Today, in Holston Conference News Briefs for December 1:
exclusive –Tom Ballard commentary: Is it virtual reality or Advent? @ holston.org- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
TOP STORY: Knoxville church wins T-shirt contest
And the winner of the Resurrection 2005 T-shirt design contest is ... Church Street United Methodist Church in Knoxville.
Laura Tugwell, a junior in Church Street's youth program, designed the "Show Us Your Glory" art that will appear on hundreds of Resurrection T-shirts sold at the youth spiritual event, to be held Jan. 14-16 and Jan. 21-23 in Gatlinburg, Tenn.
Pre-order shirts from Church Street's website
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
How to welcome guests properly on Christmas Eve
Remember that unchurched people are very receptive to coming to church on Christmas Eve. Embrace the opportunity for them to come to yours. Visit this UMC.org web site, "Last-Minute Welcoming Tips for Christmas Eve," for some overlooked elements of holiday hospitality.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
New Year's youth mission: Souper Bowl of Caring
For 15 years, churches and youth groups have joined in collecting cans and funds for the hungry on Super Bowl Sunday. The next "Souper Bowl of Caring" is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 6. A "Youth Service Blitz" is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 5.
Find out how easy it is to participate
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ministers' wives: See you in Sevierville
The annual Ministers' Wives Retreat is scheduled for March 10-12 at Oak Tree Lodge in Sevierville, Tenn., organizer Martha Patterson reports. Church groups are encouraged to sponsor their ministers' wives to attend the retreat. Cost: $80, including lodging for two nights, dinner and a show.
Brochures will be mailed in early December. Registration deadline is Jan. 22. Ministers' wives who do not receive a brochure should e-mail Patterson or call (423) 586-1809.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Want to know how the UMC spends its money?
"The Financial Commitment of The United Methodist Church 2005-2008," an 111-page document, is now available to church members. The workbook provides detailed information about UMC finances, as approved by the 2004 General Conference and prepared by the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA.)
Visit the GCFA web site
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Numbers: More on marriage preservation
According to a recent Barna Group survey, the divorce rate among born-again Christians is 35 percent -- exactly the same for the population as a whole. Catholics were much less likely to divorce (25 percent) than Protestants (39 percent).
Although Bible scholars point out that Jesus taught that divorce was a sin unless adultery was involved, few Americans buy that notion. Only one in four born-again Christians -- and only one in seven respondents overall -- "strongly agrees" that divorce when no adultery has taken place is a sin.
Read more about the survey
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Your online calendar: Remember these dates
March 20-22: ‘Jubilation’ retreat for older adults