~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today, in Holston Conference News Briefs for March 16:

Wednesday on the Webexclusive – Retired Teenagers? @ holston.org

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

TOP STORY: Children's Day, coming to a camp near you

By May, most children's ministry workers could use a boost. Children's Day offers an instant end-of-the-school-year activity with games, campfire songs, a picnic lunch, and devotions. Children's Day also offers a chance to connect with other congregations and to visit a Holston camp.

Pick the camp closest to your church! On Saturday, May 14, Children's Day happens at Camps Ahistadi (Damascus, Va.), Laurel (Rocky Gap, Va.), and Wesley Woods (Townsend, Tenn.) On Saturday, June 4, Children's Day is planned at Camps Blackmore (Fort Blackmore, Va.), Buffalo Mountain (Jonesborough, Tenn.), Dickenson (Fries, Va.), and Lookout (Rising Fawn, Ga.).

Find out more and register soon

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Annual Conference is sooner than you think

The 2005 session of the Holston Annual Conference will be held June 12-15 at Lake Junaluska, N.C. Maybe it seems like a long way off, but it isn't. The first deadline related to the annual gathering of clergy and lay representatives happens this Friday, March 18, when submissions are due for the "Book of Reports." On Saturday, March 19, housing request cards must be postmarked and sent to the reservations offices at Lake Junaluska.

Find out more about Annual Conference deadlines

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This Holy Mystery: Communion workshop in Nashville

The General Board of Discipleship is hosting a major gathering on the teaching office and the sacrament of Holy Communion in Nashville, April 26-28. Early bird registration lasts until April 1.

Find out more about the workshop and study

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Money for tsunami victims keeps rolling in

Holston congregations continue to give generously to tsunami victims through United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). As of March 15, 378 congregations had contributed $593,847. That's a dramatic increase since March 2, when 346 churches had given $498,329.

Learn what UMCOR is doing with the money

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Wesley Institute: 3 training opportunities in April

The Wesley Institute recently announced these new opportunities for continuing education:

Visit the Wesley Institute site for more info

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The battle on teaching evolution sharpens: Who said that?

"If you believe that God created that baby, it makes it a whole lot harder to get rid of that baby. If you can cause enough doubt on evolution, liberalism will die."

The Rev. Terry Fox, a Southern Baptist minister in Wichita, Kan., commenting on the issue of how students should be educated on the origins of life. Policymakers in 19 states are currently weighing proposals that question the science of evolution.

Read the Washington Post article (requires registration)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Your online calendar: Remember these dates

F.U.E.L. Youth Worker Training: April 30 and May 14

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.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

NOW AVAILABLE

______________________________________________

To subscribe, change an email address or join another list, click here.

Send your conference-wide news/events click here.

This message is from the Holston Conference Communications Office.