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Today, in Holston Conference News Briefs for April 21:

TOP STORY: Church braces for General Conference
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Holston's delegation will join others from around the world April 27-May 7 in Pittsburgh, as the denomination prepares for its quadrennial meeting. Top issues are expected to be homosexuality, a new pension plan, and an expanded Igniting Ministry proposal for 2005-2008. For up-to-date news stories, go to http://www.gc2004.org. For "The Call's" interview with Jean Henderson, head of Holston's delegation, http://www.holstonconference.com/thecall.

Your online calendar: Remember these dates ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aug. 1: "Holston Conference Night at the Ballpark"

New event announcements appear here. Visit our upcoming events page for other events. Be sure you have the newest Acrobat Reader or you may not be able to view PDFs.

When & where to drop off hands-on mission kits ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Holston churches are gearing up to raise $125,000 for India and collect supplies for Liberia and Zimbabwe in the conference's annual missions project. For details, including district drop-off locations and deadlines for hands-on kits, see page 7 of "The Call," April 23 issue. Download missions article here. >> http://holstonconference.com/thecall/currentpdf.html

Last chance to apply for Igniting Ministry grants ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't let the year slip away without applying for the last matching grant round of 2004. From May 1 through June 1, church groups may apply for media money during the upcoming back-to-school season. To download an application,click here http:/www.IgnitingMinistry.org/df/G_2004appform.pdf. For stories on Holston's most recent winners of Igniting Ministry grants, click here http://holstonconference.com/thecall/archives/01-16-04/04_jan16_ads.html.

Pastors report Easter worship attendances ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Laurel Springs, Abingdon District, 15 on average, 35 on Easter.

Alley's Chapel, Big Stone Gap District: 26 on average, 37 on Easter.

Mt. Vernon, Big Stone Gap District: 40 on average, 80 on Easter.

Hardin's Chapel, Morristown District: 70 on average, 100 on Easter.

First Bulls Gap, Morristown District: 72 on average, 93 on Easter.

Daisy, Cleveland District: 87 on average, 135 on Easter.

Beech Grove, Abingdon District: 140 on average, 175 on Easter.

Hiltons Memorial, Big Stone Gap District: 165 on average, 241 on Easter.

Elizabeth Chapel, Johnson City District: 200 on average, 304 on Easter.

Holston View, Big Stone Gap District: 234 on average, 372 on Easter.

First Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge District: 689 on average, 1,106 on Easter.

See other Easter attendance reports in the April 23 issue of "The Call." Find out more... >> http://thecall.holston.org

Zimbabwe missionaries available to speak ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bill and Maria Humbane, missionaries at Ishe Anesu in Zimbabwe, will be available to speak in Holston churches June 1 until June 13. Supporting churches of the Humbanes should e-mail Bill Daugherty or call (865) 690-4080 to schedule a date.

Tennessee Wesleyan hosts LaMotte concert ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tennessee Wesleyan College in Athens will host singer-songwriter David LaMotte in concert on Wednesday, April 28, 7 p.m. in Townsend Auditorium. For more information, e-mail Gina Bever or call (423) 746-5311.

Numbers: Southern Baptist growth drops slightly ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Southern Baptist Convention grew slightly last year in members and new congregations but at a slower rate than the previous 12 months, according to a recent AP article. The nation's largest Protestant denomination grew by well under 1 percent in membership in 2003, bringing the total to 16.3 million people. In 2002, membership had increased by 1.2 percent. Meanwhile, tithes, offerings and special gifts rose by about 5 percent to $9.1 million.

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