek justice, and serve as reconcilers of conflict.

You can learn more about the United Methodist Social Principles at www.umc-gbcs.org/socialprinciples, which also includes teaching resources. You can also contact The Rev. Clayton Childers, General Board of Church & Society’s director of Annual Conference Relations, about training programs on the Social Principles at (202) 488-5642.

The General Board of Church & Society’s Web site also offers information about the “Companion Litany to the Social Creed”. This litany was adopted by General Conference this year in an effort to make the denomination’s Social Creed, adopted in 1972, more accessible and usable in worship situations. The Web site a .pdf document containing both the 1908 and 1972 versions of the Social Creed. It also has music to help in singing a response during worship. The Companion Litany will be adjacent to the denomination’s Social Creed, which is ¶166 following the Social Principles.

Editor's note:The Rev. Clayton Childers is the director of Annual Conference Relations at the General Board of Church & Society. Wayne Rhodes is editor of Faith in Action and director of Communications for the agency.

Financial Peace University, Sundays, Beginning September 7, 2008, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Brentwood United Methodist Church

Financial Peace University
Sundays, Beginning September 7, 2008, 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Cost: $99.50

August 26, 2008 - 500,000 FAMILIES GAIN HOPE FOR THEIR FINANCIAL FUTURE
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Financial Peace University (FPU), the 13-week program taught by Dave Ramsey, has helped more than 400,000 families positively change their financial future. This life-changing program teaches families and individuals how to handle their money through common-sense principles and small group accountability. FPU is available for churches, companies, military bases, financial literacy programs, Spanish speaking organizations and community groups.

FPU classes will be held in Brentwood at: Brentwood United Methodist Church, 309 Franklin Road.

Beginning Sept 7th Congregational Care and Single Adult Ministries are cosponsoring this 13 week program. For partial scholarships contact Rev. Kaye Harvey at kharvey@bumc.net. To register you may go to the BUCM website at BUMC.net. or you may call 324-8211. Anyone needing childcare must contact nursery@bumc.net or 324-7239 to ensure a place for your child. Call Carol Ruckman at 324-8211 for more information.

As they work on a Total Money Makeover, the average family pays off $5,300 in debt and saves $2,700 in the first 91 days after beginning FPU and is completely out of debt, except for the mortgage, in 18 to 24 months. “We’ve actually relieved ourselves of over $50,000 worth of debt
in two years just from using these principles,” said Russ Lee, former FPU participant. Dave Ramsey began teaching FPU classes in 1994 every night around Nashville, Tennessee. In 1997, FPU was made available on video across the country with thousands of classes around the
nation today.

The program is made up of 13 life-changing lessons taught by Dave in a fun and entertaining way. “I like to put the cookies on the shelf where everyone can reach them,” says Ramsey. After each lesson the group meets to help each other plan budgets, discuss successes and temptations,
and support each other in their journey to beat debt and build wealth. Topics covered include:
• Saving for emergencies
• Budgeting
• Relationship and money issues
• Buying big bargains
• Getting out of debt
• Understanding investments
• Understanding insurance
• Retirement and college planning
• Buyer beware
• Real estate mortgages
• Careers and extra jobs

Each class participant needs a kit. Special rates are routinely available online at www.daveramsey.com or by calling 888-227-3223. Included in the cost of the kit is a lifetime family membership to FPU, allowing the participant to return to any class at anytime for a
refresher course. The kit also includes an FPU workbook, an FPU envelope system, 13 audio lessons, bonus CD, budgeting forms, debit card holders, and Ramsey’s best-selling book – Financial Peace.

United Methodist Men seeks to reach all men

Bishop Richard J. Wills Jr. (left) announces the re-election of the Rev. David Adams (center) to head the Commission on United Methodist Men as commission vice president Glenn Wintemberg watches. A UMNS photo by Martha Davis.

By J. Richard Peck*

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS)--With its goal to "help men know Jesus Christ," the Commission on United Methodist Men must reach out beyond its chartered local church chapters to connect with a wider range of men, say its leaders.

"Our goal is to help men grow in Christ so others may know Christ," said the Rev. David Adams, who was re-elected top staff executive of the commission during the Aug. 22-24 meeting of its board of directors.

"Churches should hold the charter of United Methodist Men because the charter includes all men of the church. Our focus should be outward, not inward. We need to be invitational and provide many entry points for men," he said.

These entry points include mission trips, teaching opportunities, Bible studies, home repairs and scout troops. "Don't tell men what to do," Adams said. "Invite them to action."

Celebrating its 100th birthday this year, United Methodist Men is a ministry to and through all men of The United Methodist Church in the United States. It has 239,000 members in its chartered chapters, but wants to reach all men among the church's 7.9 million U.S. members.

Earlier this year, the commission reported to General Conference, the church's top legislative assembly, about a survey of United Methodist men citing a "lack of interest in religion" as the top reason the church does not reach more younger men.

To help churches cast a wider net, the commission is training "men's ministry specialists" and soon will begin a program for "scouting ministries specialists." This effort will be supported by "teaching churches" that will provide training and resources for other churches wanting to enrich their ministries to men.

Men's specialists will be certified by the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry following recommendation and mentoring by their pastors, training experiences in men's ministry, a course in United Methodist history and polity, and experience in leading a local or regional event. In addition, people who have completed courses in lay speaking ministries may receive additional training to become men's ministry specialists.

Begin with boys
Bishop James King, who was elected president of the 25-member board for the next four years, said the commission should focus its attention on nurturing boys.

"We keep expecting fruit from men, but we have neglected the roots of boys," said King, who is in the process of moving from Kentucky to South Georgia.

King told the commission that the most teachable time in a person's life is the pre-school age of 4 through the fourth grade. "We are giving the church a gift of nurturing men, beginning with boys," he said.

The commission is responsible for United Methodist relations with Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of the USA, Camp Fire USA and 4-H. The agency also entered into a partnership with Big Brothers/Big Sisters to encourage men to mentor children of incarcerated adults.

The commission learned that scout troops chartered by United Methodist churches will be supporting the Nothing But Nets campaign to eliminate malaria in Africa. There are 368,000 scouts involved in more than 11,000 United Methodist-chartered packs, troops or crews.

The commission's scouting committee elected Dr. Sam Bala, a surgeon in Dade City, Fla., to serve as committee chair. A native of the Philippines, Bala has provided free reconstructive cleft palate operations for children worldwide and recently led a medical mission trip to the Philippines.

The committee created two new scouting awards: the Silver Torch Award for people who support scouting at regional, national or international levels, and the Shepherd Church Charter Recognition for churches that sponsor youth-serving groups.

United Methodist Men also supports the Upper Room Prayer Center and hunger relief.

The board learned that the prayer center, supported by an annual $24,000 grant from the United Methodist Men Foundation, receives an average of 30,000 telephone prayer requests each month and 6,000 requests by e-mail.

United Methodist Men have led more than 720 volunteers into farm fields to pick up nearly 489,000 servings of food for America's hungry through the Society of St. Andrew. In 2007, the men also gave more than $170,000 for Meals for Millions.

In an effort to address hunger across the globe, the men agreed to participate in Stop Hunger Now, an international campaign to provide rice-soy meals in sealed plastic containers.

Coming together
United Methodist Men will celebrate all of its ministries next summer in Nashville at its national gathering held once every four years. After a long tradition of meeting at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., the 2009 meeting will be held next July 10-11 on the campus of Nashville's Belmont University.

Scheduled speakers include Chicago Area Bishop Hee-Soo Jung; the Rev. Kevass Harding, pastor of Dellrose United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kan.; and Patrick Morley, chairman and chief executive of Orlando, Fla.-based Man in the Mirror Ministries. Performers scheduled include country music star Vince Gill, Nashville-based recording artist Steve Hornbeak, and Sheltered Reality, an Iowa-based percussion group that will include youngsters from a inner-city church in Nashville.

In other business, the commission:
.Learned that the mortgage for the agency's Nashville headquarters will be retired Sept. 24 following a $500,000 gift from Ed and Gwen Cole; and
.Celebrated the distribution of 308,000 copies of a revised World War II Strength for Service to God and Country devotional book. Most of the books were presented free to members of the armed forces.

*Peck is the communications coordinator for the Commission on United Methodist Men.